Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want strong painkillers after c-section?

119 replies

northerngirly · 04/03/2025 09:01

Will I be given strong painkillers after a planned c-section? My SIL had morphine in a drip after hers and for various reasons related to past medical trauma I absolutely do not want any form of morphine - no oramorph, or any painkillers in a driver. I’ve reacted badly to cocodamol/codeine in the past and it makes me feel completely insane which I really don’t want. Will I be fine on just ibuprofen and paracetamol? Will they listen when I say I don’t want anything stronger?

I can’t seem to find a good answer online so I’ve turned to Mumsnet!

OP posts:
Normallynumb · 04/03/2025 15:20

Ask for diclofenac They can give you a suppository just after the CS, stronger than ibuprofen but same class of drug
IV paracetamol works much better than the tablets
The anaesthetist will take any concerns on board
Lots are allergic to opiates so there are other options
Good luck for a smooth delivery

crosskeysgreen · 04/03/2025 19:21

Snugglemonkey · 04/03/2025 15:06

I didn't have anything other than paracetamol. I am also allergic to anti inflammatory, so I didn't have any of them. I have had 2 sections and it was grand.

Ahh yes I should add, with my first born I had some kidney complications so couldn't have diclofenac. I had just the paracetamol then and I was ok

SootherSue · 04/03/2025 19:54

I doubt they would give you codeine or cocodamol without you specifically asking for it and confirming with them that you aren't planning to breastfeed, because codeine passes into breast milk. Last year when I had my section, I had to ask for any pain medication I wanted, there weren't rounds. It was paracetamol and ibuprofen by default. I could and did request oral morphine but no one volunteered that option, and I wasn't allowed any in the hours leading up to discharge. I could have managed better on paracetamol and ibuprofen if I was properly dosed up back to back, however because I had to ask, and the nurses were lovely but busy, they would often forget and I'd go a longer between doses. So, just make your notes clear on what you definitely don't want and do bug them to get you what you need if your ward doesn't volunteer meds. Good luck!

Edit: someone reminded me of the diclofenac suppository. I had that in theatre and reckon that was the most effective for me.

Rooroobear · 04/03/2025 20:01

Doesn’t it just blow your mind that it’s major surgery and you get such minimal pain relief after. Any other abdominal surgery and you’d expect any drug going for recovery (I obviously understand why with having a newborn and possibly breastfeeding) it just makes you think x

Marmite27 · 04/03/2025 20:03

I was fine with just ibuprofen and paracetamol. I was bemused by all the people saying I’d need something stronger.

Don’t miss a dose though, paracetamol particularly works better on a cumulative basis.

PeloMom · 04/03/2025 20:05

I don’t remember taking anything stronger than ibuprofen after mine.

eurochick · 04/03/2025 20:08

Codeine makes me feel spaced out so I asked for no opiates when I had mine. It was a bit painful for around 12 hours but then ok with just paracetamol and nurofen.

Thirteenblackcat · 04/03/2025 20:09

I had diclofenac. No morphine or codeine. I can’t remember being in lots of pain

CatsCatsCats11 · 04/03/2025 20:12

Mine wasn't great so I was offered everything 😂. I found IV paracetamol to be the most effective.

FlyingHighFlyingLow · 04/03/2025 20:14

I can't take morphine or codeine. I told the surgeons, it was on my notes.

I had paracetamol and diclofenac in surgery, paracetamol and ibuprofen after. It was fine for me, recovered well. There were others in my bay sobbing begging for more painkillers.

Hopefully you'll be in the 'fine on para and ibru' camp. If not, you might want to make a plan beforehand of what options you have. For example, would you prefer to take cocodamol compared to morphine?

Northernstar01 · 04/03/2025 20:19

I had paracetamol and ibuprofen only as get bad migraines from everything else. Wasn’t a problem

pambeesleyhalpert · 04/03/2025 20:42

you don't have to do anything you don't want to do but I couldn't have coped with the pain with just paracetamol and ibuprofen

ClearFruit · 04/03/2025 20:49

I've had three caesareans and was NOT ok with paracetamol and ibuprofen. I had morphine and codeine after all three.

Jellyfisch · 04/03/2025 20:51

Lol I was only offered ibuprofen and paracetamol. What a joke. Bet if men had to have a csection they'd get given something stronger!
Didn't have anything else and managed okay.

Burntt · 04/03/2025 20:57

I had to really fight to get cocodamol and made to feel like a right druggie for it! I had significant trauma to my bladder from labour, im still living with the after effects of that damage 2 years later. So wasn't even routine pain! I'm sure you will be fine if you only want paracetamol and ibrophen. I'd have some in your hospital bag though as my experience is they ignore the buzzer and you wait hours and hours for just paracetamol. 3 labours and every time I've had this experience with just not giving pain meds

MajorCarolDanvers · 04/03/2025 20:57

Of course they can’t force you but it’s bloody painful and I couldn’t have managed without.

Greybeardy · 04/03/2025 20:58

a few thoughts from an obs anaesthetist PoV...
codeine isn't used post partum in the UK for women who are planning to breast feed. Dihydrocodeine is the medium-strength opioid more routinely used because it's safe to use whilst breastfeeding. The two drugs are different despite having similar names and some people get on better with one vs the other.

There will be diamorphine in the spinal mix - this helps to ensure that the spinal is dense enough and works long enough to do the operation. It also lasts longer than the local anaesthetic element of the spinal and helps with early post op pain relief. Spinal diamorphine doesn't cause any of the systemic side effects like drowsiness etc.

A diclofenac suppository is fairly routinely given in theatre unless there is a contraindication. For the ongoing post partum period there isn't much difference in terms of analgesia between diclofenac and ibuprofen for most people, but diclofenac is more likely to cause side effects.

TAP blocks mentioned by PP may be an option in theatre, but not normally as an ongoing thing. Not all of us do them routinely though so that would be dependent on who's doing the list.

PPs idea of suggesting asking for the spinal to be left running suggests a complete lack of insight to what a spinal is (spinal catheters are rarely used in UK practice - it's a single shot injection).

If for any reason a spinal (or less likely and epidural) isn't possible then a GA would involve needing opioid medications intraoperatively as the pain relief is much trickier at least initially than after a spinal c-section.

There is surprising variability in women's pain relief requirements after a c-section - some really are ok with paracetamol & ibuprofen but many women need stronger stuff. To some extent in may depend on the reason for the section, but it's not that predictable. It is worth remembering that uncontrolled pain is physiologically not good for you, so if pain is bad it's usually far better to take appropriate analgesia (+/- anti-sickness medication if that's a problem) than to be immobile in bed, not breathing deeply, brewing a DVT, chest infection, UTI etc.

Definitely talk to the anaesthetist - there may be things they can do differently/tweak, but try to keep a slightly open mind. By declining any opioids you may be committing yourself to a pretty rubbish experience, and all for something that may not actually be a high risk problem (as people with advanced cancer are very different to the demographic of people having c-sections, the side effects/risks vs benefits can be quite different too). HTH.

spottydinosaur · 04/03/2025 20:58

I had paracetamol & ibuprofen after mine.

Never needed anything stronger

Waterlilysunset · 05/03/2025 21:55

Greybeardy · 04/03/2025 20:58

a few thoughts from an obs anaesthetist PoV...
codeine isn't used post partum in the UK for women who are planning to breast feed. Dihydrocodeine is the medium-strength opioid more routinely used because it's safe to use whilst breastfeeding. The two drugs are different despite having similar names and some people get on better with one vs the other.

There will be diamorphine in the spinal mix - this helps to ensure that the spinal is dense enough and works long enough to do the operation. It also lasts longer than the local anaesthetic element of the spinal and helps with early post op pain relief. Spinal diamorphine doesn't cause any of the systemic side effects like drowsiness etc.

A diclofenac suppository is fairly routinely given in theatre unless there is a contraindication. For the ongoing post partum period there isn't much difference in terms of analgesia between diclofenac and ibuprofen for most people, but diclofenac is more likely to cause side effects.

TAP blocks mentioned by PP may be an option in theatre, but not normally as an ongoing thing. Not all of us do them routinely though so that would be dependent on who's doing the list.

PPs idea of suggesting asking for the spinal to be left running suggests a complete lack of insight to what a spinal is (spinal catheters are rarely used in UK practice - it's a single shot injection).

If for any reason a spinal (or less likely and epidural) isn't possible then a GA would involve needing opioid medications intraoperatively as the pain relief is much trickier at least initially than after a spinal c-section.

There is surprising variability in women's pain relief requirements after a c-section - some really are ok with paracetamol & ibuprofen but many women need stronger stuff. To some extent in may depend on the reason for the section, but it's not that predictable. It is worth remembering that uncontrolled pain is physiologically not good for you, so if pain is bad it's usually far better to take appropriate analgesia (+/- anti-sickness medication if that's a problem) than to be immobile in bed, not breathing deeply, brewing a DVT, chest infection, UTI etc.

Definitely talk to the anaesthetist - there may be things they can do differently/tweak, but try to keep a slightly open mind. By declining any opioids you may be committing yourself to a pretty rubbish experience, and all for something that may not actually be a high risk problem (as people with advanced cancer are very different to the demographic of people having c-sections, the side effects/risks vs benefits can be quite different too). HTH.

Edited

So helpful to have all the info. My GA was sooo much more painful after than my epidural c section.
The morphine made me itch all over like a druggie and no one was really sure what to do with me

New posts on this thread. Refresh page