Page 3 | Pain relief after a section

Buttercupcup · 14/01/2021 13:07

I personally found cups of peppermint tea and a couple of senna tablets better than peppermint capsules. Plus side I really like peppermint tea it turns out!

Dowermouse · 14/01/2021 13:49

There are definitely stronger drugs in the ibuprofen family that are safe to take while breastfeeding, if in doubt, message the pharmacists at The Breastfeeding Network, they are the absolute biz.

Cyclingforcake · 14/01/2021 18:32

Peppermint oil capsules 1-2 of the strongest you can find up to 3 times a day. I think the ones we prescribe in hospital are 200mg but I can’t remember (and not at work to double check). But as someone else said drinking it via peppermint tea or even crushing polo mints will work. I hand out a lot of teabags to patients!

Cyclingforcake · 14/01/2021 18:33

Oh and regarding ibuprofen/diclofenac. You can’t buy diclofenac over the counter and lots of hospitals don’t have it on their formulary any more as there isn’t much evidence it’s better than ibuprofen and there’s more side effects.

GintyMcGinty · 14/01/2021 18:34

I needed co-codamol.

After both sections I phoned the GP on the way home from hospital. They wrote out a prescription which my husband immediately went and got.

violetclouds · 14/01/2021 18:48

I had a c section 10 days ago & was given a low dose of morphine in hospital however neither me or any of the other 3 ladies on the ward were given anything strong to take home. They said that if we needed stronger painkillers then we weren't ready to leave hospital. It has honestly been more than manageable with paracetamol & ibuprofen.

IndieRo · 14/01/2021 18:51

I've had 3 sections. I was prescribed tylex and wouldn't recommend it. Makes you dizzy, queasy and constipated. I actually don't remember taking much pain relief tbh. You would definately not need oxycodone.

Original poster

Mumof3almost4 · 15/01/2021 10:07

@Cyclingforcake thank you for all your advice 😊

I'm going to check out the breastfeeding pharmacist now thanks @Dowermouse

OP posts:

DarkChocolateMint · 18/01/2021 19:18

I was discharged with 3 days of codiene and i bought my own paracetomol & brufen.

Paracet & Brufen is totally enough for me painkiller wise.

Good luck x

Ickle37 · 18/01/2021 19:43

I was in 3 nights and got what i called " magic liquid ", i did have a few complications... If you feel you are being discharged and in too much pain, before you go, ask for the anaesthetist to come and see you and REALLY ham it up. You probably wont need to, because it is a bit ouchy, but where there is strong demand, i find you usually get the goods!! Dont stress, if you cant handle the pain they all really do help you. Best wishes x

HappyAsASandboy · 18/01/2021 21:01

I have had three c sections. After the first I was prescribed paracetamol, ibuprofen, and codeine. Second and third were after a baby died (in Canada?) due to a reaction to codeine in breast milk, so they don't prescribe codeine any more. I had paracetamol, ibuprofen and oramorph (while in hospital only). Managed at home in just paracetamol and ibuprofen.

The key is to take them absolutely to timetable. Do not leave it until you think you need one; just trust that for the first two weeks you will need them and take both paracetamol and ibuprofen on a timetable.

Whichnamepls · 19/01/2021 00:48

Do you stagger taking the paracetamol and ibuprofen or taken them at the same time?

TerrifiedOfTrying4No2 · 19/01/2021 01:27

I’m the biggest wimp but I got on fine with paracetamol and ibuprofen when I came out - they sent me home with cocodemol(?) but it makes you really constipated and after a c-section and having to do the post-c-section poo there was absolutely no chance of me taking it.

It was sore but manageable with regular drugs.

TerrifiedOfTrying4No2 · 19/01/2021 01:28

@Whichnamepls stagger it; you’ll have constant pain relief if you stagger them. If you take them both at the same time you’ll have nothing covering you when it begins to wear off but it’s too soon got more.

SD1978 · 19/01/2021 01:33

I person ally think it's disgusting the lack of pain relief given to women after a section. Any other major abdominal surgery and you would automatically be on opioids. Have a baby? Nah- that's not 'real' surgery/ couple of paracetamol and everything is fine..............it makes me so flipping angry!!!!!!! And ask for stronger? Get the you are drugging your babies milk as it's excreted through breast milk chat............... sections are babrbaric in their lack of after care and concern (I saw this as someone who has one) personally, kicked up a well mannered stink, got given a very small supply of BD opioid tablets (2 days) and some PRN ones for a week. Worked well. Please don't let them railroad you into accepting nothing if you're not comfortable doing so. Not having adequate analgesia after a section isn't a competition. Others may have been happy on paracetamol or fresh air- same as labouring women only using a whale tape and not using pain relief- it doesn't work for everyone and doesn't make you 'less' because you don't want to hobble around with low grade analgesia after major abdominal surgery. Discuss the options and stand your ground.

ivfbeenbusy · 19/01/2021 01:57

I had an emergency c section On Saturday for my twins - full placental abruption and haemorrhage. I was bearing my omen weight after 6 hours abs catheter out after 8 hours. I only had paracetamol and ibruprofen. No morphine. Up on my feet lots following day and discharged after 72 hours. But I had an incentive in that my babies are in NICU and if I wanted to see them I had to be up
And about. More I was mobile the quicker my recovery and less pain.

The other mums who had their babies with them who didn't move from the bed all day were the ones asking for morphine......

Nat6999 · 19/01/2021 01:58

I had morphine injections for 48 hours then got given just paracetamol (was in 4 days afterwards) was in pain when I got home, midwife rang GP who prescribed Diclofenac & Co-codamol 30/500, I was on those for over a week before stepping down to Ibuprofen & Paracetamol. Don't know if it makes any difference but my BP was still dangerously high, I had discharged myself due to lack of care, my lovely GP visited daily & treated me at home instead of sending me back to hospital.

Darklingthrush · 19/01/2021 06:27

@ivfbeenbusy Your post took me back to my twin delivery and I agree - I was so determined to get up to see them that it really helped me get moving. Congratulations on the birth of your twins - I hope they can come home soon.

Marmite27 · 19/01/2021 06:28

@Mumof3almost4

I have been informed that after my section I will be advised to take paracetamol and ibuprofen. This will not be enough after leaving hospital 24 hours after a major surgery 🙄 Please can you let me know what actually works?, I've heard a particular painkiller mentioned a few times but can not for the life of me remember what it is!! Thanks

I only had paracetamol and ibruprofen. They’re very good painkillers and if taken correctly ARE enough.

Just because you take these two for mild ailments doesn’t mean they don’t work for worse pain.

DarkChocolateMint · 19/01/2021 08:02

@SD1978

I person ally think it's disgusting the lack of pain relief given to women after a section. Any other major abdominal surgery and you would automatically be on opioids. Have a baby? Nah- that's not 'real' surgery/ couple of paracetamol and everything is fine..............it makes me so flipping angry!!!!!!! And ask for stronger? Get the you are drugging your babies milk as it's excreted through breast milk chat............... sections are babrbaric in their lack of after care and concern (I saw this as someone who has one) personally, kicked up a well mannered stink, got given a very small supply of BD opioid tablets (2 days) and some PRN ones for a week. Worked well. Please don't let them railroad you into accepting nothing if you're not comfortable doing so. Not having adequate analgesia after a section isn't a competition. Others may have been happy on paracetamol or fresh air- same as labouring women only using a whale tape and not using pain relief- it doesn't work for everyone and doesn't make you 'less' because you don't want to hobble around with low grade analgesia after major abdominal surgery. Discuss the options and stand your ground.

Brufen & Paracet have been ok for me... U have needed 1 codiene BUT I agree totally with your comment on other abdo surgery.

I didnt think about that before! Im a nurse & patients totally get more - perhaps as an inpatient though and not on discharge?

Great point! Interesting.

OP.... pain is what the patient says it is!!

Good luck xx

SD1978 · 19/01/2021 08:37

@DarkChocolateMint- can you think of any other procedure, where your organs are rummaged around in, bits pushed to the side, etc- and post op you get a couple of paracetamol and ibuprofen? Although my surgical jobs were admittedly a fair few years ago now- the pain relief was definitely more than that! As I said- if that's all you want- grand. But it shits me seriously women are made to feel it's all they SHOULD have, and everyone else manages so stop your womanly whining.......... I do feel a tad passionate about this

stackhead · 19/01/2021 08:45

I had one dose of oramorph but it made me feel horrible, the pain was better.

Paracetamol and iburpofen, alternate every 2 hours.

That said I wouldn't have been able to tackle stairs on day 2 I don't think - I was in the hospital for 5, so maybe something stronger to get you up the stairs but then back to the little drugs.

Glendaruel · 19/01/2021 09:04

I had a section two months ago. I was given a 5 day supply of tramadol at discharge and had at home paracetamol for after. It's worth starting to st ock up on paracetamol as shops limit how many packets you can buy.

ivfbeenbusy · 19/01/2021 09:22

I personally think it's disgusting the lack of pain relief given to women after a section. Any other major abdominal surgery and you would automatically be on opioids.

Not in the U.K. - why push strong painkillers on people when something as paracetamol and ibruprofen is enough when taken correctly, easily and cheaply available and doesn't have the same addictive properties as opioids

I had major abdominal surgery after 2 near fatal ruptured ectopic pregnancies - i also only had paracetamol after those surgeries as well

Isit2021yetplease · 19/01/2021 09:27

Wow you're all stronger women than me - I was given just paracetomol and ibuprofen and was in so much incredible pain it was horrific. I haven't really had any operations before so assumed I just had an incredibly low pain threshold but my second DC was a vbac which I did with no pain relief and didn't really find it too bad so I think I have some threshold, just being cut open and given the same medicine as you have for a headache didn't cut it for me!