What are the Pain Medicine Instructions

You may need pain medicine after an injury or illness. Two common types of pain medicine are:

• Opioid pain medicine. These may be called opioids.
• Non-opioid pain medicine. This includes NSAIDs.

It is important to follow your doctor’s instructions when you are taking pain medicine. Doing this can keep yourself and others safe.

How can pain medicine affect me?

Pain medicine may not make all of your pain go away. It should make you comfortable enough to:

• Move.
• Breathe.
• Do normal activities.

Opioids can cause side effects, such as:

• Trouble pooping (constipation).
• Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea).
• Throwing up (vomiting).
• Feeling very sleepy.
• Confusion.
• Taking the medicine for nonmedical reasons even though taking it hurts your health and well-being (opioid use disorder).
• Trouble breathing (respiratory depression).

Taking opioids for longer than 3 days raises your risk of these side effects.

Taking opioids for a long time can affect how well you can do daily tasks. Taking them for a long time also puts you at risk for:

• Car crashes.
• Depression.
• Suicide.
• Heart attack.
• Taking too much of the medicine (overdose). This can lead to death.

What should I do to stay safe while taking pain medicine?

Take your medicine as told

• Take pain medicine exactly as told by your doctor. Take it only when you need it.
• Write down the times when you take your pain medicine. Look at the times before you take your next dose.
• Take other over-the-counter or prescription medicines only as told by your doctor.
  • If your pain medicine has acetaminophen in it, do not take any other acetaminophen while you are taking this medicine. Too much can damage the liver.
• Get pain medicine prescriptions from only one doctor.

Avoid certain activities

While you are taking prescription pain medicine, and for 8 hours after your last dose:

• Do not drive.
• Do not use machinery.
• Do not use power tools.
• Do not sign legal documents.
• Do not drink alcohol.
• Do not take sleeping pills.
• Do not take care of children by yourself.
• Do not do any activities that involve climbing or being in high places.
• Do not go into any body of water unless there is an adult nearby who can watch you and help you if needed. This includes:
  • Lakes.
  • Rivers.
  • Oceans.
  • Spas.
  • Swimming pools.

Keep others safe

• Store your medicine as told by your doctor. Keep it where children and pets cannot reach it.
• Do not share your pain medicine with anyone.
• Do not save any leftover pills. If you have leftover pills, you can:
  • Bring them to a take-back program.
  • Bring them to a pharmacy that has a drug disposal container.
  • Throw them in the trash. Check the medicine label or package insert to see if it is safe to throw it out. If it is safe, take the medicine out of the container. Mix it with something that makes it unusable, such as pet waste. Then put the medicine in the trash.

General instructions

• Talk with your doctor about other ways to manage your pain.
• If you have trouble pooping:
  • Drink enough fluid to keep your pee (urine) pale yellow.
  • Use a poop (stool) softener as told by your doctor.
  • Eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.

Contact a doctor if:

• Your medicine is not helping with your pain.
• You have a rash.
• You feel depressed.

Get help right away if:

Seek medical care right away if you are taking pain medicines and you (or people close to you) notice any of the following:

• Trouble breathing.
• Breathing that is shorter than normal.
• Breathing that is more shallow than normal.
• Confusion.
• Sleepiness.
• Trouble staying awake.
• Feeling sick to your stomach.
• Throwing up.
• Your skin or lips turning pale or bluish in color.
• Tongue swelling.

If you ever feel like you may hurt yourself or others, or have thoughts about taking your own life, get help right away. Go to your nearest emergency department or call:

• Your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.).
• A suicide crisis helpline, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. This is open 24 hours a day.

Summary

• Take your pain medicine exactly as told by your doctor.
• Pain medicine can help lower your pain. It may also cause side effects.
• Talk with your doctor about other ways to manage your pain.
• Follow your doctor’s instructions about how to take your pain medicine and keep others safe. Ask what activities you should avoid while taking pain medicine.