Before your appointment
Discharge day comes with a lot of instructions. Before you leave, ask your team to walk through the pain plan with you and, if you choose, the person helping you at home.
The useful question is not just “What do I take?” It is also “What should this help me do, and who do I call if it does not help?”
Leave with answers to these questions
- What pain should I expect? Ask about the first few days and what should gradually improve.
- What is each medicine for? Get the dose, timing, maximum amount, and stop or review date in writing.
- What can I take with my usual medicines? Include nonprescription products, supplements, and medicines from other clinicians.
- What activities are allowed? Ask about walking, prescribed exercises, driving, and any restrictions.
- What if pain is still difficult to manage? Get a daytime contact, an after-hours plan, and instructions for urgent symptoms.
- Who handles follow-up? If the operation was outside VA, clarify how the surgical team and VA team will share the plan.
Use your own words to repeat the instructions back. That gives the team a chance to catch anything unclear before you get home.
Check for medicines with overlapping ingredients
Some prescription pain medicines contain acetaminophen, the ingredient in Tylenol. Adding another acetaminophen product can accidentally increase the total amount. Ask your pharmacist to check every product and tell you which combinations to avoid. Too much acetaminophen can damage the liver. FDA acetaminophen guidance.
Ibuprofen and naproxen are NSAIDs, a different group of medicines. Ask whether they are appropriate for you, especially if you have kidney disease or are dehydrated. NSAIDs can cause kidney injury in some circumstances, including short-term use when dehydrated or when blood pressure is low. NIDDK medicine safety guidance.
If an opioid is prescribed, ask about the exit plan
Ask when it is needed, how to recognize troublesome side effects, and how the dose should change as you recover. Opioids can cause constipation, drowsiness, and slowed breathing. Ask whether you should have naloxone available and whether someone helping you should learn to use it. FDA opioid safety information.
Longer-acting does not automatically mean more suitable for pain after surgery. CDC guidance recommends immediate-release opioids when starting opioid treatment and advises against extended-release or long-acting opioids for acute pain. If you already take a long-term opioid, your clinicians need to coordinate an individual plan; do not change it on your own. CDC prescribing guidance.
If someone taking an opioid has slowed or difficult breathing or cannot be woken, call 911. Give naloxone if available, following its instructions. FDA opioid safety information.
Tell the team what happens after a dose
Keep a simple note of when you took the prescribed medicine, whether it helped with the planned activity, and any side effects. “It helped me get out of bed, but I felt very dizzy” gives the team something specific to address.
If the plan is not working, call for advice rather than adding doses or switching medicines yourself. Also ask which comfort measures, such as positioning or relaxation, fit your recovery. Get permission before using heat or cold around a surgical site.
Your next step: Keep your discharge plan and contact numbers together. If any part is unclear, ask the surgical team or pharmacist to explain it before you take the next step.
This checklist supports a conversation with your care team. It does not provide a medication schedule or replace your discharge instructions.
Your next step
For help navigating services, read chronic pain care through VA and the Community Care referral checklist.
Source video
Adapted from How to Best Manage Post-op Pain, uploaded by The Nursing Prof. Relevant caption sections: 01:14–01:53, 02:38–03:00, and 07:13–08:17. Medication advice was checked against the separate sources above. The video's drug comparisons and reassuring statements about short-term kidney effects were not carried forward. Video content was reviewed through automatic captions, not audiovisual playback.
Frequently asked questions
Who should manage my pain medicines after surgery?
Ask the surgical team to name the clinician responsible and explain when care transfers back to VA. Make sure both teams have the same medication list.
What if the prescribed pain plan is not helping?
Contact the named care team for advice. Do not add doses or switch medicines yourself. Use your emergency instructions for dangerous symptoms.
Sources used on this page
These patient guides adapt video themes using automatic captions and separately linked health references. Audiovisual playback and clinician review were not performed. Your care team’s assessment and instructions take priority.
- FDA acetaminophen guidance
- NIDDK medicine safety guidance
- FDA opioid safety information
- CDC prescribing guidance
- How to Best Manage Post-op Pain