@MissFanny please taper off your medication very slowly. You don't want to suffer withdrawal symptoms while coping with recovery. Here is a bit of information on doing this:
You can do one of two things to begin reducing the amount of drug you are taking:
1.
Begin spreading out the times when you take the drug. If you are currently taking it every 4 hours, for a couple of days make it every 5 hours, then 6 for a few days and so forth until you reduce to one pill a day (usually at bedtime, cuz that's when we seem to need the pain relief most). Then at that point, you can start taking half a pill for a while and then no pill. At that point (no pill), you would take them only periodically when you have pain that over-the-counter medication won't take care of.
2. You can stay on the same schedule (like every 4 hours) and cut back on the
amount of the narcotic with each dose. That can be done by asking your doctor for a lower-strength medicine or by cutting pills in half. Only reduce the amount by 1/2 pill at a time if you are staying on the same schedule - not a whole pill. Then when you get to the point that you're taking a half pill at each dose time (that's about as small a dose as you can get), start spreading out the time between doses. This approach works if you need the pain medicine during the day for PT appointments or other activity where over-the-counter meds won't work.
As you're cutting back, expect that you may have to use NSAIDS to fill in the gaps for pain.... Aleve (Naproxen), Advil (Ibuprofen), Motrin or try Tylenol (Paracetamol).
Just be sure you don't try to cut back too fast. You'll feel it if you do and will need to make adjustments accordingly to slow the taper. The whole process can take several weeks, so be patient and make sure you are stable for a day or so at each level before you make another reduction.
Or....you can contact your doctor and ask what schedule THEY prefer you do. But I believe a person will do just as well taking care of this yourself. Only YOU know how you feel at any given time. You want to cut back just enough so the over-the-counter meds work and not so much that you get those flu-like symptoms or have pain.
United States
yes... and the emotional swells
Those wonderful recovery aids can certainly make you feel old before your time. Tossing them aside, one by one is the best, I'm sure you agree having just experienced your first THR so recently. I hope you have a nice rest of the week.
today. I am hoping for more of the same.
Sorry about the TMI. 
Why didn’t I think of that? I am one week away from getting to bend over again, so I guess I’ll skip the additional cost now, but that would have been smart!
