If the doctor or dentist seems to be unusually pushy about optional drugs like opioids, perhaps you may want to check whether s/he is receiving money from drug companies.
When my oldest son had his wisdom teeth pulled 4 years ago, he got a prescription for 20 oxycodone. I held on to them. He took one the first day and switched to regular Advil the next day. When D had hers pulled one year ago, they told her to take extra strength Tylenol. They went to different offices in the same practice. I think that in the intervening time, dentists have started to realize that they were over prescribing and some may be stopping.
I have a stockpile of Tylenol codeine and oxycodones that I have accumulated over the years. On occasion, I have an excruciating headache, not a migraine, and nothing will touch it but one of those pills. It puts me out for the night and I wake up headache free.
My personal pet peeve is that my doctor won’t give me antibiotics when I need them. I had a respiratory infection about 6 weeks ago and he told me it was viral. Three days later, I couldn’t talk, couldn’t breathe and was coughing up green gobs. Urgent care gave me a Z-pac and told me I had bronchitis, which I had not had before. They told me that if i had waited another day to come in, I would have had pneumonia. I am finally starting to feel better. I told my doctor that the next time I ask for antibiotics, I expect to get them. I know my body and how it reacts.
I never really got the appeal of opioids but I know some people love the feeling of being on them. I believe I’ve only had them once when I was in the ER with severe pain and they gave me morphine. That did not end well and I felt completely lousy - I am one of those people who would rather have the pain. I think when I got my wisdom teeth out (all impacted, all at once), they didn’t give anything like that, just regular OTC pain relievers. It’s tricky because how do you make them available to those who need them knowing for sure that a certain percentage will develop an addiction?
I had three surgical procedures that required knocking me out completely. Two also had to deal with removal of some tissue from my body (bone and soft tissue). I was off Advil and Tylenol in 2 days. I had also a molar extracted with - wait for it - no anesthesia of any kind (!) at the ripe age of 13 (broke a tooth in an accident and the dentist was out of meds for the day). I cannot imagine needing a 30 pill supply of the “hard stuff” for a dental procedure. Also, this whole wisdom tooth removal business is questionable.
And yes, @techmom99 - that antibiotic prescription for a UTI is gonna wipe out the civilization!!! I hate to have to beg my docs to write a script for a life saving antibiotics for me.
@BunsenBurner my brother didn’t have his wisdom teeth removed on time. At 40 all his teeth were crooked from the crowding and moving caused by his wisdom teeth. After phasing them pulled and braces for 2 years, he wishes he had them out in his 20s. FWIW a dentist I know said that it’s better to get them out before age 26 (or was it 24?) because they are easier to remove then.
Not phasing. Having. After having them pulled.
This is not high quality evidence. This is not a randomized controlled trial.
My daughter had her 4 wisdom teeth out earlier this year and was given a prescription for Vicodon, which like others have mentioned I was told must be filled. I did get it filled ( 6 pills I believe for only $2 at the CVS who had it- the first one didn’t) and I had to give my ID etc. because it is a controlled substance. My daughter was fine with Motrin only. and I took the pills home with me (she didn’t want them around in her apartment) and they immediately went to the drug drop off at the Police station in my town. We even joked about how cheap the pills were and how she could make money selling them for a few bucks each.
Years ago, I had 2 of my wisdom teeth out (as an adult) and was sent home (to drive myself) with a handful of Percastats (which I never took).
I hear all the time about people being in pain and doctors not giving them opiods, but dentists seem to hand them out too frequently.
I am going to dissent here and say I hope doctors don’t give "antibiotics’ because someone asks for them. Bronchitis is almost always caused by a virus. Pneumonia often is, too. None of that would be reason to get an antibiotic. And the overuse is why we have more dangerous antibiotic-resistant bugs out there now.
Would’t it be interesting if we knew somehow which individuals were likely to become addicted. Those people, knowing their risk, could totally avoid the opiate prescription painkillers. Wondering if that information might be available in the near future via DNA studies.
Greater awareness of risks is fantastic. That said, my daughter has had short-term opioid prescriptions renewed twice within 6 months - first time when wisdom tooth extraction led to 2 dry sockets, second time after slow recovery from surgery. She was terrified of becoming addicted, but was also crying in pain. Got tired of people telling her and me she was going to become an addict. She is fine now.
@HImom my daughter found the same thing when she took an opioid after her rib surgeries. She said she couldn’t understand how anyone could be addicted to something that plugged them up for 3 days, even with Metamucil and Miralax!
The title is misleading. The study was about people who received opioids from a dental clinician for any reason, not just wisdom teeth removal.
I like the idea of someday knowing what pain relief works best for which people and which could be addictive. cnp55.
I’ll throw out two experiences I had. The first was a little “female surgery.” I didn’t take the prescription pain killers at first because I felt fine but late on the second day home was overcome by a pain and exhaustion I couldn’t handle so I took a pill, went to sleep, woke up a new woman. I took one at bedtime for a few days, afraid of that happening again, but did not use my one week supply. (I also rested more. At first I felt fine so I just got up and carried on as usual.) Second experience was hip replacement. I had heard from other patients to stay ahead of the pain so I took the pills. (My bones had been sawed and reamed! ) No, I did not have any pain with the pills, but had some terrible GI side effects, so I stopped taking them after about three days and switched to Tylenol. By then Tylenol was good enough. Yes, I had pills left over.
My point is that sometimes people do need strong pain medicine, let’s not overreact and block that option. Other than closer follow up and supervision, I don’t know what the answer is. Have docs prescribe just three days of pills? Patient comes in to get more?
I’m a wimp when it comes to pain and have had multiple surgeries. I want the hard stuff every time. I use them until I don’t need them anymore. I definitely needed them for my wisdom teeth extraction. No fear of addiction here. Everyone is different. I don’t think dentists should stop prescribing them for wisdom teeth extractions entirely.
Because of DS’s bleeding disorder, he can’t take ibuprofen when he gets his wisdom teeth out in a few weeks. So he may need opioids. It’s good to read about the dangers, though.
I’m glad some here could get by after ‘dental surgery’ with Motrin. But addiction doesn’t come from having the right pain med for the right intensity of pain, (temporary pain, temporary Rx.) And you don’t want to be calling in for the right Rx after you’re home and suffering.
I have hydrocodone for kidney stones. (In the hospital, after one procedure, even morphine didn’t help.) I’ve had several bouts. And you just know mine seems to always hit late on a Friday afternoon or on a Sat, no chance to run in for an office visit.
About 3 years ago, I asked my doc for an “in case” amount. (He resisted, but we talked.) When the stones hit, I start wth Ibuprophen. It generally works. But that 12 pill Rx? I’ve still got 10 left (and yes, hidden away.) I take two with me if I travel and the Ibu doesn’t work. I’m not worried this will in any way risk addiction.
My daughter had her wisdom teeth out in August. No opioids were prescribed. She managed on Advil and recovered quickly. We were instructed to let the dental surgeon know how she was doing and his office called her every day in the few days after surgery. I’m grateful for this approach. We live in ??.
My son was prescribed 20 Hydrocodone last spring by his oral surgeon after wisdom teeth extraction - I think he took 2 of those over recovery days 3 and 4 but prior to and after he used over the county pain med- actually I just counted them, there are 17 left. I guess I should drop those at the Sheriff’s Office drug drop box and get them out of my house!
I wish my health care could continue to be decided between me and my Doctor. I have to be frequently screened for drugs at work and I would lose everything I hold dear if I took a drug/narcotic that wasn’t mine or for a different use. (For example I can’t take oxycodone prescribed by a dentist for knee pain and the prescription has to be less than 6 months olds) I can say with a high certainty that I won’t become an addict. With that being said I assume many people needed opioids after oral surgery or the dentists wouldn’t prescribe them. I was in sever pain once after a root canal and after 3 weeks of agony ended up taking a week of opioids just to function. None of us can say what and who deserves pain relief. If you are not in pain fine take them to the police drop box, but don’t try to deny pain relief to others who might need them.