Any tips for making Mom more comfortable after a root canal?

[CalyCoRose]

My mom had to have a root canal sometime this past Monday. And she's still in pain in her jaw because of this. (She also had an abscess in her mouth). Her dentist gave her a prescription for Vicodin. She called her older brother and he told her it was a powerful narcotic, would make her sleepy, and she shouldn't take it. So she hasn't and yet she's in pain from the root canal. She's taking Tylenol and "taking it easy" right now.

Granted, yes, Vicodin is a powerful narcotic, and it'll make her sleepy, but if she's in pain, I think she should take it. But then again, I'm the child, and even though I have to give her, she's refunded them back to me.

So, what I'd like to know is there anything else she and my dad can do to make her feel more comfortable? I.e., warm compresses on the face? Cold compresses on the face? Have her stand on her head? Hop around on one foot? Have her call her dentist and say she wants a different painkiller?

Thank you for any help that can be given.

[Andara Bledin]

She should either take the pain killer she was given or she should call the dentist to ask about getting a different one.

It's essentially hydrocodone with acetominophen to make it work better. Hydrocodone is a powerful narcotic, which may make her drowsy, not necessarily sleepy, and affects reaction times due to the way it affects the brain to make you not interpret pain as being painful.

Why would she call her brother as opposed to just asking the pharmacist what it would do?

^-.-^

[Midnight12]

because its her mother who....acts that way? and i say this in a nice way as i know a little of the history....
hugs to Caly

[Teskeria]

Have you tried asking her when 'uncle full-of-himself' got his medical/dental/pharmacist degree? Cause she is taking his word on what will work for her over her dentists. She really needs to talk to an expert. but from the sounds of it, she will ignore any good advice just to be stubborn?

[CalyCoRose]

Thanks Midnight.

My mom calls her brother who seems to know everything about anything. I told dad to have her call her doc to get something different, but I don't know if they have yet. My mother can be ... a martyr sometimes. (Okay, 75% of the time, but who's counting?)

[Andara Bledin]

I'm kind of ornery on the other side.

I've been known to comment, "Well whose fault is that, anyway?" to people who are the architects of their own discomfort.

^-.-^

[Sapphire Silk]

My mom had to have a root canal sometime this past Monday. And she's still in pain in her jaw because of this. (She also had an abscess in her mouth). Her dentist gave her a prescription for Vicodin. She called her older brother and he told her it was a powerful narcotic, would make her sleepy, and she shouldn't take it. So she hasn't and yet she's in pain from the root canal. She's taking Tylenol and "taking it easy" right now.

So, what I'd like to know is there anything else she and my dad can do to make her feel more comfortable? I.e., warm compresses on the face? Cold compresses on the face? Have her stand on her head? Hop around on one foot? Have her call her dentist and say she wants a different painkiller?.

Your mother's brother isn't using his head. Yes, Vicodin is a powerful narcotic.

That's the fuckin' point! Root canals, especially if an abscess is involved, hurt!

*sigh*

Mom can use cold compresses for the first 48 hours, then switch to warm. She should do that regardless; it should help.

She can call her dentist and ask him to call in a prescription for something milder than Vicodin if she's really that concerned. Tylenol #3 is a mild mix of codeine and tylenol (acetaminophen). Some dentists don't think it works all that well. I think it works fine . . . if the patient doesn't take narcotics on a regular basis.

She might also ask him if he thinks an NSAID like Motrin (ibuprophen) is appropriate. An anti-inflammatory is often more effective than just Tylenol by itself because it reduces normal post procedure swelling. But not everyone can or should take it. She should ask her dentist.

Or she could just take the Vicodin. Drugs affect everyone differently. It may not make her that sleepy, but should fix the pain.

Or it may knock her out, which by this point would probably be a welcome thing. She must be in agony by now.

The trick with pain meds is to take them before the pain gets out of control, which clearly hasn't happened in this case. Meaning, even Vicodin might take awhile to work at this point.

Ultimately, it's up to her.

[CalyCoRose]

Thank you everyone - especially Panacea! I'll call later. Will probably get my dad on the phone as she'll probably not feel too well to talk.

I tell you ... my mother can be a ... pill sometimes.

[Catwoman2965]

I was also going to suggest an NSAID like Advil or Aleve, or a prescription strength one. I find for me, both with root canal and other pains, that works better than Tylenol or any other prescription pain meds. But of course, check withe the dentist, etc.

[Sparky]

I've had root canals! I've had Vicoden! What your mother needs is for her brother to STFU!

Yes, it can make you sleepy. So what? Is there something she needs to stay awake for? Dosing is the best part. If you're dosing you're not hurting.

Vicoden makes some people nauseated, especially if you take it on an empty stomach, but if this happens she can get medications to stop that.

[emt_cookies]

A good question to ask your mom is when did her brother go to med/dentistry school?

[Seshat]

There are non-pharmaceutical techniques for pain management, but most of them are applicable to chronic pain, not acute pain. (IE: long-term, not short-term.)

The ones I know of that apply to short term pain:
* heat packs
* cold packs
* massage
* acupuncture (works for some people, not others)
* acupressure
* learning the path the major nerves in question go down, and triggering them with a different sensation elsewhere along the nerve. For the teeth, it's the facial nerves - she might get relief rubbing her temples or around the eye, since she can't massage her jaws without making it worse

Essentially, we're applying non-pain sensations to the nerve and making them stop passing the pain sensation along because the nerve is too busy to do so.


Another technique that can be tricky is a mental one. Sit there and really, really focus on the pain. Study it. Try to figure out what shape it is, what colour is it, if it's spikey or dull. Keep at it. Eventually your brain will actually get bored with the pain, and you can end up with your brain no longer bothering to be aware of it for a while.
The better you get at the technique, the more you can bore your brain with the pain.


Then there's the classics.
Meditation.
VERY carefully controlled exercise, to prevent and reverse muscle wastage.
Doing everything in your life using the Occupational Therapy rules (planning, position, posture, pacing).
Helpful thinking.
De-stressing.
Eating properly, getting enough sleep, all the healthy-living stuff.

And that's .. pretty much everything I know about pain management, except for expanding on any of the things I've said up there.