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Drugs Used for Post Shoulder Surgery

Shoulder surgery can be a tough thing to recover from. Depending on the type of surgery, medications can vary, but typically a few select ones are prescribed for most shoulder surgeries. If you have a shoulder surgery coming up, generally you can expect these common medications to help get you through the recovery process.

  1. Pain Medication

    • Following most shoulder surgeries, patients are given pain medication of some kind, whether they stay in the hospital following surgery or are discharged home. Typical pain medications are Lortab or Vicodin, both narcotics that contain hydrocodone and acetaminophen. These medications can be highly addictive though, so they aren't to be taken for more than a few weeks and they aren't to be mixed with other drugs, unless prescribed, or alcohol.

    Anti-Inflammatory

    • To further help with pain and swelling, an anti-inflammatory drug may also be prescribed to help reduce swelling of the shoulder area and thus ease pain. Popularly prescribed anti-inflammatories are Celebrex or Naproxen, of which both are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs). Your doctor will usually okay it for you to take these along with your pain medication.

    Antibiotics

    • Your doctor may also prescribe antibiotics following your surgery, but that varies and depends with each doctor and type of shoulder surgery. Antibiotics may be administered to help ensure that the wound at the surgery site does not become infected during recovery. As with any drug, alcohol should not be consumed while on antibiotics, as it may make them ineffective or weaker.

    Tips and Other Things to Expect

    • If you are discharged immediately following surgery, your doctor may set up a home nurse to come visit you, usually the first week or two following it, to help change dressings and make sure your healing is going smoothly.You may also expect to begin physical therapy following shoulder surgery, to help get your joints back to working properly. To further help with pain and swelling, you can also apply a cold compress to your shoulder a few times a day.

    Warnings

    • Always talk to your doctor about what to expect following surgery, and remember to always discuss medications you are on, and will be prescribed, to ensure they are taken safely. If you develop a fever or severe pain not alleviated by medication, call your doctor immediately as this may be a sign that something is wrong.

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