Non-Narcotic Pain Meds for breast augmentation?

While the vast majority of patients who undergo plastic surgery do take some type of narcotic drug afterward for relief, some people are able to successfully treat their pain with anti-inflammatory drugs such as prescription-strength Tylenol or Ibuprofen. These non-habit-forming drugs might be the first step for you to try. You will need to discuss the Ibuprofen option with your doctor, because there is a greater concern about bleeding with this class of drugs, although usually they are safe especially if taken only for a few days.
If the anti-inflammatory drugs don’t work, however, there are some narcotic drugs that are thought to be less addictive than others. Tramadol is one option. It’s a chemical that works as an antidepressant but also has a weak effect on your brain’s opiate receptors, meaning it can provide pain relief but it doesn’t work as assertively on the brain’s reward system (which can lead you back into addiction). It’s thought to be safer for people who struggle with addiction. You will need to work with your physician to weigh the risks and benefits of trying a narcotic drug before going down this path.
Thank you for having the courage to ask your question on RealSelf.
I hope that my answer helps in your plastic surgery journey.  Best Regards, Dr. Naman.

I would recommend contacting your surgeon.  Then, he or she can decide.  Best of luck!

Thank you for your question.  My strong advice is to discuss all medications you are currently on with your board certified plastic surgeon.  He/she will be able to recommend pain medication appropriate for your recovery.  Best of luck.

It's a great question. Only your surgeon can give you specific recommendations for what to take. About 50% of my patients only take ibuprofen. We give ibuprofen and then have a stronger pain medicine available if needed. Your surgeon may have another option available. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery.

Meticulous dissection is the key for decreasing the use of pain medications after breast augmentation surgery.  There are several aspects that is considered during the surgery to help decrease the use of pain medication after surgery.Most of my patients use muscle relaxant and if needed extra strength Tylenol for a day or 2 after their breast augmentation surgery.  This is for subpectoral (behind the muscle) implant placement.Although pain is very much patient dependent, it is also surgeon/technique dependent as well.Hope that helps.

YES!  You don't need narcotic pain medication to recover from Breast Augmentation.  My patients use NSAIDS.

but as mentioned, there are pain pumps and Exparel (2 days of relief) and then there are pharmaceuticals that are non-narcotic that can be used.  Ask your surgeon for options that you can employ during your recovery but its suggested you have one for narcotics too, just in case you realize that what you wanted (no narcs) isn't working for you.

Good morning and thank you for your question!  I agree with the other plastic surgeons; Tramadol/Ultram does have addictive potential, and I would stay away from it.  Ask your anesthesiologist to perform a thoracic nerve block prior to surgery.  This will dramatically reduce your postoperative pain for the first 24-48 hours.  After the first 24 hours, I will usually allow my patients to start taking Ibuprofen/Motrin/Advil or other NSAIDS  in addition to Tylenol/acetaminophen.  Augmentation performed over the muscle will also lower your postoperative pain.  Lastly, and this was previously mentioned, ask your surgeon to use Exparel during your augmentation.  Patients are getting 48-72 hours of pain relief with this local anesthetic.  Good luck!

I believe that you are smart in considering nonnarcotic options for pain control in your particular situation. You should ask your surgeon about potentially using Exparel or a pain pump.  Each of these can help with establishing long-lasting local anesthetic control of pain.  Also I have had some luck with Lyrica. Discuss these options with your surgeon.

Tramadol is a great medication to take in order to avoid an opiate; I have not heard of any adverse effects related to use of this medication; remember that this is a long acting medication and we do advise patients to start taking the medication one day before surgery. In addition, you should invest in Exparel, which is a long acting pain medication that can be injected during surgery which will keep your pain minimized over the first four days.