Can I take hydrocodone w/acetaminophen before a SculpSure treatment since the treatments are extremely painful for me?

Question

Can I take hydrocodone w/acetaminophen before a Sculpsure treatment since the treatments are extremely painful for me? Not sure if hydrocodone has anti-inflammatory effects & will hurt the process.

Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. Please review your instructions with your medical team and board certified facial plastic surgeon so that you receive any approvals from your medical team. It is important that you work closely together to enhance your recovery.  
Best wishes,

Elham Jafari, MD · Answer

Hi and thank you for your question! Taking 1-2 Tylenol a few hours ahead of the treatment is usually the best option for most although quite many patients in my practice complete SculpSure treatment with no pain medication at all. We usually use local cooling with fan, cooler and/or ice if needed and most patients respond very well. Use of anti-inflammatory medications might interfere with the treatment and it might not be recommended. Also we rely on patient feed back to fine tune the treatment settings and hence, taking strong pain medications is also not recommended. I hope it helps and good luck!

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

I recommend following up with your Doctor about their recommendations for pain management prior to your procedure. Keep in mind, with Sculpsure, a combination of treatments is needed. I recommend combining Sculpsure with Vanquish and Venus Legacy/Exilis Ultra treatments. We currently use a fire and ice treatment with Coolsculpting and Vanquish for good results in fat removal. However, a VASER hi definition procedure would give you the best results with fat removal, contouring and definition. Cost will vary. See an expert for a formal evaluation. Best, Dr. Emer

Matthew H. Clark, MD · Answer

Tylenol ( acetaminophen ) is ok to take before SculpSure and will not imped the fat reduction. I do not encourage the use of motrin or NSAID type medications as they can reduce the benefit. I also recommend liberal use of ice bags around the treatment area and on your chest or neck to help reduce the discomfort during treatment. It will be worth the effort!

Pamela Stuart, MD · Answer

While there is no definitive reason not to take pain medication before your SculpSure treatment, make sure your provider knows the treatment parameters that have worked well for you in the past. The only risk I would foresee is that if you have a limited pain sensation, there may be a minimal risk to over treating the area. I think this is a very minimal risk however. I would check with your provider to let them know that you were taking the pain medications during the procedure.Best wishes,

Heather Reese, MD · Answer

2 extra strength Tylenol is recommended.  The manufacturer does not recommend stronger pain medication because it may inhibit your ability to respond on the treatment zone scale, which is important to determine your treatment level.

Taaly Silberstein, MD · Answer

As you pointed out, SculpSure can be very uncomfortable, and some people find it difficult to tolerate without some form of pain medication. In my experience, a combination of ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil) 400 mg and acetaminophen (Tylenol) 1000 mg is adequate. There are 2 potential problems with using a stronger medication, like hydrocodone:
1. SculpSure relies on your feedback in order to determine your tolerance to the treatment, and allows your doctor to adjust the settings accordingly. So if you are too medicated, you may not be able to give appropriate feedback.
2. Hydrocodone sometimes causes nausea. If you are undergoing a SculpSure treatment, there will still be some discomfort with the narcotic, plus it will get hot. Both of those conditions may be a setup for getting nauseated and lightheaded, which would really affect your ability to tolerate the full treatment, and you may need to terminate it before it's complete.
My suggestion is to take the Tylenol + Motrin/Advil if you are worried about the pain. And don't forget to eat something and drink plenty of water before your treatment.
Good luck!

Anthony J. Gingo Jr., MD, MBA, FACOG · Answer

Taking a stronger pain medication prior to treatment is fine as long as it is not in the NSAID category - aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.  If you plan to take any stronger medication - not just an over the counter medication, please be sure that you have someone who can drive you there and back. Good luck.

Vinh Ngo, MD · Answer

Typically we do not like our patients to take pain medication before SculpSure; although there are no contraindications.  If you do decide to take hydrocodone before your treatment be sure to tell your doctor beforehand.

Dina Canavero, MD · Answer

yes, you can take hydrocodone. Please make sure you check with your provider and do not drive yourself to or from appt.  good luck with your treatment!

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