Why do I still have so much discomfort and even pain around my waist after tumescent lipo?

Thank you for your question. 
Liposuction is usually associated with pain initially but then followed by tenderness and soreness for possibly several weeks post-surgery.  Liposuction involves a large surgical area where many structures, including nerves, blood vessels, muscle’s fascia, skin, etc., get “bruised”.  As with an external scar, the internal aspect goes through a period of healing and recovery.
In my practice, I recommend deep soft tissue massages a few times a day which helps with the swelling but also with desensitizing the tender areas.
Medication-wise, I find Ketorolac (Toradol) - 10mg orally, every 6 hours - to be very helpful.  It is a non-narcotic (and therefore non-addictive) anti-inflammatory medication that requires a prescription in Canada (which any doctor can prescribe, including your own family doctor).
Be patient and all should return to normal over a few months.
I hope this helps!
Kind regards,
Dr. Marc DuPéré, aesthetic plastic surgeon

Thank you for your question.
You may want to try Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) which is over the counter. Your primary care can prescribe other non narcotic analgesics like Toradol which can be helpful. Gentle massages and arnica tablets (Homeopathic Medicine) can also be very helpful in reducing the stiffness and swelling. All The Best !

You may have tenderness and/or swelling, which can last 3-6 months after your procedure. Oral neurontin can help relieve pain. I recommend following up with your Doctor. For liposuction after care, I recommend adding hyperbaric oxygen and lymphatic massage along with your compression to help decrease swelling. To improve your final results, I also recommend adding vanquish for further fat removal, exilis/venus legacy for skin tightening, cellutone/z wave to make the skin smooth, remove scar tissue, and improve the skin’s appearance. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Usually, your surgeon prescribes pain medication for surgery and no other physician. The narcotic laws have become more strict. At 3 weeks, most are no longer needing pain medication. Some, however, have a lower tolerance to pain. You could ask your surgeon for non-narcotics like Tordol or Gabapentin. Do make sure your garment is fitting properly or this can cause discomfort.