OMG I feel your pain. No pun intended. I just had a gum graft....they took a big patch of tissue from the top of my mouth and pasted it below my lower four teeth. The procedure took 2 hours and it still hurts a week later.
I went home with a huge bottle of Norco and 800mg ibuprophen.
I was in alott of pain so took a norco when I got home, and one 6 hours later. I took one the next night to sleep and that's it. I threw out the rest of the bottle. I didnt think twice. I've heard too many stories of addicts and alcoholics being turned back ON (as in reigniting their addiction) with pain meds.

I've had two other surgeries sober. One was emergency the other elective. I did the same. A few pain pills, and threw them out.

I told my sponsor before the surgery, we discussed it, and I told my husband.

So..are you in AA? If so, talk to your sponsor about your plans. Also, I told my dentist and my surgeon that I was worried and they gave me very specific instructions. And I followed them.

I also went to a meeting right before my surgery this past week. Literally. Went to an am meeting then directly to surgery. Felt like the right thing to do.

You don't need to be in pain but you do need to be cautious. IM me if you want to talk further.

Hey,
I've posted this before, but seems appropriate to post again right now. I was sober once for eight years. I had to have dental surgery and I was given the gas. As soon as I got out of the chair, I went straight to the liquor store. I just didn't want the feeling to ever end.

I don't have much advice on how to get through it. After a couple of days I was just able to tell myself that I didn't want that feeling, and was able to stop drinking. I was concentrating on the eight years of sobriety I did have.

If it is minor surgery, over the counter medicine should stabilize the pain. If your doctor seems indifferent frankly ask them why, after you tell them of your mind thinking it needs something more substantial than basic over the counter remedies. I have had two minor dental surgeries and well over 50 drillings which all required pain modification. In hindsight I saw prescription medicine at best was only legitamately needed for no more than 24 to 48 hours.

I'm worried about your worry and you should probably address that if you can. I say "worried" as more of a concern that your worrying is more than likely disuading you from thinking your either worth being sober or carrying it around with you like a plague.

What I mean is your worrying about the future will permit your illness to believe it is alright to drink or use when your own answers have already told you, you do not want to participate being under any influence besides one that focuses on a sound mind.

Sorry to be so academic, but I've been there and remember what it felt like. A long winded explaination is the best I can do right now.

"Worrying is a problem that rarely connects with a cure." Ralph Madeanameupage IV.

I needed to hear that about tossing the meds after 24-48 hours if I do need to fill a scrip at all. I know I need to plan for that, especially now that I realize doing that (tossing extras after a day or so) never even occurred to me. My mind has been spinning over this one.

And yes my "worry" is worrisome, heh. Now that you point that out, I realize I do doubt my resolve and consider it highly possible that I will abuse the painkillers or try to convince my doctor to refill it, etc, and am already kind of rationalizing my way through that whole scenario.

I'm a little unsure of myself at the moment. I'm not practicing a good (AA) program right now and not connected with a sponsor. I need to do that, as well as working on my thinking. Love the quote-good food for thought. Thank you everyone.

Katie I am a worrier too. I don't necessarily think that indicates a weak program. My sponsor said to me that we can think whatever we want to think, we just don't act on all our thoughts. We try to direct our thinking to 'right" thinking...eg. how can we help someone? What's the right thing to do next in this moment? But when our old way of thinking occurs we don't need to go into an impending doom spiral either.
To me its great that you are sharing this worry. A worry shared is a worry halved right?
So throw away any pain meds you don't use and only plan on using those that you must. Also out yourself to your sponsor and your AA friends.
And relax. focus on the now. Its all good.

Some people have told me that they go back to a rehab after surgery. Sometimes it is necessary to have pain killers when we have surgery, but we always have the risk of becoming addictive or starting the whole cycle over again.

Years ago I had a psychiatrist that specialized in addiction. He had a patient, whom was my roommate in rehab. She wanted to have elective surgery but the doctor said no way. It was a dental procedure. He said he would not treat her anymore if she continued with the surgery because of the risk of becoming addicted again.

She committed suicide shortly after the surgery. So, if it is not absolutely necessary, I would suggest postponing the surgery. Addiction is a very, very serious disease. Most still do not see it like that, always believing it is still a moral issue.

My suggestion would be that you go to a rehab center after your surgery, or if the surgery is elective, then don't do it.