Damn, I'm cranky.

[LuckyCharms]

I quit both smoking and drinking on the same day...about 8 years ago.

I exercise.

I watch what I eat, even though it probably doesn't look like I do.

My only "vice" these days is that I vape a low dose of nicotine juice when I'm at my desktop computer.

I had to get a tooth pulled yesterday. It's been...37 hours.

Dentist told me to alternate NSAIDS and Tylenol. Told him I couldn't take NSAIDS because I have chronic kidney disease.

So he gave me a script for Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen. He told me to start them as soon as I got home, to get ahead of the pain. So I did, then I forgot about the pills, so I tried to get back on schedule, but they are not helping with the pain now, and they make me feel like shit anyway, so I stopped them and started plain Tylenol, which isn't touching the pain.

Well, I'm just complaining about the pain because I'm a whiny little baby. The worst part of all this is that I'm afraid to vape because I'm afraid I'll get dry socket. You're not supposed to smoke or vape or suck on straws, etc. until 72 hours is up.

So I'm sitting here staring at my vape device. I should have had enough sense to get some nicotine patches.

I'm going to be bogarting that vape like a crackpipe when 72 hours is up.

[dweller]

1. in times like that

i find a dish of cottage cheese is pleasing

✌🏼

oh and the only way for the pain pills to work effectively, is to take them EVERY 4 hours, so forgetting isn't going to help ...

[Skittles]

2. you want I should kick your cranky ass, LuckyCharms?

I WILL RE-DIRECT THAT PAIN; yes INDEED.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. I've been through that myself and know how bad the pain can get.

My doctor also prescribed Hydrocodone for me when I ended up with painful TMJ after some serious dental work. I didn't take it for long since when I took it, I could barely get off the couch. And when I told my dentist, she said that she doesn't recommend it, she said that Ibuprofen is the most effective for dental pain. She's often given me three Ibuprofen pills before I've left the office when I've had serious work done.

[canuckledragger]

15. Watch it with the Ibuprofen

I'm dealing with an ongoing wisdom teeth problem (can't get in to have them pulled because of covid protection measures taken in Canada) and was taking 1-2 Ibuprofen a day for about a month or to deal with it...

...and set off a 2 1/2 week throwing up fit because it screwed up my already acid-reflux damaged stomach and esophagus.

Ibuprofen (Advil) and Naproxen (Aleive) screws up your stomach when taken long term.

[Rhiannon12866]

16. I once took prescription strength, but now I only take it when I have to

Like immediately after visiting the dentist - and she gives it to me because she thinks I'm going to need it short term.

The one I ran into trouble with was Tylenol. I was prescribed Tylenol with codeine for pain after surgery and took it for about a year. My doctor said he wasn't concerned about the codeine (the addictive part!), but he detoxed me from the Tylenol part. Fortunately I had another surgery so I no longer needed either, but I've mostly avoided Tylenol ever since.

But thanks for the warning, it just goes to show that OTC meds that we don't stop to think about can still have side effects. I really hope that you're feeling better soon. I had a tooth that abscessed 3x before I finally got it extracted (election day 2016!) and I learned that tooth pain can be truly excruciating.

[bottomofthehill]

4. Ended up with a dry socket after my wisdom teeth were pulled

I would rather be fucked with a pineapple. I would try my hardest to not vape or do anything that could cause a dry socket. I was a cry baby for a week. The pain was miserable.

Had multiple trips to the dentist to pack the socket with a antiseptic / antibiotic wicks. They added to the shitty taste in my mouth. Again not to beat the dead horse, but I would do anything to avoid that. Hopefully they have come a long way in treatment in the last 30 plus years but it sucked.

Hope you feel better soon.

[MLAA]

9. LOL, the pineapple imagery is really something!

I’ve had pain before, broken foot and orthopedic surgeries, but I don’t think I’ve reached the pineapple level...knock on wood 🤪😬

[bottomofthehill]

10. The only thing worse were the kidney stones

Dry socket was a somewhat distant second, but still were miserable. Kidney Stones....... were a whole mother level.

[Marie Marie]

12. Yes, I had dry socket and it sucks.

I got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed my kitchen floor with a fury trying to distract from the pain. It helped - a little.

Then, the following day I went back to the dentist. He took moist packing material that I swear was the size of a king bed sheet and kept stuffing it into the space left by the removal of my wisdom tooth. That helped ease the pain. Then, when I went back to have it removed, I swear he was pulling it out, hand over hand for about 5 minutes. Didn't hurt but it seemed funny as Hell to me at the time. How did he get all that into that little space?

[bottomofthehill]

14. I still don't know what they put on the packing

But you are right, I would love to know where it all went.

[Laffy Kat]

5. Dental pain can be a real bitch.

Sorry you're going through it. Tincture of time will help the most. Plus, you may not feel like the Tylenol is helping, but I wouldn't stop taking it yet if I were you.

[LunaSea]

6. Got a plastic bottle?

and some tape?
You see where I'm going, right?
Draw into bottle, then gently squeeze.

Alternately, uh,
Nose hits.

[Karadeniz]

7. Take a walk...if it's not too hot!

[Phoenix61]

8. Tooth pain sucks. They make nicorette lozenges

that look like Tic-Tacs. They worked great for me when I couldn’t vape for a week.

[Midnight Writer]

11. Just a caution. Do not mix the hydocodne/acetaminophen and regular acetaminophen.

If you're taking one then lay off of the other. If you take them together, it can get bad fast.

[Niagara]

13. I know that it hurts.

Did your dentist say that it would be alright to gently swish with a warm salt water rinse after 24 hours? You can always call and ask when the office is open. It generally helps with the healing process, pain relief and keeping your gums from swelling. I'll post a few reading links for you.



https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/conditions/mouth-sores-and-infections/how-salt-water-mouth-rinse-benefits-oral-health-
1214




https://williamsanddaily.com/the-science-behind-salt-water-rinses-for-your-mouth/



Sending healing vibes.

[Hotler]

17. 2-acetaminophen (1000mg) + 1-ibuprofen (200mg) taken together every 6-hrs. works well.

One works for pain and one works for swelling.
Feel better soon.

[Harker]

18. Pull my finger.

[csziggy]

19. Cold pack on the side where the tooth was pulled might help

I make my own with 1 part rubbing alcohol to 3 parts water. One cup of this mixture in a quart Ziplock is about right, then double bag it with the zip at the opposite side. Freeze, then wrap in a thin towel. It will be flexible, and stay cold a very long time.

Last time I got a tooth pulled, I'd fall asleep with one of those under my sore jaw.

I hate taking opioids and since they took my left kidney out, I avoid NSAIDs, so cold is my pain reliever most of the time.

[LuckyCharms]

20. Oh wow, I'm sorry about your kidney.

That's the only reason I'm taking the opiates. I dislike them too. I had "acute renal failure" which is probably not a big deal since it was probably caused by being dehydrated (hence "acute&quot , but I also have stage 3 chronic kidney disease which makes my doc constantly warn me about taking NSAIDS.

I don't exactly enjoy taking these pills, so I'll probably stop them tomorrow and try to bull through the pain...so I appreciate your advice concerning the cold pack. Thank you! Now why didn't my dentist tell me this lol. I didn't get much info about aftercare...

[csziggy]

22. It's wierd to say but I was incredibly lucky about the kidney

I needed a heart valve replacement - my aortic valve was letting less than 40% of the blood through. During the tests getting ready for replacement, they found a mass on my kidney. This moved me into a category that got me minimally invasive valve replacement so I could heal quickly and have my kidney taken out.

They caught it early so there was no spread and has been no recurrence - I get checked every year. Without the heart valve, the cancer would not have been caught since I was asymptomatic. Without the kidney cancer, they would have cracked open my chest for the heart valve replacement.

It was a hell of a win-win.

[LuckyCharms]

23. You know, I sit here and casually read posts

and I don't even realize the things that people have gone through in their lives.

I'm really glad they caught that...

[smirkymonkey]

21. Don't they have something that can numb the gums to help with tooth pain?

I thought they came up with a new substance that help to numb out the gum area to help with dental surgery/dental pain, but not sure what it's called.

Also, clove oil is supposed to help with tooth/gum pain as well. And ice will do the trick too, if you can deal with it for very long. You can just drink ice-cold drinks w/ crushed ice and hold the ice in your mouth until it starts getting numb. I always prefer ice for pain, it seems to work best for me. I can't take most pain killers since I am allergic to them and a lot of OTC drugs bother my stomach if I take enough to help with the pain.

Anyway, I hope you feel better soon! Sounds miserable!

[LuckyCharms]

24. Now I'm REALLY wondering why my

dentist didn't tell me these things.