An auto accident is a traumatic event that can leave you with devasting injuries. When you are in severe pain, you may need to take medications, however, you’ll need to know which ones are best suited to your individual situation. Here are some pain medications to discuss with your auto accident doctor in Gainesville.
Prescription Narcotic Pain Relievers
People who have suffered crushing pelvic injuries and multiple broken bones in auto accidents often need prescription narcotic pain medications. These medications are typically reserved for people who haven’t gotten relief from other classes of painkillers. Also known as opioid pain medications, narcotic pain relievers can cause significant side effects.
They include drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, and decreased respiratory rate. Your doctor may also warn you that narcotic pain relievers can cause nausea, vomiting, itching, muscle contractions, hallucinations, and seizures. If your doctor prescribes narcotic pain relievers after your auto accident, he or she may recommend that you take them only for a short period of time because of the side effects and potential for dependence.
Non-Prescription Pain Medications
For mild to moderate pain, your auto accident doctor in Gainesville may recommend that you take over-the-counter pain medications to ease your pain. These include acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, aspirin, and ibuprofen.
Acetaminophen can treat auto accident injury pain, however, it is ineffective at decreasing the inflammation of muscle sprains and strains. If you take prescription blood thinners to lower your risk for a heart attack, taking aspirin or ibuprofen with them may raise your bleeding risk.
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