Ania Mitros (Drugs after Meniscus Surgery)

Ania's drugs on surgery day

Since I wanted to stay awake and aware during surgery, I was lucky to have had an anesthesiologist who granted that request. I received very close to the minimal amount of drugs necessary. I was given:

Spinal anesthesia: Lidocaine injected into my cerebrospinal fluid in the lumbar region. Lidocaine is a fairly quickly acting anesthetic. I was numb within a minute or two. It was supposed to have faded within about 20 minutes of the end of surgery, but actually took closer to two hours.
Local anesthetics: During or after surgery, my knee was injected with lidocaine, morphine, and epinephrine. Lidocaine and morphine are both painkillers. Epinephrine is a vasoconstrictor, which means it causes the blood vessels to constrict. Reduced bloodflow through the area allows the painkillers to remain longer before being washed out, and thus reduces pain long after the spinal has worn off.
Something to relax me: Alan also gave me a shot of some drug that starts with an "a" but I can't remember what it was. He said it would relax me a little but thankfully I didn't notice any difference. I was careful not to tell him so because I didn't want to be given any more of anything that might make me spacey.
I would guess that I also received antibiotics in my IV, but was not told so and did not ask.
Painkiller for home: I was prescribed oxycodone/acetaminophen (brand name Percocet, although I was given a generic version). My other alternative was hydrocodone/acetaminophen (brand name Vicodin). Oxycodone and hydrocodone are both narcotics. They reduce pain. They also both work as cough suppressants. Acetaminophen is another pain reliever, also sold over the counter as Tylenol. Both can lead to addiction, although Vicodin is a little less addictive. When taken as prescribed, addiction is unlikely.
Anti-inflammatory for home: I was prescribed ibuprofen, 800mg to be taken 3x per day, for a total of 2400mg per day.

I should note that you should not rely on this page for your own medication advice. People vary widely in their reactions to drugs. While I have had no nausea, stomach upset, nor other averse reactions, you may fare differently. Pharmacists go through medical school (yes, just like doctors) and are excellent resources for information on which drugs are appropriate when, dosage, and drug interactions. I've found them wiling to be honest in explaining whether [drug X interferes with the rate at which alcohol is metabolized so you'll stay drunk longer] or [drug Y makes you drowsy, so coupled with alcohol you'll be doubly drowsy] or [drug Z mixed with alcohol is life threatening]. I won't tell you what X or Y are because I'd hate to have you get yourself in trouble because of something I said, but I will say that drugs like Z do exist.