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submitted 3 days ago by Pheral@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

Apologies for any weird formatting. I'm a lurker with no idea how to post. For context, I live in the USA, asscrack of the planet.

I had a surgical extraction of a broken tooth at an oral surgeon in a town about an hour away from me. It was a little bit brutal, so I was told to load up on the prescribed ibuprofen/acetominophen and start antibiotics that evening after surgery. After the hour drive home, I went to the pharmacy that I had listed in my paperwork. They had no scripts for me since last year. I called the surgeon's office. The woman on the phone said she saw them in her system, had an hour left in her shift, and would call me if she saw them sent out. I told her not to worry, that the pharmacy would contact me as soon as they received it. I assumed there was no way they'd leave a patient without post-op meds. Well, I was wrong.

They never sent my prescriptions before closing up for the weekend.

The office doesn't have an emergency number of any kind. Voicemails or text messages can be left for them to check on Monday. What in the world do I do or even say to these incompetent assholes?

I'm managing my pain with my own medication, but it's expensive, and they sure as hell aren't antibiotics. I'm broke, if that helps.

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[-] zikzak025@lemmy.world 43 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

First thing I'd do is call the pharmacy again, explain the situation, and ask if they can contact the doctor directly. This is not likely to work, but sometimes they have communication channels beyond the main office line. Pharmacies can sometimes override a prescription and offer enough of a med to get through the weekend, but not likely if this is a one-time prescription and not something you take regularly.

The only other approach is to try to get a prescription from elsewhere, like a telehealth service or an urgent care clinic, but that will require a consult which might come with a copay depending on your insurance (assuming they cover any part of it at all). You might be able to argue with your insurance that this was not your fault and they should cover it due to the circumstances, but they'll likely tell you that you should have gone somewhere in network anyways.

And this is all on top of the fact that you need pain medication, which could be interpreted as doctor shopping if you're not careful. If the original script was placed but not signed off and it shows up in an opioid control database (likely won't if it's just extra strength tylenol, but would if it's percocets), there's a good chance any other prescriber will say no and tell you that you have to follow up with that office when they reopen.

If you have no meds and the pain is unbearable, then you go to the ER. Depending on insurance, prepare for a high cost. Don't take an ambulance if you can help it.

Yes the USA is fucked.

[-] Pheral@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

The pharmacy has been as stumped as I am because the Rx was never placed, but those are great ideas. Ive been afraid of being labeled as a malingerer iin this process jsut because pain meds are involved. So sad! Thank you for your suggestions and feedback!

[-] SirSamuel@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Ibuprofen/acetaminophen are not narcotics, they're prescription doses of over the counter medications (acetaminophen in particular can destroy a liver if overdosed, hence "prescription strength"). Go to the pharmacy, ask the pharmacist what their advice is and what options you have for OTC meds or emergency antibiotics, based on what you were told by the dentist/oral surgeon. Sorry your dentist office sucks U_U

[-] Pheral@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Thank you, Sir! Boy is that the truth. Nothing over the counter was designed to do this amount of heavy lifting! They're terrible for your liver, kidneys, and are not nice to your stomach. My pharmacy doesn't want a shred of accountabillity, so I can only consult the pharmacist if I have a prescription to discuss. Womp womp U_U

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 2 days ago

not if you take more than the reccommended amount/day of NSAIDs, aceto and nsaids are fine. i only ever had side effects from nsaids, from the RX version of it, which is a much higher dose.

[-] SirSamuel@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Yah, nsaids are hard on the stomach long term, but great for short term pain. Acetaminophen is fantastic to around 4000mg/day. Above that there's a very real chance for liver damage, depending on the person and duration of treatment. And it's lethal in the 8-12g range. That being said, I'd totally take 800mg every four hours if I had to. Except for the worst pain 600mg is enough to make life tolerable for most people

That was a lot of words to agree with you. Not deleting it tho

[-] SirSamuel@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Ugh, your dentist and your pharmacist sucks. Do you have any other pharmacies in the area that you could consult with? Honestly, a pharmacist should be happy to give pharmacological input, especially about dosage and any potential medicine conflicts or hazards, prescription or no. Jesus, what a tool

My personal method when I have a gout flareup, kidney stones, or other intense pain, is to stagger nsaids and acetaminophen on a two hour cycle. 600mg acetaminophen, two hours later 500mg aspirin or 400mg Advil. Each medicine reapplied at 4 hour intervals. I try to time the nsaids with meals to help ease any stomach issues the nsaids may cause. At 600mg my acetaminophen dosage over 16 hrs (assuming I can sleep) is limited to 2400mg, and 2000mg for aspirin. This allows for a small increase in dosage for breakthrough pain, or a couple additional doses if I can't sleep. Honestly, it only keeps the pain from increasing, especially with gout. Very effective for caffeine withdrawal headaches tho

[-] zikzak025@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Yep, should be no issue with opioid checks if it's just a higher dose of normal OTC painkillers. Acetaminophen + oxycodone (Percocet) would likely trigger the check, but it'd be the oxycodone part they're tracking.

Last time I had oral surgery though, they prescribed oxycodone, so might just be worth double checking in case the prescription was for more than just extra strength Tylenol.

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 2 days ago

you can get ibuprophen and acetaminophen(tylenol) OTC, you can buy them from the store. naproxen is better though then ibuprophen at least for me.

[-] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

urgent care. like asap.

you need those antibiotics. infections in the mouth can set in within the first 48 hours.

that surgeon could have been looking at a malpractice suit, but you decided to tell them not to worry about it, unfortunately for you. though it could still be argued by a lawyer.

urgent care can prescribe medication or at the very least get in contact with an emergency contact at the office you had the operation done at.

having an abscess or infection in your mouth is one of the worst pains I have ever felt. I would rather have my dick ripped off than feel that pain ever again, and my tolerance for pain is "concerning", as I have been told by several medical professionals.

[-] RecursiveParadox@piefed.social 11 points 2 days ago

My guy/gal/nonbinary pal, it's the antibiotics you need. I don't want to terrify you with why because there is a tiny, tiny chance of it happening, but trust me on this. Get those first.

[-] Malica@lemmy.zip 24 points 3 days ago

Urgent care or the ER, which ever is more affordable. Report that clinic.

[-] Pheral@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

Who to report to? I was thinking of going full Karen on their office manager, just on principle. I can't imagine how this would be for a patient coming out of a more intensive prcedure!!! But that feels like unsheathing a sword to find a limp cod in your hand...

[-] Quexotic@infosec.pub 10 points 2 days ago

State dental board. https://www.ada.org/resources/careers/licensure/state-dental-boards

Also, malpractice lawyers will often do free consultation.

Get them fuckers.

[-] Pheral@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

YASSS! Thank you for giving me a good place to start

[-] Quexotic@infosec.pub 1 points 1 day ago

I'm glad I could help, and I hope you're doing well.🩹🖤

[-] db_null@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 days ago

No wonder healthcare cost in the US is as it is if something benign as this can't be resolved without involving lawyers.

[-] Quexotic@infosec.pub 1 points 1 day ago

Exactly. I mean, this is probably just some office worker that made a mistake, but the problem here is that there's nothing this person could have done except maybe going to the emergency room and then incur fees because of that. If it was a single payer system, it would just be a matter of contacting some urgent care that's over open 24 hours or something like that, a low-level thing, and then just getting the prescriptions written. Done. No problem, no infection, no complications.

Most importantly, no fucking lawyers.

[-] db_null@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Terrible mistake to make and shit like that mustn't happen, especially after a follow up call and a promise to get it sorted.

That office should be covering any additional cost to get the prescription via tele doc or urgent care and apologise to OP. I don't see malpractice or a need for lawyers to 'get them'

[-] Quexotic@infosec.pub 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I see where you're coming from, but there's probably not a snowball's chance in hell that the clinic would make it right. It would be appropriate to ask, but unrealistic to expect.

Also, if it doesn't qualify as malpractice according to US law, the lawyer would 99% likely recommend what you suggested. The biggest concern is a quick infection and severe pain. Being so close to the brain, that can go bad fast.

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 2 days ago

go to urgent care, or call your urgent care number that your isnurance has in network of your insurance.

[-] Malica@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 days ago

I'm not sure to be honest, whatever government entity investigates ethics.

[-] Pheral@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Right!? Thanks for replying anyway I guess :)

[-] Pheral@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

You win the oscar for matching my exact feelings with infinitely less outrage

[-] Toes@ani.social 13 points 3 days ago

Call your insurance provider they might have an emergency solution for you.

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[-] ryannathans@aussie.zone 10 points 3 days ago

Call another dentist's emergency number if the pain necessitates it

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[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

i would go to your urgent care, your PCP also can order antibiotics and a strong nsaid over the phone too. i recently had a tooth infection with fever and severe pain needing a root canal/ i contacted my pcp, urgent care to get meds asap.

[-] davad@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

I'm not a doctor, but I did have an extraction from an oral surgeon a few years ago. My understanding was the antibiotics are more of a precaution than a necessity. I'd definitely try some of the things other commenters suggest, but you'll likely be fine if you aren't able to start them until Monday.

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[-] Nonprophet@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

Fellow American so I know how much this suggestion sucks but... ER? Do you have insurance?

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[-] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

You can safely stack some types of pain medications because they work in ~~completely~~ slightly different ways. Ibuprofen + acetaminophen are much more effective than either one by itself. IMO the combination at maximum dose of each is just as effective as prescription pain medication.

Cleveland Clinic: “Both ibuprofen and acetaminophen are pain relievers and fever reducers. They both can reduce inflammation, but they work in slightly different ways and are processed by different parts of the body,” says family medicine physician Amy Bernstein, DO. “It can be safe to take them together if taken as directed.”

Also keep detailed notes. In the unlikely event that significant complications occur due to your surgeon's incompetence you may need them.

[-] Pheral@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Thank you! I'm alternating between 800mg Ibuprofen and 500mg acetaminophen every 3 hours. Can confirm that it does the trick enough to get a few hours sleep at a time! Detailed notes are a great idea, just in case I do end up having complications without antibiotics. Great thoughts!

[-] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Don't alternate, take them together and take the maximum dose (on the label) of each. It makes a massive difference.

[-] Pheral@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

This is what I mean when I say alternating (just for clarity), devised by oral surgeons, not my vibes:

800mg ibuprofen -> (wait 3 hours) -> 500mg acetominophen -> (wait 3 hours) -> Repeat

This could be all I need for one surgery, or completely useless trash for another... but imo, If you take them both together, you'll feel more pain overall when they wear off. Overlap reduces that with a leapfrog effect. Or not. Just listen to your professionals

[-] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Acetaminophen is supposed to be taken every 4-6 hours while ibuprofen is 6-8 hours. When I've really needed serious pain relief I've waited maybe 5 hours between acetaminophen doses and 7 hours for ibuprofen. Because they're staggered there isn't a period where one of them wasn't working unless the maximum daily dose is hit. I made sure didn't happen by waiting longer between doses when I could.

Just listen to your professionals.

I wish. I've talked to my doctors dozens of times about sometimes needing something stronger for pain relief and not one of them has mentioned combining these two drugs. Instead I had to find out about them by coming across an article on pain relief.

I hope you feel better fast.

[-] Pheral@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

The crazy part is that I'm just following what they wrote in the aftercare instructions. I guess it's considered fine to go ham for a few days in extenuating circumstances? Thank you for the kind wishes!

Forgot to mention that the important thing to keep in mind is the maximum daily dose - 4,000mg for acetaminophen and 3,200mg for ibuprofen.

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[-] khannie@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I'm alternating between 800mg Ibuprofen and 500mg acetaminophen every 3 hours

Looks like your dosage is wrong. The NHS website confirms that 800mg ibuprofen is twice the generally recommended dosage and 500mg of paracetamol is half the dosage for adults.

My doctor did say it was OK to go over the recommended dosage for ibuprofen to me in the short term so is that maybe where you're getting that? 2400mg a day seems like an ass load though.

If I'm in serious pain I alternate them every three hours but always take the ibuprofen with food as it's harsh on the tummy so my schedule would be, for example:

8am 2 x 200mg Ibuprofen with food
11am 2 x 500mg paracetamol
2pm 2 x 200mg Ibuprofen with food
5pm 2 x 500mg paracetamol
Etc

[-] Wolf314159@startrek.website 2 points 2 days ago

I've had a tooth extraction or two before. The following advice is based on my memory and experience with that kind of surgery and being poor. I'm not a doctor. It's highly negligent for the surgeon to abandon you over the weekend after a surgery.

You may not need pain meds beyond ibuprofen (you can take more than the recommended dose on the bottle for a short time). Acetaminophen is useless for treating the swelling and dental pain in my experience. Continue your other after care while you figure this out: rinse with warm salt water regularly, avoid foods with seeds, no drinking through a straw, apply ice packs regularly at intervals to keep the swelling down (ibuprofen will help with this also), whatever else they advised. Keeping the swelling down with ice packs, ibuprofen, and drinking cold water will do way more for your pain than whatever pain meds they prescribed. Sometimes I'd just keep a big glass of ice water nearby and hold the ice cold water in my mouth.

You will absolutely need the antibiotics ASAP though! Call a doctor, any doctor, urgent care, ER, whatever you have to do to get the antibiotics. I wouldn't even mention the pain meds. When I've taken those pain meds, they did nothing for the pain in my mouth, but they did mean I didn't notice bumping into a table and cutting my leg badly. And there is the non-zero chance that as soon as you mention painkillers, you'll be labeled as drug seeking. Stay focused on the antibiotics, that's the important med. Oral infections can go from "Do I have an infection?" to life threatening emergency in a surprisingly short time.

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this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2026
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