The ideal way to take any painkiller is to take a dose that completely relieves your pain and to repeat that dose every time the pain just starts to come back. If you are taking your painkiller by mouth or in suppository form, it will take fifteen to thirty minutes to start working. Injections work more quickly. It will then last two to six or more hours, depending on which one it is—check the table.
Doctors often recommend that you take a painkiller only ‘when you need it’ (whatever that means)! People who are told to do this often wait until their pain is excruciating before taking the next dose. This is a very bad way to take painkillers since, if you do this, you will never have good pain control. You will spend most of your time feeling frightened and anxious because you know that the pain is going to come back, and it will take a bigger dose to control it when it does. It is much better to work out how long it is before your pain just starts to come back and to take your painkiller regularly that often.
*171/40/1*
