Tuesday, June 24, 2008

oh, thank goodness

God bless the person who invented ibuprofen. Seriously.

I got the permanent crown on today. It wasn't that bad, but because that tooth still has a living root, the dentist warned me: when the Novocaine wears off, it's probably gonna hurt for a while. (Because he had to keep re-fitting the thing, then taking it off and grinding it down - it was too high). All that messing with the tooth upset the nerve.

Man, he was right. I ran a couple errands, then I got home, and realized the whole left side of my mouth was throbbing like heck. So badly I couldn't even concentrate on the magazine I was trying to read. (The Paula Deen cooking one, which I'm not resubscribing to - none of the recipes are really anything I'd make, a lot of the cakes are doctored-up mixes [horrors!] and the rest is kind of the low-grade-celebrity fluff that turns me off).

So I took a couple of Advil. (Well, really the Target generic form of Advil...way cheaper). It's been not quite a half an hour and the pain is gone.

If I have pain again when I get in bed tonight, I'm going to take a couple more. Yeah, I know, there are limits on how many you're supposed to take, but I'm a good-sized woman. (My brother - well, he weighs more than I do but not VASTLY more - was told by his doctor that once in a while, if he was having REALLY bad pain [this was after he broke his collarbone in a bike accident], he could take three at a go. Not often. Certainly not do it every dose. But I figure if a doctor said that it's probably OK for a largeish woman to take a total of four of the regular-sized tablets over a seven or eight hour span.

I just hope this clears up fast. I don't really "notice" how bad pain is when I'm having it but it kind of clouds everything - I can't work as effectively, I have to concentrate harder while doing things like driving, I can't enjoy relaxation time. I manage, but I'm not happy. The funny thing is, I really don't "notice" it as being painful, what I "notice" is that I don't feel like I'm supposed to.

Not sure what I'm going to eat tonight. I do have some broth in the fridge and maybe I'll try my hand at making spaetzle to go in it. What I'd really LIKE is a milkshake but I fear the cold might not be good for the tooth.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My condolences, dear.

The bro is right, though. Take triple the OTC dose for the first shot, then regular to keep swatting it back. As I gather, triple is the original prescription dosage.

Unfortunately, I am one of those weird people who have a great reaction the first time (only) I take a new med. Never works again as well as it did the first time.

Kate P said...

What Ken said about the presciption equivalent dose. And many happy smiles with the new crown.

Kate P said...

Arrgh, "prescription," I meant. Jeez, last night I couldn't comment anywhere with Blogger, and now I'm screwing it up. Sorry!

Maggie May said...

My doctor told me the regular prescription dose is 4 regular advil...800mg (the pills are 200 each).

I don't often take them, but when I do, I take 4, and haven't gotten sick or anything. Of course my insides may be rotting away as we speak.

At any rate...feel better.