Is Advil or Tylenol an issue for pain relief after surgery?

[Plucky1976]

I’ve been taking Motrin or Advil and sometimes Tylenol for pain. It’s been 8 days and can foresee another possible week. I’m woke up feeling startled and I’m not sure if it’s the medication affecting the b12 or what it is exactly but it reminds me of how I felt during the nightmare of realizing it was my b12 deficiency. Maybe I just need to inject more often while healing? Awful feeling though as it takes so long to calm down.

[Nackapan]

Sounds horrid. Check the side effects of the drugs you need.

No harm in having more b12 if yih think it may help.

[Plucky1976 in reply to Nackapan]

Very true😊

[Foggyme Administrator]

Plucky11966.

If you had a general anaesthetic for your surgery and that anaesthetic contained nitrous oxide, then this may have affected your B12 levels. Or,indeed, if you had nitrous oxide in the form sometimes known as laughing gas (for analgesia). Nitrous oxide deactivates active B12. This does not show on serum B12 levels (because serum B12 levels show both active and inactive forms of B12 and therefore makes no distinction between the two forms).

If this is the case it’s easily rectified by slipping in an additional B12 jab - or more frequent jabs until you start to feel better (the effects of nitrous oxide on B12 wears of very quickly so the new influx of B12 when you do an injection will not be deactivated).

The pain medications should have no effect of B12.

Good luck and I hope you have a speedy recovery.

[Plucky1976 in reply to Foggyme]

Thank you so much! I specifically asked for no laughing gas before hand but I don’t know what the general anesthetic contained itself. I was more concerned about the pain medication but I have just found out that I have an infection so now I’m adding antibiotics to my list of meds. I will be injecting every other day for a while instead of just my 3 every week. Just to be safe.

On another note should I worry about cephalosporin antibiotics?

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to Plucky1976]

And many anaesthetists have no idea about nitrous oxide and its potential to deactivate vitamin B12...

If you mean a problem taking Cephalosporin and B12 - no, there's no issue.

Here's the patient information leaflet (PIL) for cephalosporin (as Cefalexin) - worth checking other interactions to make sure no other contraindications for you (other drugs / medical conditions etc). Also lists possible side effects

medicines.org.uk/emc/files/...

Again - good luck with your recovery.

[Plucky1976 in reply to Foggyme]

Thank you so much and you’re right, they haven’t a clue.