Opioids After a C-Section vs Non-Opioid Analgesics
Women who have a cesarean delivery may experience less pain by taking a non-opioid analgesic rather than taking opioids after a c-section.
Researchers enrolled about 200 women who were going to have a c-section. The women were randomized to receive either opioids or a combination of Advil (ibuprofen) every six hours and Tylenol (acetaminophen) every four hours. Mothers in the second group could ask for an opioid if pain was still significant.
Results, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that two to four weeks after giving birth, women who didn’t take opioids had less pain compared with those in the opioid group. Women who took opioids after a c-section were also more likely to experience side effects, the most common being drowsiness and constipation.
The results indicate that opioids don’t need to always be prescribed following a c-section. Not doing so would help cut down potential misuse of opioids and reduce the chances of opioids being diverted to the general population.
