“For how long do painkillers take to start relieving pain?”
I had shoulder surgery a few days ago. I am wondering how long it usually takes for painkillers to kick in once I take them? Also, what is the duration of relief time once I take a pill for the pain?
3 Answers
Some are 30 min to 2 hours, others need to be taken on a regular basis.
Christopher Creighton
Pain Management Specialist
That depends on the medication, but, on average, it will take about 20-15 minutes to start working. How long a dose will depend on the medication and your metabolism.
From,
Christopher Creighton
From,
Christopher Creighton
Most oral pain medications take about 45 minutes to an hour to get digested and absorbed into the blood stream. After this time you should start to feel some relief. The duration depends on the type of medication. Most long acting medications are formulated to last about 12 hours, for example MS Contin, Zohydro or others. However some people have rapid metabolism and such medications may only last 8 hours in some individuals. Short acting medications such as Percocet and Vicodin usually last 2-4 hours.
