I'm having a terrible time with pain since I stopped taking ibuprofen on January 22nd, which was the two weeks until surgery mark for me. I was taking a lot of it, 800mg at a time, for my back and knees. Acetaminophen is doing nothing to help it. I'm willing to do my best to deal with this, as I know why it is necessary to stop, so please don't see this as a complaint. I'm just wondering what others of you who may have had the same situation pre-op did to get you to surgery day. I know about the good old heating pad, and I'm drinking plenty of water. Any other tips?

Edited: My comments were for someone after surgery. I didn't realize you were still presurgery and not taking them because of surgery restrictions. My initial advice remains the same -- talk to your surgeon about some other options since what you are doing isn't working. /end editing

Talk to your surgeon about whether you can have Nsaids. I have arthritis in my ankle and need to take naproxin once in a while for pain and swelling. I don't take it every day, but I do take it when I need it. My surgeon said it was OK since my stomach hasn't changed. My risk of developing problems is the same it was before my surgery although if I do develop them, the complications might be a bit more troubling.

Your doctor may be able to prescribe something instead of ibuprofen. My daughter also takes naproxin for her back. It is an arthritis medication that helps with pain and swelling, and a single 500 mg pill works great for me.

I did stay off prescription Naproxen before surgery, but at my six week check up I begged him to let me get back on it. The pain was so bad I could barely walk. He said that I could, but only if I took a prescription strength acid blocker, which I gladly did. I can make it with only one Naproxen a day instead of the two that I used to take. Since I have lost 95 lbs, I hardly ever have pain in my ankles or knees, and may try to wean myself off of the Naproxen. It is really hard to get around when you are hurting. Things will get dramatically better. Good luck.