Broken & dislocated ankle & torn ligaments. had surgery, no weight for 8 wks. on wk 7. taking norco (hydrocodone and acetaminophen) 5mg/325 2-3x daily. normal? how long can i take?

If taken to get high: Opiod pain medications is taken solely to get "high" can cause addiction in 3-4 weeks. To get the high addictive personalities will take increasing doses for this effect vs. Someone not abusing the medication and taking solely for pain relief. I, generally after 8 weeks, would start prescribing nonnarcotic pain meds. Referring people to pain management specialist if pain requires narcotics.

This could be needed: This is a serious injury. My advice is to follow the directions of your surgeon. He/she knows the extent of damage and the progress that is being made. You will benefit from physical therapy when released to do so. Long term there can be moderate to significant arthritis depending on the amount of damage and alignment to the joint. Be careful with the narcotics. Talk to your doctor about you pain.

PAIN MEDS: It is normal in some instances to take pain meds till 3 to 4 months depending on the severity of the injury. Try to wean off and ask your phycisian about the new laser therapies such as cutting edge which reduced narcotic use.

It depends: These injuries and subsequent surgeries will take 6-12 months to fully recover. Normally, after the first 2-4 wks, narcotics are not necessary and can be addictive. Try otc nsaids like advil Motrin etc or tylenol, (acetaminophen) physical therapy, heat and ice. Also make sure the surgeon knows you are still in this much pain so that they can evaluate your progress clininally and radiographically.

I would....: Tone down the narcotic analgesics and swith you to a prescription anti-inflammatory. Physical therapy should also help at this stage.