As a routine most surgeons prescribe pain medications to help reduce the expected pain and discomfort after surgery. In most instances in oral surgical procedure some sort of opioid/narcotic pain medication is used as part of this regimen. In some patients constipation is a rare side-effect of narcotic medications. Some will even go as far as not taking the recommended pain medications because they think they may get constipated. This summary page from JAMA (Journal of American Medical Assoc.) is great in explaining constipation and what to look out for. Remember – when in doubt always contact your physician / surgeon if you think you are experiencing something out of the ordinary.
