Pain relief at home after your child’s procedure

Before you leave hospital: get the plan in writing

Ask the nurse or doctor to write down, or check what is on the discharge papers:

• which medicines to give, and whether to give them regularly or only when needed
• the dose for your child’s weight, in millilitres if it is a liquid
• how often, and the earliest time the next dose can be given
• for how many days, and when to start cutting back
• what to do if it isn’t enough, and who to phone.

Ask also when the last dose was given in hospital, so you know when the first one at home is due.

Regular doses or “when needed”?

It depends on the operation, which is why the written plan matters. Two examples from The Royal Children’s Hospital show how different they can be:

• After general day surgery, paracetamol can be given every four to six hours for one to two days if needed.
• After tonsils and adenoids, regular pain relief is advised for the first week, pain can last up to two weeks and may get worse before it gets better, and giving pain relief 30 to 60 minutes before meals helps a child eat.

If the plan says “regularly”, give the doses on time rather than waiting for your child to complain. The hospital’s tonsil advice is explicit that doses go on a schedule, not only once pain starts.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen

These are the two medicines most often used at home. The Royal Children’s Hospital’s fact sheet on pain-relief medicine, reviewed in October 2025, says:

The same fact sheet says:

• it is fine to give paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time, or one and then the other, following the package advice
• check other medicines for paracetamol before giving it, so you don’t double-dose
• never give aspirin for pain unless a doctor prescribes it, because of the risk of Reye syndrome
• see a doctor if pain doesn’t go away within 48 hours.

After surgery your child’s own plan may run longer than 48 hours. Follow it, but call if pain is getting worse instead of better, apart from the expected bad days after a tonsil operation.

Use the measuring syringe or cup that comes with a liquid medicine, not a kitchen spoon. If you are unsure about any dose, a pharmacist can check it with you.

Keep a record

The Royal Children’s Hospital suggests a phone timer or a note on the fridge to avoid double-dosing. A simple table works well, especially when two adults are sharing the care:

Stronger pain medicines

After some operations, children go home with a stronger, prescription pain medicine, often an opioid. If yours does:

• give it exactly as prescribed, and only to the child it was prescribed for
• expect possible drowsiness and constipation, which The Royal Children’s Hospital lists as side effects, and with some opioids nausea; ask whether your child also needs something for constipation
• cut back as the pain improves: the hospital advises reducing the amount given in a day and lengthening the time between doses
• keep it locked away from children, and take leftovers to a pharmacy. Under a national program you can return unwanted medicines to any participating community pharmacy at no cost.

Ask the team what to do if your child seems unusually sleepy on it.

Spotting pain in a child who can’t tell you

Babies, young children and children with communication differences show pain rather than describe it. The Royal Children’s Hospital lists:

• crying, screaming or grimacing
• changes in sleeping or eating
• being quiet and withdrawn
• refusing to move, or being unable to get comfortable.

You know your child’s usual signals better than anyone. If your child communicates in their own way, tell the nurses before you leave how they show pain, and ask what score or signs should prompt a call.

Comfort that isn’t medicine

Medicines do the heavy lifting, but comfort helps them work. The Royal Children’s Hospital’s advice on easing discomfort includes staying close, a calm voice, cuddles for younger children, and distraction suited to age: bubbles and songs for toddlers, games, books and breathing exercises for older children, music or a show for teenagers. Let your child choose.

If something goes wrong

Phone the hospital, your GP or the number on the discharge papers if pain is not controlled by the recommended medicines, or seems to be getting worse rather than better. For more severe pain, The Royal Children’s Hospital advises calling the contact numbers you were given or seeing your GP.

In an emergency, call 000. This information is general and does not replace advice from your treating practitioner. Your child's anaesthetist, surgeon, dentist or hospital knows your child, and their instructions come first.