The orthopedist sent me home with a pain prescription for post-surgery. He said I can also take one prior to the surgery, if necessary. I'd rather not, but if it makes the difference between being able to sleep and staring at the ceiling overnight, then I'll take the med.

In the meantime, while I was having the script filled, I picked up one form of pain relief that I *know* won't interact badly with anything else. Let's see how well Ben-Gay works getting rid of the discomfort (which has gradually worsened into the realm of low-level pain over the course of the day).