Just an update on my situation. I am in my 7 week post op for sad, cuff repair and tenodesis. I am still in a sling, but using it less and less day by day, and told I will be not be using at all once 8 weeks arrives. Unfortunately the pain hasn't gone away, and I have my pain killers increased from 50mg to 100mg still with no avail. Have now been on endone for over a week, usually need to take a couple especially at night so that I can get through the night, in the day I can get away with taking one and sometimes none. I do find they make me feel drowsy not the night I take them but the following day. Is this normal? I asked the doctor how long do I need to be on the pain killers and he says he doesn't know. I am worried that if you are on them too long you can become addicted.The pt exercises have become harder and most times am unable to do them unless I take the pain killers. Is this normal. Anyway I'm hoping I won't need the pain killers for much longer and that once I see the surgeon next week I will be able to drive.

Sometimes recovery can be very rough, but you are not that long out. Don't worry about the pain killers. As long as you take them exactly as prescribed, you should be OK. There is a big difference between addiction and tolerance. I was taking them for a long time and when I stopped, it was no problem at all. And I only did that because I needed a good understanding of the pain, which believe me, I do now! Tramadol is not very helpful.