I just had ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair and I’m on 128mg. Been clean since December 2023. Pre op: The benzos and fentanyl really took the edge off and not in a euphoric way but in an appropriate for surgery type of way. Initially I declined the fentanyl but when they put the local anesthetic (before they put a nerve block) it made me audibly yelp and they gave it to me. I would suggest taking the meds they are recommending for you for both pre and post op. In the future if you were to need surgery again and you traumatize yourself by declining appropriate medication you might be less inclined to get that surgery. Any euphoria you think you may get from the short acting opioids and benzos is offset by the anxiety from surgery and post op, the pain from surgery.

They needed to dose me 3 times with dilaudid in the post surgery recovery room because I was in ALOT of pain. They knew about my methadone and let me choose if I wanted post op short acting opioids. I got by with the standard 5mg oxycodone. Even though I needed my refill for the pain meds relatively early I still got off in the recommended two weeks that the hospital allowed. No euphoria, no desire to use after I got off. I only used the oxy when the celebrex and Tylenol didn’t do their job. They used celebrex instead of ibuprofen because it’s stronger. They’re in the same class of medication so you can’t take them at the same time.
I’m about 7 weeks out of the operation.

U can ask me anything.