Turtle, if you need occasional pain relief, you might try the generic Excedrin - it has aspirin, acetaminophen [generic Tylenol], and caffeine. The Tylenol might be a drawback, but the aspirin & caffeine mean there's less of it, at least.
Still have swelling? Is that normal? [I've never broken a bone - yet.]
I've been taking a couple of Tylenol once or twice a day. He said Tylenol was fine. But I've also been taking one Aleve naproxen twice a day to keep down the swelling.
The first 2 weeks after the break I took a bunch of ibuprofen 3 or 4 times a day for the swelling, along with the hydrocodone w/Tylenol. He said no ibuprofen, that it retards (uhm, I mean, challenges) bone healing. He didn't say no other NSAIDs. So I went with Aleve, twice a day, and also drank copious amounts of cranberry juice, because it's loaded with acetylsalicylic acid, which is what aspirin is. OK< so the Aleve was a mistake, so now it's still Tylenol once or twice a day for pain, and then aspirin and cranberry juice for the swelling.
Yeah, there's still quite a bit of swelling. Throughout the wrist area, the back of the hand (metacarpal bones area), and the proximal phalanx (first joint next to the knuckle) of the index and second fingers. Still can't make much of a fist due to the proximal phalanx swelling. And the flexor tendons are tight as a piano string. I can sometimes feel those all the way up the arm. The tendon tightness, and the swelling, is still severely limiting me on the range of movement, especially on bending the wrist upwards, particularly if I have the fingers extended. And bending downward if I have a pseudo-fist made, it really tugs the tendons.
I can use a mouse now, for the most part. But on the top middle of the mouse there is a wheel for scrolling through long pages. When I do that with my index finger, sometimes I feel that pain and tightness from my finger base up my hand and wrist (especially where the pulse is taken) all the way nearly to the elbow. Man that hurts. But I've been using a mouse for 4 days now and it's getting a little better each day.
I think I'm another couple of three days away from being able to put on and unbuckle a seatbelt. But yesterday was the first time since the break I could turn the ignition key and start the van without crying like a little girl. I came close, but I manned up and toughed it out.
I also chose not to even try that again today.