Screw the Pain Medication

Someone is hurt pretty bad, yet still conscious. They need medical help, likely need surgery. They're getting ready for a major operation, the doctor is ordered not to use pain killers, let alone anesthesia. This order was made by the injured character themselves. Sure, they know they're in serious pain and need to be treated, but for these folks pain isn't much of a problem.

This trope is often used to show one of many things: the patient is a badass Made of Iron, just simply doesn't feel any pain, or in some cases, pain killers are in short supply and they want them saved for someone who really needs them. It's often seen in cases where a character engages in Self-Stitching, where pain medication is either rare or not around. This is can go Up To Eleven if it's a Life or Limb Decision. Yet, for most, they rather put up with the pain for a host of reason. See also Macho Masochism

Fan Works

 * In the Real Person Fic Just Taken, Melanie strictly requests that she isn't given pain medication after she was severely injured in a fight, which included getting ran over by a car. She even woke up during the middle of emergency surgery, which she just shrugs it off. Of course, this request was later declined when she finds herself in a different hospital, who gives the medication by force. Melanie complains that the medication was making her even worse, wanting to vomit at one point. However, considering one of the reasons for admission against her will was due to her eating disorder, she wasn't able to do so.
 * Spice Fortress Series, none of the women are given any medicine, even during surgery. Yet, they seemed not to care.
 * Though understanding why she had to be on them, Emma wants the doctors to either reduce or stop giving her medication when she got out of a coma in Astral Journey: It's Complicated, as they were just making her very sick, even worse than being in a coma.

Film

 * In The Dark Knight Gordon mentions in the hospital that Harvey Dent refuses to take any pain medication despite having intense pain half his face burned off. He isn't willing to get a skin graft either.
 * Revenge of the Sith has Palpatine forbid the medical droids from using anesthetics or pain-killers while they rebuild Darth Vader. He is fully aware of what is happening to him during the multi-day surgery.
 * Tank Girl, Kesslee is badly injured, resulting in the loss of his arm and face. Yet, he orders his doctor not to give him painkillers
 * In The Wolverine, Logan skips pain killers to perform open-heart surgery to remove a parasite that was messing up his Healing Factor.
 * In No Country for Old Men, after destroying a car to steal antibiotics without being seen, Anton Chigurh goes forward with performing Self-Stitching of his knee in a very calm matter.
 * Cast Away had a Chuck removing a bad tooth with an ice skate and rock, without any medication.

Literature

 * The Cardinal of the Kremlin, after getting shot, a state trooper notifies his superiors about his shooters and the hostages. He declines to form any medication for pain to go through it.

Live-Action TV

 * The Flash, thanks to the effect his Super Speed has on his metabolism, any pain medication wouldn't work on Barry, even if they try.

Video Games

 * Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: The cyborg warrior Raiden is impaled by a sword during his fight against, and he asks his support team over radio to "turn off his pain inhibitors". This rush of pain proves beneficial, as it , as well as allowing it to be used in short bursts from that point on.

Western Animation

 * Cotton Hill from King of the Hill explained while at a VA hospital, he tried to justified his reason to refuse pain killers by asking "Did Lincoln ask for girly gas when they blow'd his head off?".

Real Life

 * WWII Colonel von Stauffenberg refused to take morphine out of fear of developing an addiction to the stuff.