Pain Medication

As I mentioned yesterday, I have a bad tooth.  Bad tooth equals great pain.  Now normally I have a pretty high tolerance for pain.  Most things don't bother me.  this tooth does.  I am not one that likes to take pills.  I take a pill for my gout and blood pressure pills.  I don't like it but I have to.  I am working on my blood pressure with diet and exercise and my goal is to get healthy and not need these pills but back to my tooth.  It got to bothering me yesterday and I bummed some Tylenol from one of my softball players.  It took the edge off the pain but it was throbbing all night.  I quit playing Gears last night about 11:00 because I figured if I went to bed, it wouldn't bother me.  Lets just say that was not a good idea.  I tossed and turned and never could get to sleep.  About 2:30 I couldn't take it anymore.  I started scrounging through my wife's pharmacy and all she had was Tylenol PM.  Like I mentioned earlier, I don't like taking medicine and this PM stuff scared me.  I know, I was needing sleep but I was scared I would have some weird drug interaction in my sleep and die.  I was also afraid that I might not get up in time in the morning so I passed.  I kept digging and found a bottle of Loratabs that the dentist had prescribed the last time I had this problem.  I was too scared to take them the last time but I was dying here.  I decided to try one.  I went back to bed and could not get to sleep for 30 minutes because I was afraid it was going to do something to me.  I guess it worked because at some point I went to sleep.  It is now 10:15 and my pain is back.  I have the Loratabs in the van but should I take one here at school?  Will I fall asleep?  Can I drive after taking one?  I am so paranoid.