For short periods of time, prescription medications (such as narcotic pain medications or muscle relaxants) may be helpful to alleviate pain or related complications.
It can take anywhere from 4-10 hrs. now if your head gasket is warped you will have to take it to have it milled that takes from 1 day to several days. if not you can just buy a completely new one that fits perfectly for about $150.
Remove the Old Gasket. Use a wrench to remove the bolts from the cylinder, then lift the head off of the engine. Use a prybar to remove the old gasket from the engine. Set it aside to be properly discarded later on. Gently clean off the surface of the head underneath where the old head gasket was.