When to stop pain meds

I am 3 days post op, LAVH, uterus and cervix were taken, surgery was 5 hours with a lot of cleanup from old scar tissue. I don't know when to start tapering pain meds. I don't want to be uncomfortable, but I'm afraid that the prescription pain meds might slow down my first BM.

When in average did everyone stop using their prescription pain meds? I know we are all different etc but I'm just looking for a rough estimate? Maybe I should taper during the day and use only at night? Is it okay to let myself feel uncomfortable? Although, why would I want to do that to myself? The thought if that first BM has me terrified!

My fifth day post op I would take motrins during the day and my percocets at bed time. Then before my second week post op I had stopped all pain pills. At five weeks I only take a motrin if I overdo myself and I get severe swelly belly.

I also continued to take my stool softeners but at two weeks my dr had to prescribe miralax to make it easier for me to go.

Wish you luck and keep in mind we all heal slighty differently...

I had a TAH/BSO and wasn't released from the hospital until the third day after surgery. While in the hospital I had dilaudid delivered by an epidural catheter, so I don't know how much was given to me when. However, judging by my considerably increased degree of alertness on Day 2, I would guess that my dosage had been decreased overnight.

I lost the epidural and the dilaudid at 8 AM on Day 3 and was released at 3 PM. My belly was a bit sore and twinge-y, but not what I would call painful. The doc said to take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for minor pain, call them for major pain.

The first week home I took ibuprofen and acetaminophen regularly, alternating doses. This was more for my back than my belly, as the soft hospital beds hadn't done my arthritis any good!

After the first week I took the meds occasionally, as needed.

I'd taper based on how you are feeling. It's hard not knowing your actual pain level because it is masked by the meds doing their work. The way I tapered was by substituting an OTC pain med and see if it gave me the same pain relief as the prescription one. When i came home from the hospital, i tried ibuprofen instead of Tylenol with codeine, and it was just as effective on the pain, so I was ok sticking with the OTC. But if I had still had pain, i'd have gone right back on the prescription. On Day 4 I stopped the ibuprofen completely and just take Tylenol PM to sleep, but I have a pretty high pain threshhold, so that might be a factor. Pain is your enemy in recovery - it is counter-productive to 'tough it out'. Do whatever you need to be pain-free.

Everyone reacts differently to different pain meds. It's ok to try different meds, with your drs blessing, to find the right one for you. If you feel that the GI side effects of your current meds are becoming intolerable I would not hesitate to try something new.

And Pooh's suggestion on stool softeners is spot-on....they are your friend!

I'm 7 DPO from a TAH/BS and I'm still taking my T3's at night and if the pain is rough. Definitely keep on taking your stool softeners, and avoid bananas and cheese as they can help constipate you even further.
Lots of homemade smoothies & fiber!
I've already had a couple of BM's since surgery - I actually had to deal with an entire day of diarrhea due to my lactose intolerance.

I didnt take any pain meds from the night of my surgery - I was released with tylenol #3 and have only taken two. One was tonight as I took a 1/2 hour walk and had a little bit of pulling sensation that was a tad uncomfortable. I have really not had a lot of pain - which has been a blessing for me. I will not throw them away until I have the clearance from my ob gyn at my 8 week follow up Just in case.

I took my Percocet every 4-6 hrs the 1st week (I had my catheter for a week), the 2nd week I took it only at night with Advil during the day. The 3rd week (now), I'm only taking Advil once a day if needed. Today I didn't need it, but tomorrow I may.

Thank you everyone, you have reminded me that we are all different and recover at different speeds. I pushed myself too far last night and am feeling the pain today. Just another reminder that just because you can't see the wounds doesn't mean they don't exist.

Exactly!!!!! And feeling good (for two days in a row!?!?!?) is ALL we really want at this point!!!