will my pain meds work

Hi all. I have two questions for ya,

1) What kind of pain meds are you using for the preop pain? For some reason, this past month (ironically since I scheduled my TAH for the end of next month) has been h-e-double hockey sticks. My dr has given me some Darvocet, and I have been taking them a little bit over the past year. However, I am needing it several times a day now. It does work, but it is taking a lot more than he will prescribe. Any suggestions? Calling the nurse for more is just traumatic!!!

2) As I said, I have been on Darvocet off and on for the past year. It still works, though probably not as well as it did at first. My quesion is, since I have been on a narcotic for so long, though not at all constantly, will my postop medications still work, or will I have developed a tolerance to them? This has me REALLY freaked out. I handle pain better than most, I think, but the thought of going into this with nothing that will help the pain really really really really really scares me.

Help me ladies!

Darvocet is very weak as far as painkillers go. I just got some prescribed today, and it's not enough to take this pain away. I've had four this afternoon and they're doing nothing. I doubt you've built up too much of a tolerance.

I'm not sure what it is you're afraid of. I'm sure they will give you something much stronger after the surgery. I cannot imagine they would send you off with Darvocet. If you find that your pain is too much and they still won't give you anything you can try an online pharmacy or something.

Don't worry. Your doctor will probably prescribe something much stronger than Darvocet for your post-op pain. My doctor gave me my prescriptions for post-op on my last pre-op visit so that I could have them filled and ready when I got home from the hospital.

Happygo---Trust me, I dont care what you take, you will live up to your name when they medicate you and you wont care if a B-52 flies up your nose, and that goes for relaxing you as well LOL

i got darvocet for post-op, but only because i am allergic to vicodin. i got morphine in the hospital. i don't even use the darvocet anymore. naprosyn or ibuprofen have worked fine for weeks now. most people get a vicodin prescription post-op (much stronger than darvocet). my pain post-op (except in the first week) hasd been better than my discomfort pre-op! I hope you will also find huge relief after surgery. dee

Just an encouraging note, Happygo. You might not need as much pain medication after the surgery as you do before - the things that are causing your pain will be gone!

I've been getting along just fine with ibuprofen since sugery - they had me on a dilaudid pain pump right after the procedure, but I barely used it. I was uncomfortable for the first few days, but the pain was certainly more bearable than bad cramps. I was given vicodin to take home, but I've only taken one (and that was for a pulled muscle in my back!).

Definitely talk to your doctor and anesthesiologist about pain management so that they can handle it for you while you're in the hospital and figure out what will work best when you get out.

It's good to prepare yourself and comfort yourself by knowing how you'll be cared for, but a positive attitude about the pain will go a long way to easing your mind about your upcoming procedure.

Take care!

Some of you may remember that I expressed major concerns over my pain control after surgery, too. But I just got back from my post-op appt a couple of hours ago and am very relieved after talking with my doc.

See, I already take hydrocodone 10/325 four times a day for spondylosis in my low back. Plus I have "the metabolism of a hummingbird" and always have required pretty huge amount of narcotics for relief from pain. I have renal insufficiency which prevents me from taking anything like Advil or Naprosyn.

My doctor told me that he would put my on the morphine pump for the first 24 to 36 hours, and they would switch it to Dilaudid if the morphine didn't do it (morphine hasn't always worked that well for me). We also agreed that if the pump didn't work out, or when (usually not if, I'm thin with rolly veins) the IV infiltrated the vein - I could be given 75 to 100 mgs of Demerol with 50 mgs of Phenergan to prevent the technicolour yawns and make the Demerol work better.

He also said he would send me home with Dilaudid pills for the first week or so, then up my hydrocodone for a week or two. Then I can taper back to my regular dosages for my back.

I was so relieved when he said to me and my husband "I completely understand. Some people DO have to take narcotics everyday." ****huge sigh of relief!!!****

It's so horrible to have a belly full of fibroid driving me batty on top of a totally messed back - but wonderful that my doctor understands I have a problem with chronic pain - and that I am not a drug seeking junkie! Reno is a tough town for pain patients (I'm in health care myself) because of our high transient population. So many doctors are terrified to properly treat chronic pain because of our tough state pharmacy laws and the Bush Administration's attitudes on "drugs" in general.

In my physical therapy clinic, we have even seen doctors so scared to prescribe strong medications that they have tried to send chronic pain patients to the *methadone* clinic to stand with heroin addicts. Unbelievable, huh? The horror stories about Oxycontin being the "hillbilly heroin" have pretty much kept most doctors from prescribing it in this area outside of pain management clinics run by anesthesiologists.

Anyway - I'm blethering here. I'm in a lot of pain today - but I am again sooooo relieved by my doctor's caring, sympathetic and understanding attitude! *whew*

Cheers,

Bella

Hi Happygo-
Talk to your dr and anesthesiologist, etc. about your concerns.
They know your problems and your history, so I doubt they will think you're trying to get high.
After surgery, I was on a morphine pump for 24 hrs, then switched to percocet with phenegrin for about 12 hours.
then went home with percocet. Honestly, I need Gasx more than pain pills now. I would have never been able to say that before!
You'll be fine!!!

Blessings,
Amber

P.s. Bella- I'm so very sorry about your kitty!!!!!!!!!!!
20 is a remarkable age for a cat. She was obviously well taken care of.

Thank you all! I feel so much better about things. This really had me worried, turns out for no reason. Even with my medical background (though non-clinical) I wasn't aware of the broad range of options for pain relief. Thanks so much!

BTW, I am going out and buying Gas-X this week just to be sure that I have it. From what I hear, that is not an optional tool for recovery!!! good advice ladies...that's why we love you!

Also sorry to hear of your cat passing. 20 years? I hope I live to 140 human years (k maybe not). Yes, she must have been well cared for. It is always hard to lose an animal that has been around for a length of time. I have two dogs that will be my couch companions during recovery, and I don't know what I'd do without them. Animals are so perceptive!

Dear Happygo,

Thank you for your kind words about my kitty. My doctor even asked at my pre-op yesterday if I needed to delay my surgery a week or two since I have been under so much stress and having to put down my Jezerey (my only "baby") on top of it all. Pretty sweet, huh? But I'm NOT putting this off!

I'm sure you will be okay, too. If that Darvocet isn't working, (and it's not a very effective pain med anyway - might as well take 2 Tylenol) be sure to complain *loudly*! By expressing all of my fears about the pain to my doctor, explaining the problems with my back too - armed with my MRI - he agreed to make sure I was well taken care of. You may be your only health care advocate, and if you don't say anything, you can't get a resolution!

Best of luck to you!

Cheers, Bella