What helped you manage your pain best after hysterectomy?

My hysterectomy is scheduled for May 19 and as I have written earlier, I am stressed about the pain after surgery. What medicines were you given after surgery? Was it oral or through the IV or was it through shots? What helped you the most and what will you not recommend?

Did the anesthesia make you throw up later? I had a laproscopy 5 months back and I remember waking up with severe nausea and throwing up later, which hurt my incision real bad. Were you able to eat anything later?

Am I stressing out too much?

Tell your doctor in the preop about the nausea- I told mine, and they gave me something for it in the IV, and I had no problem. As to pain, what I've seen around here is that it depends on the person- I only took Tylenol when I got home (The usual stuff in the hospital, one Toradol before going home, and Tylenol after that.) But I have seen that many people get 'real' painkillers when they go home, so it depends.
When you wake up you're on liquids and then soft stuff, and on the second day I had real food, which tasted heavenly.

I had a morphine pump when I woke up. It took the worst edge off of the pain, but I did still feel pain. It did NOT however make me nauseous. Now, that's not to say that I didn't puke in the hospital, but it wasn't from morphine-induced nausea. It was just because my digestive system sort of woke up from the top down. I had a cup of cranberry juice after my surgery, which I barfed up 12hrs later (and yes, barfing with a fresh incision is NOT fun to say nothing of barfing while lying on your back). If morphine makes you nauseous, you may want to let your medical team know so that they can start you on something else.

The next day, I had about a 16th of a piece of toast and one of those little cardboard cartons of ice cream with the tiny wooden spoon. I was not really able to eat for about two days, and wish I had carb-loaded the day before. If I ever go into the hospital for surgery again, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I found that the folks at the hospital sort of pushed me to eat before I was ready. I think they are used to people who wake up hungry or something, but I definitely WILL throw up if forced to eat before I'm ready.

I had lots of anti nausea drugs, and a morphine pump. I was so sick day two throwing up and having dry heaves that pulled on my incision, that I refused all pain meds.
I took a few tylenol once home.
Other than that, I pushed forward.

I had the same nausea reaction after my lap last year. It was bad, it went on for days I wasn't able to eat at all.

I told my doctor about it before my hysterectomy and they treated me before I went back. I did have a little nausea (burping helped). I was eating that evening.

I had a morphine drip but honestly the norco pills lasted longer and helped more. Maybe because I didn't like to hit that button every 10 minutes because I felt like an addict!

I had anti-nausea meds in my IV in preop and that took care of the nausea problem. Was also started on IV Tylenol for pain in preop (cannot take narcotic pain meds). The IV Tylenol was discontinued early the next morning and from them on I took extra strength Tylenol, but only needed that for around 2 days. Pain was minimal.

The other sisters answered the hospital pain, but I wanted to add that a heating pad was my best friend at home! I only used ibuprofen, then found Aleve helped more with the pain--didn't need anything stronger. Also, use the advice on this site about preparing your space for recovery--it will make you much more comfy. I found bending very painful. Hope this helps and best wishes for a quick recovery, HUGS CJ

Definitely ask the anesthesiologist for anti-nausea in the iv, when you meet with him/her right before surgery. In the hospital, all my pain meds were through the iv, plus morphine shots. I also asked for a dose of zofran (for nausea), for the road, right before I was released, lol. At the nurse's suggestion, I kept the iv in until the last moment.

I knew I had a high risk for nausea after anesthesia and told my anesthesiologist. He gave me four different anti nausea meds and I was still miserably nauseous when I got to my room from the recovery room. And everyone seemed to be moving in slow motion. Now, in retrospect, I think I did not have good pain control in the room and thats what was making me nauseous. I just wasn't able to think straight and figure out what was going on. Once I got settled and the nausea passed, about two hours in my room, it did not come back. I had a morphine pump until the next morning then narcotics by mouth every 6 hours with ibuprofen for break through pain. I realized the ibuprofen was working better than the narcotics and switched to just taking that before I was discharged (four days in hospital.) I walked starting the day after my surgery and by the time I left the hospital felt really good. No appetite the first four days, so I asked for ensure plus which I could tolerate with my meals to make sure I got some nutrition for healing. Yogurt was also tolerable for me. I drank TONS of water.

I would say to listen to your body after surgery and get what you need to make yourself comfortable. If you are comfortable, you will have better healing and find it easy to get out of bed and walk, which is very important post-op. Good luck!!!!!

Like all the other sisters said, make sure you tell your pre-op nurse and/or your anesthesiologist about your history of post-op nausea and they will give you something before surgery. As for post-op pain, the most effective and biggest help for me was Toradol IV while I was in the hospital, when I got home I took Vicodin 3 times in the first 3 days and after that Ibuprofen 800 and my heating pad worked great. Good luck with your surgery.