Pain Managment Pre-H Advice

Having endometriosis (FINALLY dx'ed) with a scheduled H in 2 weeks here is my issue. I have been popping Lortab (narcotic) like candy for couple of months. Have been doing the NSAIDS (motrin, aleve, Ponstel) as well. I was so SICK of being on the meds I told my reglar dr I wanted to find out WHY I was in so much pain and to get off the stuff. Problem is I cannot do anything but lay on the couch b/c of back pain/cramps without meds. I thought it was in my head -- like dependent b/c I have been taking it so long-- but does it matter 13 days from surgery? I know I am tolerant of pain meds but am trying alternatives which don't work. Quit the herbal stuff b/c of the surgery (many say they do thin blood) so I feel stuck. Did a Tordol injection that helped but can't do that everyday...After spending a day of pain-hell I am thinking might as well be functioning b/f surgery and deal with potential addiction afterwards. I see PCP group so I have different prescibers and guess what? Yep the drug ins company sent a letter to EACH dr about my 'drug use' b/c of 'multiple prescibers' now each has my chart so they know but the drug co has nothing to do with the health ins company so they didn't know I had visits with each dr. I am embarrassed and feel like a druggie...but I HURT. I have 3 kids (ok enough to make you wanna hit the wine or crack some days) and don't have time for this disabling pain.

Read a simialar post about ER and pain. Drs here DO NOT give out pain meds usually. But I feel like I am drug seeking b/c I am! DO I tough it out for the next 12 days and be incapacitaded (ok dh is already honkerblonked b/c I couldn;t get up and answer the phone when he was getting the baby to sleep) or hit the streets for herion? I can't stand up b/c of cramps....

Hi Redfish -

I'm sorry you are hurting and having the trouble with pain relief and potential addiction. Have you talked openly with your doctors since the insurance company made them aware of the problem? The higher your drug tolerance now, the more difficult it may be to keep you comfortable (and safe) post-op. Maybe you could ask your GYN for a referral to a pain management specialist? They have many ways of helping patients who are in pain. If you have a consult now not only might they help you with the pre-op pain but the PM doc could already be on-board to help with your post-op pain control as well and then ease you onto your road to recovery from any potential addiction.

Best wishes & gentle s
Beth

you could read up on and try taking an amino acid called Phenylalanine, it is packaged as DLPA in health food store, and you can google it DLPA and chronic pain. It increases your pain threshold and helps with PMS symptoms and elevates your mood, Surf the net, if you need to find out more send me a private message.

Sistabeth is soooo right. Your pain management after surgery will probably be hard to manage if you can't get off the meds now.

I back major back surgery in 2001 and had been on high doses of Oxycontin, highly addictive, so they say. Here's the weird part, I had to get off them for 30 days prior to surgery as my doctor said the morphine would have minimal effects after surgery. Other than being in a LOT of pain, I had NO withdrawal issues. I have heard that if pain meds are controlling pain, and that it is being used correctly, it is not addictive.

While I'm not so sure how it is with everyone, I wasn't "ADDICTED" and had no withdrawal from it, just had to deal with that awful pain again. And all I can say is the pain after THAT surgery was the pain from hell!!! I'm just glad I had morphine and anything else they could give me that worked!

	Quote:
you could read up on and try taking an amino acid called Phenylalanine

I have no experience with this amino acid (other than in what I get in my diet) but just wanted to post a gentle reminder ---Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, dietary supplements should be taken only under the supervision of a knowledgeable healthcare provider ~~ especially so for patients having surgery/anesthesia.

s
Beth

amino acids are PROTEINS not herbal suppliments, they are found in things like MILK, cheese, eggs, Meat.
If you take them in pill form they are singled out individual amino acids that do specific things, Like for example Arginine is an amino acid that reduces chholesterol and builds muscle tissue and burns stored body fats.

Of course you need to discuss anything you take with your doctor, even if you are on a high protein diet, as you will be living on ammino acids,