How many is too many pain pills @ day, etc.

Sorry to do this to you ladies but I have an issue that involves several problems.

First Aunt Flo is here again and I'm miserable. Sweating, nausea, swelling, pain, pain and oh, pain, depression, and end of my rope. My Gyn told me "don't get out of pain meds." Yet, he gave me 10 Lortabs last Weds. and I stretched them over three days. However, Sat. PMS came a' calling and I began the downhill slide. Dr wasn't in Friday or today. After four long days (along with almost six long months of this w/ pain meds/Lap surgery along the way), I'm wondering if I'm really losing it. I've experienced severe depression before. It got ugly. So, I went to the Gen Dr and got depression meds two months ago. These last four days, it hasn't mattered. My DH says anyone who is in pain is going to come to the end of their rope. I hope he's right that it's just having to endure the pain and not that the evil darkness of hopeless depression is taking me again. I can't do that to myself or my DH EVER again. (That's why I got the Dr to give me depress. meds. cause I knew I wouldn't be able to take this much longer.) However, I'm without pain meds and I feel as though I can't make it.

Which leads me to the survey:
How many pain meds a day is too many? One, Five, Ten, Twenty? On average, I take four a day. I don't sleep much mostly because of pain so there are alot of hours in a day for me. My Gyn doesn't agree to this type of therapy. First I took the Dr's reluctance personally. Then I did research into the pain med, patient, doctor thing. Turns out, the DEA, Congress and the media have been trying for the last three years to turn honest doctors into drug dealers. Since doctors are easy to catch, ie; they are licensed, have an office, file forms, pay their taxes, unlike the criminal element that pushes drugs, the DEA is going after our good doctors. They are becoming skittish about administering pain meds and patients are going undertreated and even untreated. I'm tired of falling through the cracks in the system (insurance is making me wait for my TAH/BSO and now I have a GYN who is afraid to write a prescription past ten pills). I'm just wondering if I'm going to make it until Sept. 22. Then, is my good Gyn going to withhold pain meds during recovery??!!! I'm going to get the nerve to bring it up at Pre-Op.
Thanks for listening.

My heart goes out to you because I've had chronic headache pain for years. I don't think 4 a day (average of one every 6 hours) sounds bad as long as it's within your dr's guidelines. Right after my surgery when they switched me from IV to oral, it was 2 every 4 hours, but only for a few days.

If I remember right, you're in an unusual situation for a few weeks because your hyst is expected to resolve the pain issue, right? So hopefully, they will get things under control for you.

At the times when I can't (or don't want to) use narcotic pain relievers, the BEST nonprescription solution I've found is 800 mg of Advil every 4 hours. Of course your dr would have to OK that, but that's what my dr recommended. I know it's just Advil, and OTC drugs usually do nothing for me, but that comes closest to providing actual relief.

Thanks HerbsandVeggies! I have been trying the ibuprofen that I've had to take (800mg every four hours) and it provides some relief because I'm trying to stay ahead of pain. However, I'm noticing an effect on my stomach and it seems to make me feel as though I'm coming off the flu or something.

You're welcome! Also, I'm sure they'll offer pain relief sufficient to get you through the days following your surgery. I tapered to part narcotic/part OTC by about 4 days post-op, then OTC only by about 10 days.

E gadz, herbsandveggies, the amount of Advil you are taking is waaay too much. Ibuprofen can destroy your liver quicker than alcohol. My ortho doc doesn't even want to prescribe it because he said there are now studies that ALL NSAIDS can cause the same kind of damage as Vioxx and Celebrex. It's not really meant to be something you take long term.

I'm lucky to have found a great pain management doc for my chronic pain. He's not afraid to prescribe what I need. I do have blood drawn every 4 months to make sure my liver and kidneys are handling the meds.

Swank
Since you're a Georgia girl I thought you'd find it interesting that my Gen Dr tried referring me to two pain specialists and they won't take people with Endo/Adeno because "it's cured with surgery." UUGGGGHHHH!!!!

Well that figures mammoth. I actually see a Physiatrist/spine rehab doc due to arthritis/bone spurs in my spine. We were actually hoping that I'd get some pain relief after surgery but it didn't happen. I wasn't too optimistic since the pain started after a mountain bike crash. Oh well.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by swank E gadz, herbsandveggies, the amount of Advil you are taking is waaay too much. Ibuprofen can destroy your liver quicker than alcohol. My ortho doc doesn't even want to prescribe it because he said there are now studies that ALL NSAIDS can cause the same kind of damage as Vioxx and Celebrex. It's not really meant to be something you take long term. I'm lucky to have found a great pain management doc for my chronic pain. He's not afraid to prescribe what I need. I do have blood drawn every 4 months to make sure my liver and kidneys are handling the meds.

I'm just repeating what my gyn said. Besides, it's not long term or continuous. I used to do that only during the first day or two of my period. It's only for extreme pain, not something you do all the time.