Pain meds

I do not want to go to the post-op board yet so anyone who can help I thank in advance. I KNOW that everyone is different but what pain meds were you sent home with? I just want to research what would be the best for me as I do not do well with pain meds-In fact after the first day of my many surgeries I have resorted to OTC tylenol-I know yikes. But I think that this time may be different-Thanks. Very nervous d/t a little over 12 hours until surgery-ugh-Lynette

H Lynette! Relax.....I won't tell you the blanket "it will be okay" because if one more person said that to me I was going to pop them! lol How about "it will happen, it will hurt for a while, you'll be scared for a while, but you will come out of this whole thing healthier and happier so it will have been worth it!" That I think is far more realistic!

Pain meds.....I was really bad immediately post op and my whole first night. I don't see what you have scheduled listed but I had the LAVH, bladder lift, and the A/P repair along with some general cleaning and renovations on the interior. Yup, it hurt and the assisting doc was a dork and didn't know the pain scale they used when asking patients was from 0 to 5 not 0 to 10 so when the nurses told him that I was getting worse and was up to a 4.5 he thought I was fine! Idiot! Finally had to give me demerol which put me right out and was lovely and they also put me on the morphine pump. I used the pump very sparingly. I don't like to use stuff unless I really really have to.

As far as coming home, it was motrin, vicodan, and atavan (prescribed for stress brought on by something else that I didn't need to deal with!). I used the heavy hitters till this past Tuesday gradually using less and less and then with doc's blessings switched to just motrin and good old bayer aspirin. I feel much better being on those than I did with the narcotics but I also know I needed those narcs for at least the first two weeks. Everyone is different. Talk with your doc and make sure he knows your feelings and concerns.

best of luck!
Karen

Lynette -

I know you keep hearing 'the waiting is the worst part' and for the next 12 hours, that's true. In the whole range of pre/post the 'worst' was the first 36 hours post-op. I say that not to scare you, but to let you know, while its bad, it passes fairly quickly (at least it did for me SAH no repairs).

I don't like taking pain meds so I understand where your coming from. However, you I think are already preparing yourself that this situation might be different (and yet you might be relatively fine, we're all different). I had a pain pump with Daludid (mom reacted badly to morphine so didnt want to risk it). My Dr set my pump at an automatic .1 through the first night. I also could push it, but don't think I did much. The set amount took the edge off and let me sleep. I also asked for (request Dr put on chart in advance) Torodol which is an anti-inflammatory. I got this twice before Dr stopped because with blood loss, felt was risky to have. I will say I think if I could have had those continued, I wouldn't have pushed the pump again.

I went home with Motrin and Vicodin. I took both, every 5 hours for 3 days. Then Vicodin at night and Motrin during the day for several days. At I think 9 days I was pretty much done, except for a couple times when I needed one or the other.

Its important to stay ahead of your pain. Once it takes hold, it can be hard to get back in control of it. Kind of think of it as a dam busting. Its easier to add sand bags than fill it in as its running out.

I know your scared. I know I was. I'm 6 weeks now and have both good and bad days (nothing serious). I'm back to work and feeling pretty good. The time does go rather quickly.

Rest well tonight. Decide your surgery is going to go smoothly with a peaceful recovery and we will see you on the other side.

Julie

Holy brain fog.....Julie do you know that I forgot that I even had Torodol until you mentioned it! Good grief!

I was given 'double dose' percocet in the hospital, and a rx for them to take home. That was enough to really help me through that first tough week. I've been only taking tylenol now, with occassionally taking one percocet at night if it was a bad day of 'too much'...

Hi Lynette

When I was pre-op I kept reminding myself that on this very day, at this very time in one week's time I would be home chatting on the post op side. Some how that helped me keep it in perspective. I also wore myself out cleaning, shopping cooking and doing everything else I could imagine.
Anyway, I did not have general anesthesia, like many of my dear sisters. I had a spinal, I was out when they did it. With the spinal comes a bit of morphine in the spine which gives you the first 24 hours post op pain free. I felt great during hospital stay..
Anyway they sent me home with percocet and perscription strength motrin. I came home on Wed and I only took percocet till Sunday, as it made me sick to my stomach.
I have been on motrin ever since, and I am now only taking those only occassionaly

I will be thinking of you, and sending prayers for a safe surgery and a uneventful castle stay


Harley

Kay -

That's ok.....there was a lot going on in those first couple days huh?

I worry less about the 'first 72 hour' fog than I do about the 'new fog' where I'll be danged if half the time I can't come up with whatever word I'm trying to say......

Julie - Who now at least knows what a wonderful drug Torodol is.

Hi, Harley NY-I am having a spinal as well-scared that they will change that in the morning but as of now I am happy about this-I hear it really helps with pain management the first day-I am very sensitive to pain meds-so I had 3 back surgeries with only Tylenol-I also had a hard time with GA so this is why I am having the Spinal-I am gonna fight for it-lol Thanks all!

lol at Julie.....very funny my friend!!!! Commented to my cousin today that I didn't know what I was going to do......anesthesia is out of the system, narcotics...gone, motrin doesn't make you brain foggy.....what excuse will I have for the CRS syndrome I'm having? lol

I had morphine pca for about 24 hours after surgery.
And interchanged that with torodol. (yes, narcotic fog!)
But it kept the pain at bay, and that was all that mattered to me. After they took the pca, they put me on Vicodin every 6 hours. They sent me home with 600mg Motrin and Percocet (oxycodone).
My advice would be to know what time you are due for meds and make sure they get them to you then. Take control of that part of your care.

.....and don't be afraid to press that button!