Pain Meds make me vomit! What do I do?

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MizMimi
MizMimi Member Posts: 98

They make me furiously nauseous! The main one that makes me really really sick is Vicodin. As far as I know they're going to try to give me something else but they said it might also make me very nauseous.

If you are a lightweight and very sensitive to medications, what have you used that took care of the pain without the side effects of throwing up and nausea and loss of appetite?

Comments

  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited June 2015

    Many pain meds cause nausea,, but that doesn't mean all of them will do that to you. I would bring a list of the ones you've tried that have caused that side effect so that the doctor knows which ones not to prescribe.  And beware of generic names too. 

    Have you tried taking them with food or milk,, something to coat your stomach,, as opposed to taking on empty stomach?  That helps some people.

  • DeborahC
    DeborahC Member Posts: 114
    edited June 2015

    Nucynta is what worked for me. Everything else makes me throw up. In the hospital they gave me IV tylenol which was very effective. Good luck!

  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited June 2015

    I'm a serious anesthesia and pain med lightweight... throw up with Vicodan, get very agitated on morphine... Dilaudid literally sends me into orbit. The best pain med for me (RX'd by a Hospitalist after surgery) seems to be Acetamintnophen w/Codeine #3. (((Hugs))) Deanna

  • dltnhm
    dltnhm Member Posts: 873
    edited June 2015

    I only had this difficulty years - okay, actually decades ago ('88) when I had oral surgery. The doc called in a script for a pain med in suppository form. It worked and no nausea. Sorry I can't offer anything recent. That was definitely about not having anything in my stomach to digest it with at the time.

    Diana

  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited June 2015

    My PS gave me promethezine cream in these little syringes that I could rub on my hands when I was feeling nauseous. You probably have tried that but I just thought I'd throw that out there

  • MizMimi
    MizMimi Member Posts: 98
    edited June 2015

    Thank you all for the suggestions! I will report back once I have a new surgery date and talk again about the pain meds.

    As for now, I heard they are going to put a patch on my neck and do accupuncture to help me with nausea during surgery. She said something will go into my IV bag, but I don't have a name yet.

    Thank you again!

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2015

    MizMimi---they will probably give you an anti-emetic like Phenergan or Zofran to help prevent nausea.

    anne

  • floaton
    floaton Member Posts: 181
    edited June 2015

    they make me super nauseous, too. I had the anti-nausea patches for surgery and chemo. They gave me dry mouth and made me a little dizzy, but took the edge off the nausea. To take any narcotic pain med, I have to have the dissolving zofran on board about 10-15 minutes before I take the pill and then I can tolerate it. Careful, tho, because they both cause constipation!

  • maxdog
    maxdog Member Posts: 147
    edited June 2015

    Vicodin and Percocet both make me puke. My PS said she has a few others she will try with me. We'll see!

  • cloudsinmycoffee
    cloudsinmycoffee Member Posts: 10
    edited June 2015

    I have extreme reactions (severe vomiting) to all narcotic pain medicines, and I can't take Toradol or neurotin either. All I can take is Tylenol and the muscle relaxer Flexeril. You have to be given something for pain during the surgery. I also don't do well with a lot of anesthesias, including IV Versed and ketamine. In April I had delayed reconstructive breast surgery (had left mastectomy in Feb 2013) with a DIEP flap. During surgery I was given IV Tylenol (Ofermiv), IV Zofran, Decadron, fentanyl, propofol, and a scopolamine patch behind my ear. I still had dry heaves in the recovery room, but they didn't last long, and I didn't get as sick as I usually do after surgery. They used as little fentanyl during the actual surgery as possible so it'd be pretty much out of my system in recovery. I was allowed to have the IV Tylenol for only 24 hours. After that I had nothing but Tylenol by mouth (1000 mg every 8 hours). I also took Flexeril at night so I could sleep. It helped just a little bit with the pain but would knock me out so that I didn't know I was in pain. I found it really tolerable to use just the Tylenol and Flexeril. Maybe you won't end up needing as much narcotic pain medication as you are anticipating. I am allergic to Phenergan, but hopefully Phenergan and Zofran will work well for you so that you can get adequate pain relief without any nausea and vomiting. Good luck!

  • windingshores
    windingshores Member Posts: 704
    edited June 2015

    I am sensitive to meds. I had a paravertebral block (regional pain block, done in back) and didn't need any pain meds and, I believe, pretty light anesthesia. I asked for it right before surgery.

    Once home, when the block wore off 2nd day, I took 1/2 oxycodone with a lot of food on board. Yesterday I still needed zofran, and did half of that too. Today working with stool softeners and senna, prunes and magnesium, full scale attack!

    I am now hoping Reiki will handle it for awhile. That's about all I can handle. The incisions, in my experience, are not painful at all.



  • hummingbirdlover
    hummingbirdlover Member Posts: 421
    edited June 2015

    Oh my gosh, me too!!! It doesn't matter what they are, I take one dose and the puking begins. I squawked so much about this before surgery, and to anyone who would listen, that they put an allergy bracelet on me in pre op. I've had 2 surgeries and have taken Zofran and have never, EVER felt queasy, even once. It is the miracle drug in my opinion.

  • mazie73
    mazie73 Member Posts: 74
    edited June 2015

    Hi all—

    I'm weighing in a little late here. I found out I was allergic to Codeine after a tonsillectomy when I was 19 (that *was not* pretty). I was prescribed Vicodin after my mastectomy and I was a little wary, since Vicodin and Codeine are both opioids. Not only did Vicodin do nothing for the pain; it made me feel nauseous. Fortunately, Tylenol was all I needed (thanks to recommendations from ladies on this discussion group).

    I brought up my problem with Vicodin when I had my reconstruction and got a prescription for Percocet. It's what they prescribe folks who are allergic to Codeine, because it's a synthetic opioid. It worked beautifully—and I only had to take it for four days.

    Best of luck to y'all.


  • GraceB1
    GraceB1 Member Posts: 213
    edited June 2015

    I pucked for hours after every surgery until this last one. They tried almost every thing on me, patches, meds etc. This last time they used emend during surgery and no nausea until I started taking pain pills. Got off them pretty rapidly. Maybe I should have asked for more emend.

  • MizMimi
    MizMimi Member Posts: 98
    edited August 2015

    Hi.. just back here to update what I am doing for pain control after my lumpectomy yesterday.

    I declined pain meds and only using ice packs and Tylenol. No narcotics. Yay!! It is working very well!

    If ever have a mastectomy, this might now work... but for lumpectomy it's great

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    I had bilateral mastectomy with regional Lidocaine, and took only Lorazepam afterward--no narcotics. It was fine.

  • MizMimi
    MizMimi Member Posts: 98
    edited August 2015

    Wow.. you did a Dbl MX and no problems with severe pain?? That's awesome!

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Yup, and it seems like a lot of women don't have too much trouble. I didn't use NSAIDs, either. I had more pain from the chest binder rubbing my armpit than anything else.

  • JanS1234567890
    JanS1234567890 Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2015

    I get sick too so I started just using Advil. I had a mastectomy 5 weeks ago with all lymph nodes removed. I told the hospital to only give me Advil. I was fine.

    I've done this for several operations. I've never had a problem and I think it's so much easier to recover without pain medicine.

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