Pain med for someone who doesn't like pain meds?

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Leydi
Leydi Member Posts: 146
edited August 2016 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

So, I've only ever been prescribed pain meds twice in my life - once percocet and once hydrocodone. I only took one dose of each before deciding that I didn't like how they made me feel and went with just OTC ibuprofin. Now I'm facing surgery - BMX with significant node removal - and am worried about both pain and pain meds afterwards.

Percocet made me nauseated and light headed. Hydrocodone left me feeling very hung over.

Any chance tylenol/ibuprofin will see me through? Any suggestions on a pain med that might work for me and not leave me feeling sick, dizzy, or hung over?

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited July 2016

    You could talk with your surgeon about Toradol (ketorolac), which is an NSAID, rather than an opiate-based pain reliever. I used it after my surgery and it worked out very well. I don't like most RX pain meds, either, but would use Toradol again if needed, as it did not leave me nauseated, hung over, etc.

    Good luck with your surgery. Wishing you good, clear margins and few (zero?) nodes.

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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited July 2016
    First night after surgery - and my surgery ended at 9:30PM - they gave me hydrocodone. I didn't feel well at all after it, so all I took afterwards was tylenol for a couple of days. That was enough. You should not be in acute pain after this surgery, certain movements will be painful though.
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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited July 2016

    leydi - several thoughts - you might ask about a paravertebral block - kind of an epidural for the chest. That should help immediately after surgery. Also, some docs use an OnQ pain ball and some use Exparel, info links below - these are local and non-narcotic. Also, some docs use Botox locally if you are having reconstruction that stretches the pectoral muscle.

    http://www.myon-q.com/on-q-pump.aspx

    http://www.exparel.com/


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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited July 2016

    Good points, SpecialK - as always! I had paravertebral block and it worked great.

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  • Mariangel43
    Mariangel43 Member Posts: 136
    edited July 2016

    My experience with medication is that I try to tolerate as much as I can. I don't use Percocet because it gives a strong stomachache and do not alleviate the other pain. Demerol just make me close my eyes, relax my muscles and I am still conscious and feeling great pain. Hydrocodone does the same as Percocet to me so I don't use it. Tramadol hydrochloride is good for some persons but gives me tachycardia. I am relieving mastectomy pain with Tylenol and Dologesic. Sometimes it functions and sometimes it does not, especially when the weather is cloudy and it's raining. (We call it the "barrunto").

    Just talk to your physician. Maybe you can use a medication for a time and then he/she can lower the dose until you don't need it anymore. Good luck, Leydi.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited July 2016

    Someone posted here awhile back that there have been studies showing Toradol, when administered during surgery under general anesthesia, seems to inhibit tumor cell proliferation. So it might be that rarest of phenomena: the beneficial double-edged sword. I know when I was hit by a car 19 years ago and my tibial plateau was shattered, I spent a grueling 8 hours with no pain relief at all, until I was transferred from the local hospital to the major medical center where my leg was to be pieced back together. They gave me a shot, and it worked within minutes--with no nausea or loopiness. I asked what it was, and they replied it was Toradol. Later, when Bill Clinton tore his patellar tendon walking down from Greg Norman’s doorstep, he requested the entire patellar tendon repair be done without any general anesthesia--just a regional block plus Toradol, so that he could remain competent to be President while on the table (had he been put under, he’d have been deemed incapacitated and Gore would have had to take over for the duration of the surgery and time in the recovery room),

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  • Leydi
    Leydi Member Posts: 146
    edited July 2016

    Wow, thank you, everyone. I have several options now to discuss with the surgeon. Feeling more confident.

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  • Outfield
    Outfield Member Posts: 1,109
    edited July 2016

    My surgery was 6 years ago, so I don't know if this is still in vogue, but my surgeon left in teeny-tiny tubes that came out of my chest and attached to a pump that instilled a local anesthetic. It lasted a few days. Was awesome. I had I think T3's, but I could've gotten through it without them after the first couple days

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  • Leydi
    Leydi Member Posts: 146
    edited August 2016

    I'm out the other side and thought I'd update this thread. While in the hospital, I received Toradol, Tramadol, Tylenol, and who knows what else via IV. This all kept me pretty comfortable while I was laying in bed but pretty dizzy and unsteady on my feet.

    I talked about my dislike for pain meds with the surgeon and he sent me home with a script for Tramadol. I took one pill the first night home but then abandoned them. Several hours later, I felt much less unsteady on my feet. I did take some regular Tylenol and snuck ibuprofin when my husband wasn't looking. (Discharge papers said no ibuprofen but I thought it would be fine. I later confirmed with my surgeon that I was fine to take ibuprofen and that the hospital includes that statement on ALL surgery patient discharge papers). Anyway, the pain was never bad, just very tight and crampy every time I stood up. I'd walk a few laps around the house until everything loosened up a bit and then I was fine until the next time I got up.


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  • Bigbluefish
    Bigbluefish Member Posts: 41
    edited August 2016

    leydi, i asked my surgeon for a non-opiate medication. he would not allow tordol or over the counter ibuprofen (nsaids). He said they increase the risk of bleeding / hematoma. He did allow celebrex which is somewhat similiar to nsaids in that it is anti-inflammatory. not as good as tordol in relieving pain, but it does help if tordol is not allowed. the block is always a good choice. good luck.

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