I just had surgery on Tuesday, and was given 30 pills. I took maybe 5 or 6 of them before I reached the point of feeling that I had taken enough. That was 2 days ago. Today, I told the surgery nurse that I still feel a little queasy and dizzy as if I was still taking the pills. She said that people clear them from their systems at different rates, and that I should feel that they have cleared soon. I took ibuprofen this morning. For me, opioids have never been very good for pain, and the side effects quickly become worse than the pain. I do not see that I have much of a risk of becoming addicted.
I am afraid of developing a chronic pain condition in which the only relief would be narcotic drugs. Because I would then have to just tolerate the pain because narcotics don’t work very well for me. So far, I have used physical therapy for pain, and that works well.
It maybe a drug reaction, or the dose was to strong. I can’t do more than 5 mg Oxycontin. I know I had to try several different ones before finding the right one. I puke no matter which one. Even Tylenol 3 does it to me. So I have to have Pheregan to stop the puking.
As a Cardio/Gastro patient I’m limited in what they can use. As an Intractable Pain Patient who is also a Complex Patient as I see 4 Specialist. And it all has to be coordinated and make sure what they prescribe works well together.
I had thumb surgery 2 yrs ago, while in the post surgery cast I was able to use Ice and Tylenol. When they went to the Hard Cast that was no longer feasible I ended up taking two 5 Mg pills a day. And only had 2 weeks of them, but after 3 days stopped taking them as Extra Strength Tylenol began handling the pain. I actually had more Pain during Rehab. Now I’m going through a lower denture, and it has been rough. 11 teeth destroyed by FDA approved meds had to be removed. Bone spurs developed, that surgery was worse than the pulling of the teeth. I got 3 days of Oxycontin for 2 weeks of extreme pain for both procedures. Dentist won’t touch the upper as they are a full set minus Wisdom teeth. They are painful, bleed a lot and I’ll just have to put up with it. I can’t take the other Oxicodone as it has Aspirin in it.
Depending on how major a surgery is should determine the length of time you need a Pain med. And like you should be discontinued as soon as possible. But many of us have no other recourse as the pain is a Medical Disease that is Not treatable in any other form. It’s the difference in a wheelchair or being bedridden over being semi mobile where you can at least take care of your own hygiene needs with out an assistant.