6 days post op- Pain Questions

[sunflowergirl]

Ok...I am 6 days post op and my pain is just not being managed well. I wanted to know what pain combination some of you were placed on at this point in time? I am on Vicodin 5/500 1 pill every 4 hours and Tramadol 50mg 1 pill every 4 hours......I am so dizzy and sensitive to noise but am pain free during the 4 hours of vicodin. I have backaches also. And when the vicodin is wearing off or about to my pain comes rushing back. I am planning on calling the nurse tomorrow and just changing to something new. Percocet does not work for me and that seems to be my surgeons group favorite. Any suggestions? thanks, Robin

 

[nngbwh]

Sorry I can't really help me. Just tylenol every 3 hours for pain.

 

[valerie415]

Me too, all I had was Tylenol every 4 hours, so not much help. Eventually I just stopped taking them as they didn't make all that much difference . I'm sorry about your pain, Robin, and hope you find a good solution quickly.

 

[kfay]

I was still in the hospital on day 6 with chest tubes so I still had a fentanyl pain pump. I was sent home with Demerol b/c I'm allergic to most other things.

Is your pain in your chest or back? I didn't really experience any pain in my chest, mine was all in my neck and back. A heating pad helped me with that much more than I think the pain pills did. Give your Dr. a call and get something new...hang in there, it will get better.

 

[Guest]

I wanted to know what pain combination some of you were placed on at this point in time? I am on Vicodin 5/500 1 pill every 4 hours and Tramadol 50mg 1 pill every 4 hours......I am so dizzy and sensitive to noise but am pain free during the 4 hours of vicodin. I have backaches also. And when the vicodin is wearing off or about to my pain comes rushing back. I am planning on calling the nurse tomorrow and just changing to something new. Percocet does not work for me and that seems to be my surgeons group favorite. Any suggestions? thanks, Robin

Hi Robin, So sorry to read about your pain. When pain gets ahead of you it's more difficult to control. If your vicodin instructions are every 4 to 6 hours, take it as soon as you notice any twinge of pain returning, if it's four hours, take it. The pain meds take awhile to kick in so you don't want to be chasing your pain. Ask your Cardiologist or surgeon if you can add advil or aleve or baby aspirin (80mg). One of our other members is taking anti inflammatories with his coumadin. If you are allowed to use them, get the liquigels or liquid if available, it will absorb quicker than going through your digestive track in pill form. You could also be having nerve pain from the surgery, I had this and the baby aspirin my cardio prescribed along with the vicodin the surgeon prescribed did wonders for me. For the backache and neck pain, use your heating pad to help relax the muscles.

You have enough to deal with healing. Pain delays healing so don't be afraid of asking for better pain management. Hugs.

 

[sweetbanker]

Sorry your having pain issues . I told them many pain killers make me sick and they gave me Dilaudid 2 pills 2mg every 4 hours. Used it in the hospital after pain pump . Sent me home with small prescription. Call your doctor shouldn't have to be in pain.
Good Luck

 

[Lynlw]

Are you using the 2 meds different times, like since they are both every 4 hours, are you flip flopping so pretty much are taking something every 2 hours? or are you taking them both at the same time. IF your taking them at the same time, I would try to stagger them, so they both aren't wearing off at the same time

where is the main pain? does it seem like it is your sternum incision or more muscle type pain? is it getting any worse or pretty much the sameall along? Have you had any fevers?

 

[sunflowergirl]

no no fever....but very flush and have hot flashes. I am staggering them 2 hours. I almost wonder if just 800 mg ibuprofen would be enough and all the side effects would go away. I am also on Lasix.....my legs and ankles became very swollen. 16lbs of fluid......I have a very dry mouth but the swelling is getting better. I have pain along incision right in center....like a tight pulling pain that is bad when I move. I have backache and shoulder pain too.....but that seems to relieve with rest also.

 

[Lynlw]

no no fever....but very flush and have hot flashes. I am staggering them 2 hours. I almost wonder if just 800 mg ibuprofen would be enough and all the side effects would go away. I am also on Lasix.....my legs and ankles became very swollen. 16lbs of fluid......I have a very dry mouth but the swelling is getting better. I have pain along incision right in center....like a tight pulling pain that is bad when I move. I have backache and shoulder pain too.....but that seems to relieve with rest also.

I would call your doctor, honestly many people don't have real pain at the incision, and when Justin did he had a problem

 

[james]

Tylenol 3 (codine) did wonders for me. The staff thought I was a bit out of my mind asking for it but, It is a relatively harmless thing to take and the last thing you want to do is be in pain whild trying to heal.
I was on it for about 1 month taking less every day. Then I went to Tylenol.

 

[ARGreenMN]

Yea, I agree, call the doc and explain what's going on. See what other options there are. While in the hospital and just getting home, my main pain killer was oxycodone (might be spelling it wrong). It worked pretty well, but I thought it was giving me a metal taste in my mouth so asked to get off it, and they switched me to Vicodin. Turns out it wasn't the oxycodone, but the saline solution flushes that gave me that taste I ended up on tylenol mostly, with a vicodin here and there, but my pain wasn't as severe as yours sounds. Oh, also had valium to relax muscles because my main pain that first couple weeks was in my neck (from how they had my head twisted during surgery). That might be another option if it's muscle pain. When I had pain in the incision, I think I relied mostly on vicodin (after off the oxycodone). Sorry, I'm not much help, but I think the best thing is to get through the night with vicodin and call the doc in the morning.

 

[Luana]

Is that 16 pounds of fluid since you've been home, or since the surgery? Either way, that's a lot. I thought you looked a bit puffy in the picture you posted from the hospital. I would contact your doctor about the fluid and the pain first thing in the morning.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I suggest calling your Surgeon's office and asking to speak with a Nurse or Surgeon's Assistant.
They need to KNOW about your pain issues and work to resolve them.

For Muscle Pain, most of us found that MASSAGE works BETTER and FASTER than any Pain Medication.

I have a Vibrating Disk Massager (2.5 inch diameter) that works wonders when run along the tight / irritated muscle(s).
For Back Muscles that you can't reach, anyone can do it for you with you directing where they move the massager.

 

[Debbrn]

What really made a difference for me was a very good supportive sports bra and heat therapy for my shoulders and pec muscles. I have one of those heat "socks" that you put in the microwave for a couple of minutes. I also used ibuprofen a long with the oxycodone. It helped tremendously. Check with the doctor to make sure you can take ibuprofen.

Debbie

 

[AgilityDog]

At 6 days out, I was still in ICU with drains, in severe pain, taking lots and lots of morphine. At about day 12, I changed to Tylenol 3 and advil. I don't take oxycontin, etc.
I used the Tylenol 3 and advil for at least a month after surgery, in lowering doses.
My spouse takes Tramadol for arthritis. Frankly, he's not impressed with it.

I too had horrid back pain for weeks and weeks. Back rubs and heat helped the best. Your ribs/spine joints are not meant to bend the way they bend you for OHS.

 

[catwoman]

Your ribs/spine joints are not meant to bend the way they bend you for OHS.

Amen! I likened it to a chicken being flailed.

I had discomfort in the chest and back.

 

[LAK]

I hate that you are have issues with pain but I can't help much with experience in this pain because I still have yet to have my surgery. But I do know that I had a root canal last week and my dentist gave me Tramadol for the pain and it would not even stop that pain so I can't imagine it would help for the kind of pain you must be having. I would call my doctor ASAP. I hope you feel better soon.

Liz

 

[LisaD]

I had severe pain in my chest and upper back for sometime after my surgery, I rotated with vicodin and Ibuprofen. Please remember never take more than 4grams (4000 mg) of acetaminophen (Tylenol) in a 24 hour period. It is very toxic to the liver. As a nurse I cannot tell you how many times I have seen people with toxic acetaminophen doses in the hospital. People mistakenly think that they can take Tylenol with Vicodin or Percocet. I wish you luck, keep in mind, it will get better.

 

[tobagotwo]

Tramadol and Vicodin are both narcotics. It would make sense to begin seeing how you can remove one and reduce your dependence on the other before you wind up jonesing when the prescriptions run out.

Talk to your doctor about getting an antiinflammatory (like ketoprofen) for the backache, and dump one of the narcotic meds for a start. Narcotics cover pain, but don't do anything to actually reduce the causes of it.

Recovery isn't expected to be entirely pain free. When you begin to move normally and the healing is more advanced, things will begin to feel much more normal. In the meantime, be sure you're moving around at least as much as laying around. Don't let things stiffen up, or the peceived pain will seem worse.

Wishing you a good recovery,

 

[Julieaka]

happy to see you on this side - sorry about pain - I had a pain mgmt doc that did a great job!