meds

[osubucks]

I'm 4 days post op and looking to see when people gave up the narcotics for tylenol or ibuprofen.I'm starting to ween
myself off them but would like to be totally off them soon.
thanks

[curt]

   I quit the narotics at 4 days (oxycotin and something like a tylenol 3 (nucynta).  I took ibuprofen or aleve before surgery and continue to take them.  I don't use the heavy IB (500mg) - bothered my gut, and small advil or aleve seem to work fine.  Take them before I go on my long walks.  Keeps the inflammation down.  The narcotics gave me the sweats at night, and honest even with just 4 days, when I quit I had a headache the whole next day from withdrawals.  That's where the red wine came in....

Good luck, Curt

[dwbitt]

Hi,
I started to taper from the Norco first day I was home, my PT guy raised his eyebrows and suggested I not rush getting off them since pain would limit my ability to do PT. So I reduced the dose to 1 tab every 6 hrs, no side effects other than some constipation that was handled by a stool softener.

After my second week home I was able to stop the Norco and just get by on Tylenol, (I read somewhere on this site the use of NSAIDS may inhibit bone growth and some Drs. prefer not to use them). By week 3 I was able to stop using the Tylenol as well.

Everyone progresses at a different rate, use the pain meds if you find they will help you sleep and do PT.

Dave

[hernanu]

I never took the oxycontin I was prescribed, made do with Tylenol for a couple of weeks. That said, everyone and actually every recovery is different; you want to maximize your ability to do your exercises, etc.

So if you need meds for longer, then that's what you do - you'll be off most meds quickly enough anyways; otherwise, we all aim to get off anything external as quickly as possible and maybe you will come off them quickly, but let your pain guide you - the less of that, the less you need. 

[ScubaDuck]

I took had Oxycontin for base pain management after a Monday surgery and took my last dose on Thursday night.  I also had Oxycodone for additional pain control but never needed it.  I took acetaminophen as needed for another week and a half or so.

I think I have a pretty high pain tolerance though.

Dan

[Pat Walter]

We are all different and have to follow our own needs.  I did not take the codeine after leaving the hospital since I did not need it.  I took Advil.  The codeine made my stomach upset.

Each person has their own recovery.  If you do have pain, make sure you manage it because it has been studied and you recover quicker without pain.  If you need the heavy meds take them and keep ahead of the pain.  If you can get along with less meds and use over the counter meds, then that is fine.  Even with over the counter meds, you need to keep ahead of the pain if it is bad. 

Pat

[Tin Soldier]

I got a little worried in the hospital when the nurse recommended that I continue with oxy at the same dose for the first few days at home, because if I didn't, the pain would come with a vengeance.  Needless to say, I stopped taking oxy at about 36 hrs post op on the second surgery, when I left the hospital.  I'm not trying to brag, I just never had the kind of pain that I thought I would have (except for my first PT session on no. 1).  Maybe I should have dosed up more before the PT session.  ???  My main interest with reducing narcotics on no.2, pretty much had all to do with the ill-effects on my digestive system from oxy that I experienced on the first hip.  The stomach cramps were way worse than the pain in the hip.   

BTW - I never needed more narcotic pain meds after leaving the hospital.  Acetominophen was all I needed.

[Anniee]

I kept taking the narcotics (Oxycontin and Nucynta) for about 5 days after the surgery, gradually reducing the dose.  After that, I just took Tylenol as needed.  I'm about 5 weeks post my second surgery, and I sometimes takes Tylenol PM at night, but otherwise I'm off all painkillers at this point. :)

However, as others have said, we're all different.  If you have been prescribed medication for pain, take it as long as you need it to control pain!

[mslendzion]

I am presurgery and take ambien to help me sleep now.  Many fellow hippies report sleepless nights after the surgery.  Is ambien not an option post surgery to help sleep?

[Woodstock Hippy]

I took percoset every out hours for two days then started to spread them out.  Yesterday and the day before only before PT.  Got it reduced to something milder today and I still feel the same; mild pain.