Please note : I do not recommend changing or altering a prescription or dosage as ordered by your doctor. I do think you should consult your health care professional before changing any of your medication.
My son, who lost his arm after 3 weeks of struggling through horrendous pain and efforts to save his limb, was on oral hydromorph/dilaudid, as a breakthrough drug every 3 hours, once he came home. This is a med 6 times stronger than morphine. He is still taking oxycotin every 12 hours for management but no longer needs breakthrough meds.
The reason I'm using his example is because the pharmacist gave me a wonderful analogy about pain management tools, and that's really all the drugs are, tools. So, my concern lay in the possible side effects of withdrawal after taking (to my mind) such immense doses of narcotic (4mg hydromorph every 3 hours as req'd). I was assured by the pharmacist that withdrawal wouldn't be an issue unless my son made it one.
The important thing he explained to me, was that if my son's pain was likened to nails, then the management drugs would be the hammer used to drive them into control. Hydromorph is the equivalent of a five pound sledge... so if the pain is a thumb tack, why would we use such an unweildy hammer?
Be honest about the level of your pain and be realistic in your expectations. If you are perceiving pain vs discomfort with your meds, then yes, see your doc about better management. You may not need the Percocet but your Vicodin could be given in a higher dose tablet. Maybe you could combine Vicodin at 4 hour intervals with Acetaminophen every 6 to 8. It can never hurt to ask, but it will hurt if you don't do something about it.
Please note : I do not recommend changing or altering a prescription or dosage as ordered by your doctor. I do think you should consult your health care professional before changing any of your medication.
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