How long on Pain meds is normal ?

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ctyguy

ctyguy

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 14, 2008
Messages
1,004
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Hi all,

I'm 2 weeks and a couple days post op now. Mini-AVR with a mechanical valve. The hospital sent me home with a scrib for Percocet which is going to run out today so Im calling my doc this AM to get a new scrib. I've tried switching out the Percocet for a single Tylenol and it just doesn't seem to get it done at this point. I know the Percocet scrib and Tylenol tabs I bought have the same amount of Acetaminophen (325mg) and in my reading you can affect your Coumadin effectiveness if you go over 2275mg of Acetaminophen in a 24 hr period (7 tablets). Im only taking about 4 a day so Im not worried about that. I guess my real question is, how long before I will be able to eliminate the pain meds ? I know everybody is different but Im just looking for feedback from others. My mother has a serious addiction issue with pain meds so Im kinda freaked out about taking them and want to be clear of them as soon as possible.
 
This is an individual thing....everyones tolerance for pain is different.....I finished what they wrote when I left the hospital and went to to Tylenol after that.....If you need it take it.....
 
Everyone is different as Cooker said. I was off pain med other than ES tylenol when I left the hospital at 6 days. I did get a script for pain meds and had it filled. My shoulder was hurting so bad that I did take a few but I would cut them in half. I've taken a total of about 10 in 8 weeks. I had minimally invasive AVR.
Good luck Earline
 
As pointed out, everyone is different. If you need them, take them although if addiction is a concern wean off onto a non-narcotic based pain killer. I went from Oxycocet (similar to Percocet) to Tylonol 3 to Tylonol ES over the course of a few weeks. Best wishes and good luck.
 
I wasn't given an prescription for pain meds when I left the hospital. Was told to take Tylenol. I took Extra Strength Tylenol for about 3 weeks and cut back in about week 4. My other half also freaked out on the amount I was taking during the first 2 weeks of recovery, but like you is was within the dosage limit.

Like cooker said "if you need it...take take". Everyone is different
 
Like you said, everyone's different, but...

Like you said, everyone's different, but...

Some members here have reportedly taken pain meds for quite some time after surgery, even months.

We filled a percocet RX on the way home from the hospital but I didn't end up taking it and got by with Extra Strength Tylenol--and only took that for a week--and that just to get through my spirometer exercises. I did have some pain but it wasn't anything I didn't feel I couldn't live with. But this is coming from a person who likes to avoid any unnecessary medication and someone who, maybe like you, has had acquaintances who got lost down the path of painkiller misuse.

I have also read here that more muscular people tend to have more pain than those less muscular--so there again, people are different.

Hope you continue your excellent recovery; take care :) .
 
In hospital I took only regular Tylenol for 2 weeks, I just didn't want any more garbage in my system.
(even though I am a 105 pound weakling with chronic joint and muscle problems).
 
Take Care of the Pain

Take Care of the Pain

Although I am a bit of an anti meds advocate, I took Vicodin and made it a point to ask my doctor (at each visit) if I could get off of another one of the many medications I was prescribed when getting released from the hospital. My last refill of Vicodin was 5 months after surgery but I didn't use any of those pills. I learned before going to the hospital that it is best to take pain medication when needed to allow your body to relax and heal properly. It actually aids the healing process. It is not the time to 'tough it up' unnecessarily. You need to heal internally as well as externally. Listen to your body, treat it with some TLC and it won't be long before you are pain free again.

Be good to yourself. It takes time to come back from OHS. You've got a long life ahead of you now. Best wishes on a continuing and successful period of recovery.

Gentle Hugs...
 
I got off of hydrocodone at 3 weeks. I started taking 2 Tylenol ES in the morning and 2 before bed. That has been able to keep my pain under control.
 
Took Tylenol 3 a few times post hospital

Took Tylenol 3 a few times post hospital

I had stomach problems with Percoset / Darvoset in the hospital so I didn't take them much and switched to Tylenol 3. I did not want to take much of it at home so only took 2-3 doses when back pain kept me from sleeping. Started doing more back stretches and my back cleared up.

Then I quit the Tylenol 3. A little disconfort but no real pain.

John
 
After the first few days, I took very little pain medicine in the hospital, just the one to sleep. I filled the prescription of Vicodin (Hydrocodone) that they gave me when I was discharged, but didn't finish it (right away). For about 2 weeks, I took one in the evening to help me sleep. 8 weeks later when I had effusion, which started causing pain on a Sunday, I was extremely glad to have the leftovers.

It is an individual thing. I have a pretty high threshhold for pain, which can cause trouble because as they probably told you in the hospital, it is better to take the pain medicine and not have the pain than wait until it is too late. I tend to go from "grin and bear it" to "OMG! Cut it off!" fairly quickly.
 
I'll echo that 2-3 weeks is easily within the normal range. The annoying thing is that it is really tough to catch up if you get behind. I remember on several occasions within the first few weeks that I decided that I was probably OK to stop taking my Vicodin. A couple hours after I stopped, I would start getting extremely sore and have quite a bit of pain. Of course, I would immediately take my meds, but it seemed like hours before I would feel good again.
 
When I left the hospital I was prescribed Propoxyphene (Darvon) 2 pills every 4 hours as needed.

Tomorrow it will be exactly two weeks since the surgery and I am down to two pills a day - one in the morning, and one at night before bed.

At the end of this week (or sooner) I plan to stop taking the Propoxyphene completely and replace it with Tylenol ES in the morning and then a Tylenol PM before bed, since I have problems getting to sleep.

As others have said, it is really an individual thing.

Good luck to you ctyguy and heal fast!
 
Hi, I tried to search your postings for a description of your "mini-AVR". Just in case you had a mini-thoracotomy (incision upper right breast area), some people have reported that is more painful than the traditional sternotomy.
As others have said, everyone is different, and it's important to take enough pain medicine that you keep moving and breathing and standing straight.

I wish you continued good luck in recovery!
 
Thanks all !

Thanks all !

I've only taken on Percocet and that was at 6:00am today. I've also taken two Tylenols, one at 10am and another about 2pm. Ive got some discomfort but nothing big. I guess its nice to have one when you first get up because it seems to get everything going. But today I've tolerated it pretty well so I think Im going to give it a whirl of Tylenol only and see how things progress.
 
Mini-AVR

Mini-AVR

DebbyA....a mini-AVR stands for Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement. That is what the surgeon called in when he was doing rounds each day with his trail of minions following him around.
 
I made the mistake of trying to take only tylenol. I quickly learned to just take the proper pain medication and let my body heal and run it's course. I believe I took the hydrocodone for 2.5-3 weeks.
 
Tylenol

Tylenol

Hey there, I was on T3's for about 2 weeks after my mechanical valve replacement and they were giving me horrible migrains (weird huh?) so i just took tylenol extra strength and Id say after about the 4th week I was still on four a day and I mostly took them two in the morning and two before i went to bed due to sternum pain. Even to this day I find myself setting two tylenol by my bedside for the *midnight wakeup pains* from my sternum and i'm 5 months post op.
Hope this helps!
 
I had horrendous sweats with percocet so I insisted that they contact my doc for a prescription that would allow me to sleep. Bleh, soaking sweats on a plastic covered mattress, it was the worst and soon sorted out with T3's and stool softeners (and of course, high fibre). Moving my bowels hasn't been an issue for the past 35 years since I had my gall bladder removed. Now, I have a steady supply of enzymes that keep everything going really regularly.

I stopped pain meds after about 3 months but still used an occassional sleep aid for an additional 3 months.

Take heart.
 
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