Couple of questions...

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CHDDoug

I just wanted to 'poll the audience' and see if anyone had any suggestions/answers to a couple of questions that I have.

1. At what point did everyone stop using the pain meds? I'm 18 days post op and have been weaning myself off of my pain med (hydrocodone). Before I left the hospital, I was only taking 1 pill in the AM and 1 pill before bed. I've continued that regimen until a couple of days ago...now I'm down to 1/2 a pill in the AM and 1/2 before bed. My chest is still a little uncomfortable at times...and I don't want to be in pain...but I also don't want to take the pills if I should be coming off of them. Not sure if a little discomfort is OK at this point. :confused:

2. Is it OK to use Neosporin on my incision? I've got a couple of places where it still scabs over (especially my large chest tube hole). I thought I may be getting an infection, so I called the nurse practitioner and she started me on an antibiotic...but not sure if I should/could apply something topical to help with the healing. Anyone know? I know lotions aren't good at this point...but not sure if medicine is OK.

Thanks in advance if anyone has any input!
 
Hi Doug,

I am three weeks post surgery and take one pill at bedtime to help me sleep.
When I visited my surgeon this week he gave me a prescription for a refill in case I need it (doubt I will).

With regard to incision I was told to put nothing on mine.In your case you might want to talk with your surgeons or his PA. Glad your doing well.:)I hope the weather in Tn. is as nice as what we are having in middle ga.
 
sorry Doug, not much help here, I was off pain meds except Tylenol when I got home. But maybe you could try just regular OTC Tylenol and see how that helps? Maybe try in the morning, and if you are still having pain, you can take the Rx med later, and certainly before bed, to help you sleep. Just my suggestion !
 
1. I've read different stories about the pain meds so I think everyone is different on how long they need them. Everyone has different pain thresholds I guess. That said, it's best to wean of the narcotic pain meds to something less strong asap. If on them too long you can have withdrawl when you go off them. Unfortunately, I did as I had to be on them longer than expected due to an unexpected surgical procedure in week 3. I eventually was weaned from Oxycocet to Tylonol 3 and then to OTC Tylonol ES. I also tooker fewer at longer intervals. It was about 5 weeks before I stopped taking pain meds on a regular basis, but I suspect it would have been sooner if I hadn't had the set-back. After that I just took OTC Tylonol ES on the "bad" days, which were fewer and fewer as time progressed.

2. I was told not to put anything on the incision unlessed ordered to by a doctor.
 
1) Second week post op I took regular Tylenol just for a few days. Thereafter I toughed it out.
2) About 3 weeks out my incision still had icky spots at top and bottom, home nurse rinsed it with sterile saline solution and said I could use antibiotic cream.
 
When I left the hospital six days post op I was on tylenol ES only. I did get a precription for pain meds and filled it. I am five plus weeks post op and I've taken three pain pills over that time. However everyone is different.

My doctor told me not to put anything on the incisions and he specially said not to put any antibotic creams on them Again I'm sure everyone is different.
Good luck
Earline
 
I stopped all pain meds on day seven, If I go through it again I wont stop so early,in retrospect day nine or ten would have been about right for me, after that though I would have been in danger of enjoying them a little to much and maybe taking them for the wrong reasons.
 
I was told and only took Extra Strength Tylenol for pain for about 3 weeks.

As for my incision.....I was told to leave it alone until the scabs come off.
 
I must be really lucky. Although I was told I could take Tylenol when I got home (day 5 post-op), I never took anything. Although coughing and especially sneezing were quite painful, in general, I was just sore, and it didn't really bother me that much.
 
Pain Meds

Pain Meds

Hi Doug,

I am in my 15th day since surgery and for past 10 days I have been taking 3 Vicodin per day. I find that when I first get up I feel great and then by about 1:00 pm I need one, then at 5:00 pm and take a final one about 10:00 pm to help with sleep. I think next week I will be able to drop down to just 2.
 
I stopped pain meds about 5 days out of surgery. Did'nt like the feeling it give plus had a hard time walking w/o feeling light headed.
Was told to put nothing in the incision after about 8 weeks I put vit E oil to help with the dryness and itching. Hope that helps.
 
Everybody is different -- different pain threshholds, different pre-op conditions.

I was like TomD. I went through a refill on the hydrocodone (sp?), then switched to ES Tylenol during the day, PM version at night. I remember a considerable amount of discomfort the first month post-op. Several months afterward, I was still taking PM at night.
My husband had a less painful time, partly thank to a side incision rather than a sternotomy.
 
No pain

No pain

I wanted to stop the pain meds in the hospital bacause I really didn't need them but they gave me one at night anyway. I had terrible dreams with them, and no I'm not a drinker. That's a reason for dreams like that, so they told me.
Nothing on the incisions was another "rule." I still have steri-strips on one of the incisions three weeks after surgery but all the other holes look good.
Trish
 
Holy moly - I just stopped, at it was nearly 18 MONTHS after surgery. I still have pain, but I don't want to be on it anymore. It was hydrocodone too. After about 6 months, I took it at night only, but I'm finally done.
 
I disliked the sweating that occurred on the oxycodone so I spoke to the nurse and she had the doctor switch me to Tylenol 3, I gradually decreased these to OTC Tylenol 1 and now take a single ASA dose/day.

My incision refused to close neatly and in a timely fashion. The home care nurses came by every 3 days to check the incision both at the top and bottom. These are where the knots in the stitches are and if you have difficulties absorbing them, this is where any inflammation and irritation will occur.

My PCP actually had to go inside the wound and snip off a piece of stitch that was too dry, due to air exposure, to be absorbed. After that I had a synthetic skin dressing to address the non-healing drainage tube wounds and the 3 inch keloidal portion of the incision below the lower end of my sternum.

The reason that ointments and salves are to be avoided (even those with antibacterial properties) is because the salve base/medium is a conduit, for seriously damaging bacterial infections, directly to the wound. If you suspect infection of your wounds, see your doctor as soon as possible for treatment.
 
meds and neosporin

meds and neosporin

I wouldn't use the Neosporin and as for the pain meds....I did the same as you and after about 2 months I didn't need anymore.
 
I came home yesterday and was told very clearly......nothing on the wound until it is fully and completely healed. That is about 8 weeks for some of us.
 
Pain meds make me voilently ill...not something you want to do when your chest has been cracked open. So from day 2 on I only took Extras Strength Tylenol. As for the Neosporin...call your Dr. but I suspect they'll say no.
 
Per doctor's instructions, I was taking four 325mg tabs of Percocet per day when I came home from the hospital. I started weaning myself off the Percocet several weeks later (substituting Extra Strength Tylenol). At the 1-month point after surgery, I was off pain killers. The big problem I had with Percocet was constipation, which went away as I weaned myself off.

I never put cream on the incision, even though I was having a recurring problem with ?sterile abscesses? popping up on my chest, along the incision.
 
1. I was on pain meds for 17 days after the surgery.

2. I had a similar issue with my incision. After like 3 weeks post ops, I noticed infection and met with the surgeon and he prescribed antibiotics for 7 days. But the second day itself I saw the wound was drying up and started healing. But they didnt prescribe any kind of cream for external use.
 
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