weaning from narcs

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hobbysdad

hobbysdad

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
18
Location
Columbus Ohio
Heavy hitter oral pain meds like percocet are making me crazy. Should be taking 1-2 every 4-6, but know that is way too much. 12 hr surg (valve plus cabg and lung nodule) was 4/6. Going to try regular tylenol through the day and perc only if really necessary over nite. Advice on use of meds for sternal pain would be appreciated.

Also, my diet is minimal because of throat discomfort. Being under general anesthesia for that long could be extending this symptom.
 
Everyone is different and everyone's pain level and tolerance are different.
After both my OHS, I needed the percocet for about 10 days after I came home for day and night. I tolerate percocet well with no side effects. After that, I swtiched to Extra strength tylenol during the day for the most part and percocet at night to enable some sleep. That worked fine for me and kept me reasonably comfortable. Few are totally pain free for a decent length of time after having their chests cracked.

If you can manage reasonably well with Tylenol, that's fine assuming your doctor has okayed that.

Hope you have an smooth, uneventful recovery.
 
Pain Meds

Pain Meds

I couldn't do percocet because it made me sick. They did try to put me on it in the hospital and it did allow me to vomit on my boss when he dropped by for a visit. My wife appreciated that.

I did like my vicodin. It seemed like I hit a point at two weeks following surgery where the pain stuff wasn't diminishing. My surgeon simply wanted me to continue taking vicodin and kept giving me perscriptions. I was concerned about liking the pain meds too much and started weaning myself off them. I didn't worry about doing any non-perscription pain meds; I just started reducing my vicodin use.

I think I was totally off pain meds at four weeks post-op. Getting back to work full time within a couple of weeks after my surgery probably helped keep my mind off how much I hurt.

-Philip
 
It is very important to your healing to remain as pain free as you can during the first part of recovery. If you allow yourself to hurt too much, it interferes with the healing by causing undue stress on your body, which is already so very stressed out trying to heal itself!!

I cut my dose down and did not feel very good, so went right back to the maximum dose for awhile.... didn't let it worry me at all. Then one day, things just kind of lifted. But I still really enjoyed all the sleep I was getting. What I did, with permission from my GP, was to calculate the amount of tylenol in whatever it was I was taking (some mix), take like half a dose of the narcotic and half a dose of arthritis strength tylenol. Or some such mixture. Anyway, she thought I was nuts, but there was just something kind of heavenly about that dam* narcotic, so I just kept breaking pills in half and gradually weaning myself to over the counter doses.

Is that what you meant in your question?

If the drug is disagreeing with you, see if the doctor has another to recommend. You don't have to be stoned senseless, but you should be comfortable without a lot of pain while you heal.

Best wishes.

Marguerite
 
Like Bina, I stopped the narcs after 5 days and was fine. I actually had more pain from my back surgery last month. I hear many people who have bypass surgery that involves taking a blood vessel from the leg complain more of the leg wound pain than the sternum pain. As has been mentioned though, everyone is different.
 
I was on Vicodin and then Ultracet for probably 2 - 3 weeks after surgery. I weaned myself off and switched over to Tylenols. Vicodin made my digestive system go nuts. I was poopin cannon balls it seemed. I had to eat stool softeners like Jelly Bellys.

Personally, I think if your uncomfortable, you should take the meds. You've been through a major procedure and your body will heal faster if your comfortable.
 
I've felt more goofy than pain-free on hydrocodone, so I can understand the reluctance to stay on the high-powered stuff. I'm down to half my dose since being home, but will probably wean myself toward Tylenol over the next couple of days as I feel more like staying awake.
 
My surgeon was quite offended that I was still in pain on the second day post surgery. I asked for Ibuprofen, because my arthritis hurt worse than the surgery site. They gave me ibuprophen 600 mgs every four hours, and I was golden. No more pain meds. Laying on your back when you have arthritis in your back does not work! I think I am just lucky, very little discomfort.
 
You have to do what works for you. Sleepingon my side did wonders for the sternum pain, and kept my arm on my waist, opening up my chest area so I didnt squash it. I am 46 y/0 female, 2nd OHS, took only one ultram at night for fibromyalgia pain from
5th post op day. Up til then toradol 1 at night with sleeping pill.
 
I took my last percocet pill in hospital, as I felt the journey home was going to be bad. Didn't fill my pain-pill prescription, but gave it to the pharmacist on the understanding that if I felt I needed it, I could call and get it filled. So, from then on, I was on OTC extra-strength Tylenol. In retrospect, I probably could have used them at night, but I am wimpish (and scared) about stuff like that, so didn't even want them in the house.
 
Cut them cold turkey. The morning I was walking around thinking I was still in a dream before realizing after 20 minutes that I was really awake was too much for me. I've been on Tylenol and Ibuprofin for the last five days and it has worked pretty good for me. I hurt, but - I'm not high and seeing fairies and pretty galaxies every time I blink.
 
What's so bad about fairies and pretty galaxies?

I'm still taking one hydrocodone tab about every four or five hours, but may stop today if the ibuprofen keeps working. Taking the meds at night is giving me really weird dreams--so much so that I'm going to have to remember to take a pad and pencil to bed with me. Complex visual scenarios with M. C. Escher-like structures, vivid colors--and lots of talking in my sleep. Night before last I woke myself up with the talking, and was in the middle of trying to write something on an imaginary 5x8 card when I finally gathered my wits about me.

But you're right, B&B. Sanity and stability are better in the end. Congrats on getting off the narcs so quickly, too.
 
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