Okay, I am posting this as a lessons learned.
Yesterday I went for my one month post surgery meeeting with the Physicians Assistant. Got some advice on various topics, including on a game plan to start driving, which meant getting off prescription pain med.
First off, I do want to state I am not on Oxycurdone, but rather Hydrocodon-Acetaminophen (aka Vicadin (sp). The PA suggested that I plan a part of the day when I wanted to drive and to use Tylenol for that four hour period of the my pain med cycles and then back to the pain meds.
Well, I decided since our community was having it's "community yard sale day", it would be a good chance for me to try driving my new car that I have not driven yet, so I took my last pain pill at 4:00 a.m and, with a bit of breakfast at 8:00 a.m., took two Tylenol. I did a few activities, but found I was really tired (yesterday was a big day with going 1.5 hour to Baltimore, dr. appt, and then later that night, drove over to friend's house for dinner).
So, I laid down and fell asleep from 9 to 10:00. I had just woke up and my husband stated it was 10:00 and it was a beautiful day out and I should get up so we could go do some running around in the car. I still felt really tired, but this had been my plan, so I got up to take a shower and ended up crying a bit before showering and then crying some more after the shower.
Got into the drivers seat of the car to "tour" the community garage sales, but told my husband I was too tired to drive, so he drove me around. I just didn't have the interest an the few that I did get out of the car, it felt like a huge effort.
We drove home and I cried a bit more and went to lay down. I felt depressed and tired.
Found out depression is a withdrawal symptom for Vicadin (sp), so I guess I have just proved to myself that I am a bit addicted. It is good to have this understanding so now I know I will need to slowly wean myself off of them.
On a side note, the Tylenol did an okay job--I still had some pain, but it was tolerable, not sure how it would have continued to work if I just went with it now,
but I guess I was happy I didn't have an upset stomach from it.
So anyway, I wanted to relay my experience to you guys post surgery as you work with your pain meds and as you consider getting off of them...Apparently four weeks is quick enough to get addicted
My two cents. Hope it helps someone else.
Someday I will drive the new car my husband bought for me. :-) On a really good note, we did sell my old car today for a good price...so that's a good thing.
Hope you all have a good evening.
Dollie
Yesterday I went for my one month post surgery meeeting with the Physicians Assistant. Got some advice on various topics, including on a game plan to start driving, which meant getting off prescription pain med.
First off, I do want to state I am not on Oxycurdone, but rather Hydrocodon-Acetaminophen (aka Vicadin (sp). The PA suggested that I plan a part of the day when I wanted to drive and to use Tylenol for that four hour period of the my pain med cycles and then back to the pain meds.
Well, I decided since our community was having it's "community yard sale day", it would be a good chance for me to try driving my new car that I have not driven yet, so I took my last pain pill at 4:00 a.m and, with a bit of breakfast at 8:00 a.m., took two Tylenol. I did a few activities, but found I was really tired (yesterday was a big day with going 1.5 hour to Baltimore, dr. appt, and then later that night, drove over to friend's house for dinner).
So, I laid down and fell asleep from 9 to 10:00. I had just woke up and my husband stated it was 10:00 and it was a beautiful day out and I should get up so we could go do some running around in the car. I still felt really tired, but this had been my plan, so I got up to take a shower and ended up crying a bit before showering and then crying some more after the shower.
Got into the drivers seat of the car to "tour" the community garage sales, but told my husband I was too tired to drive, so he drove me around. I just didn't have the interest an the few that I did get out of the car, it felt like a huge effort.
We drove home and I cried a bit more and went to lay down. I felt depressed and tired.
Found out depression is a withdrawal symptom for Vicadin (sp), so I guess I have just proved to myself that I am a bit addicted. It is good to have this understanding so now I know I will need to slowly wean myself off of them.
On a side note, the Tylenol did an okay job--I still had some pain, but it was tolerable, not sure how it would have continued to work if I just went with it now,
but I guess I was happy I didn't have an upset stomach from it.
So anyway, I wanted to relay my experience to you guys post surgery as you work with your pain meds and as you consider getting off of them...Apparently four weeks is quick enough to get addicted
My two cents. Hope it helps someone else.
Someday I will drive the new car my husband bought for me. :-) On a really good note, we did sell my old car today for a good price...so that's a good thing.
Hope you all have a good evening.
Dollie
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