Pain Meds pre fusion

[Cakedec]

Hi--I've been reading posts for a while while I'm awaiting my fusion, probably next summer, T65, L75 at age 47. Would like to know what you did and took before surgery to cope with the pain. I was on flexeril at night and celebrex during the day. The dr. didn't want me to stay on either one. (My primary care, not ortho). Went off the flexeril at night and had muscle spasms for a couple weeks, now take aspirin or aleve. Tried going off the celebrex this week and my lower back got so painful and achy (going clear down my legs so I could hardly walk). Nothing I tried helped --have degenerative problems in the area, plus a malformed (hemi) vertebrae. Today when I almost wished I was dead because of the pain, decided to keep taking my celebrex anyways.
I also have fibromyalgia, so do stretching and mild exercise. I have also had steroid shots around the sciatic joint.

My question is, how much pain reliever is a safe amount to take before surgery (probably not for months yet). I know you have to stop all NSAIDS before the surgery. Many of you say you take flexeril after surgery, so is it really that bad to take before? Are there any natural things that helped?

Thanks,

DEb

[sweetness514]

I would like to know the same thing, as I will have surgery in about a month and am probably getting some areas refused. I took back then(before my first surgery) and still take a sleep aid(Imovane), and for a week now I have been taking Celebrex for my sciatica, but I will stop taking it in a few days.

I also don't know all the NSAIDS and the meds that are safe, although I thought Celebrex was safe.

[SandyC]

Six weeks prior to my A/P I had to stop taking my Celebrex and my Flexeril. The reason being, as my doc explained was that like NASID'S/aspirin both have anti-clotting mechinaisims. So the idea is to get the meds out of your system before surgery. It can make for a long 6 weeks

[sweetness514]

That's nice to know, I just wish my ortho or doctor that prescribed them would have told me

[SpineWhine]

I am having surgery 12/13 and have been told to stop taking all anti-inflamatory drugs (NSAIDS) because they have anti-clotting properties. (Don't want to have excessive bleeding issues prior to surgery. I have stopped all meds for that reason, but have started taking a good multi-vitamin with extra iron.

Also - I am to donate 3 pints of my own blood for use during the surgery, and thus have to go three separate times before surgery to donate. (Spaced at least a week apart, and not less than 2 weeks before surgery date.) So, since my blood is going to be used during surgeyr, I don't want anything funky in my donated blood that could cause problems either. (Although I think they "ash" that out, but I am not sure.) The blood donating thing was something I had not contemplated until the surgery was actually scheduled and never anticipated having to do that, or prepping in that way.

[sweetness514]

I'm having revision surgery on December 15th(finally got a date ), and I'm also giving my own blood, one pint I think. I'm taking iron pills and will continue taking them for a while after the surgery, as I was anemic for a long time after my first surgery, and am anemic by nature. I remeber the first time I was supposed to get surgery but backed out at the last minute, they took 4 pints of blood and boy was I weak after that(and anemic). The second time, when I actually went along with the surgery, I donated 2 pints since they have a machine that reuses the blood that is lost, so that wasn't as bad.

Well Meg, I'm wishing you a relaxed pre op month and easy surgery and recuperation(as much as possible), hopefully the holidays for both of us will still be jolly