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problem du jour -- queasiness

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  • #1

    problem du jour -- queasiness

    Okay -- so I was doing okay with a good appetite up until about a week and a half ago -- then started eating less -- now, have increasing queasiness to the point where I hardly want to eat at all. Can this be a long-term effect of taking Oxy 24/7? Wound't it be more common when you're first starting out with it?I'm not doing too badly with constipation -- taking lots of laxatives and going about 50-60 percent of what I should,I think. I cut out a lot of the extra stuff I was taking -- iron, folic acid, etc. to try to give the stomach a rest. I'm planning on calling the PCP on Mnday but wondered if anyone else has had this.

    Thanks...
    Chris
    A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
    Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
    Post-op curve: 12 degrees
    Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York
    Tags: None
  • #2
    I was on Oxy after my first surgery and I recall that at first it was heavenly. But after awhile (maybe 6 weeks?) I started feeling dizzy and queasy and was taken off the Oxy. (If I had only known I was going to go through two more surgeries, I would have kept notes after the first one!) As far as the appetite and constipation, I have no problem with either one, thank goodness, although I could stand to have less of an appetite. My doc told me to quit the iron after one month post-op; it didn't do good things to my digestive system, just the opposite of constipation. One nurse told me that iron is more likely to cause constipation. It sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck.
    FeliciaFeliciaFelicia
    10/24/00 posterior fusion T4-L4 at age 57
    8/5/05 posterior surgery for spinal stenosis at L4-L5; laminectomy and fusion
    5/14/07 posterior revision with fusion to sacrum
    2/11/08 anterior discectomy L5-S1, and reinforcement of fusion with plate attached to L5-S1
    3/9/2011 and 3/11/2011 revision surgery with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis - complete revision and fusion with instrumentation from T1 to sacrum, one lumbar osteotomy.

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    • #3
      After my surgery I was on oxycodone & hydrocodone a couple of times a day. I hardly had an appetite from the beginning. I was so thin I wanted to eat more to gain weight, but I could only eat a little and I would feel sick if I tried to eat more. I am still on the pills but I am on low doses because I am coming off them Reducing the dose of the pills my appetite picked up a great deal. As for going to the bathroom, a stool softner helped me .

      Sue

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      • #4
        Trulyaries:

        When they switched you from Oxy to something else, how did they do it? Wean you off while introducing you to another drug or just switching altogether? I'm scared of withdrawl at this point....

        i can't believe some people take these drugs for fun...I can't wait to get off the damn things...
        Chris
        A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
        Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
        Post-op curve: 12 degrees
        Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

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        • #5
          Chris:

          When I was being tapered of opiods part of the withdrawal syndrome was lack of appetite and depression along with queasiness. I absolutely could not eat. I was tapering myself off too quickly without really working with my pain doc.
          On the other hand, lately, a virus was going around with a similar stomach upset and my husband and I felt queasiness.
          Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
          Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

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          • #6
            Hi Chris,

            I had very little of an appetite after my surgery and I ended up losing about 40 lbs. I kind of think it was a combination of my meds, the pain I was in and the fact that my Mother-in -law was not a very good cook!!!

            Give yourself some credit, you have just gone through major surgery and we all have different side effects. And give yourself some time.

            Alll my best,
            Shari

            Comment

            • #7
              Chris:
              To be perfectly honest, I don't remember if I was weaned off or switched immediately. I want to say it was an immediate switch to another drug, but I'm not sure. And I have been on so many different drugs since then I don't remember which one I switched to at first. As I said, I wish I had taken notes. Am I making notes now for my third one? Of course not - I'm thinking this WAS my last one, fer shure! BTW, I agree with you - who would take those for fun???

              I definitely do remember, however, that the queasiness was a delayed reaction for me. I'm sure you'll talk to the doc; perhaps it is time for you to wean off. Good luck.
              FeliciaFeliciaFelicia
              10/24/00 posterior fusion T4-L4 at age 57
              8/5/05 posterior surgery for spinal stenosis at L4-L5; laminectomy and fusion
              5/14/07 posterior revision with fusion to sacrum
              2/11/08 anterior discectomy L5-S1, and reinforcement of fusion with plate attached to L5-S1
              3/9/2011 and 3/11/2011 revision surgery with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis - complete revision and fusion with instrumentation from T1 to sacrum, one lumbar osteotomy.

              Comment

              • #8
                I have started to wean off -- just slightly -- and already I feel a tiny bit better. I have more pain around the incision but I can put up with that. The thing that feels and tastes the best for me is chocolate milk!! I also find I feel better if I nibble on crackers or pretzels all day and not let my stomach get completely empty. But meals -- like meat and potatoes?? Forget it !!!
                Chris
                A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

                Comment

                • #9
                  Hi, Chris:

                  I haven't been on here much since my surgery. I don't have a laptop, just a PC and it hasn't felt very comfortable sitting at it. Finally, though, I am getting stronger and I really feel like I'm recovering at last.

                  I had no nausea at all in the hospital or during the first weeks I was home although I was on mega doses of MSContin (Morphine) with Oxycodone for breakthrough pain. My intestines were all screwed up though and I longed to decrease my pain meds. I had been on Fentanyl patches before my surgery so I decided to try them again. The first one (it was 3 times as strong as what I'd been on in the past) made me extremely sick to my stomach and I threw up all day. So I went back to a smaller dose of MSContin and it started making me nauseated too. The doctor thought this might be due to withdrawl but it's hard to say. My digestive system has become so sensitive that it might be just that. Senna, which I've been taking for constipation, also makes me sick now. I'm switching to a kind of powdered Magnesium called Calms that isn't so hard on my system. And now I've decreased my MSContin even more (very gradually) since my pain is less. It's been 2 1/2 months since my surgery. Finally I'm feeling much stronger and less nauseated. It only happens when I take too much Senna now. I'm still constipated but this is easier to control as I take less pain meds. I'm hoping to be off them within a month or so. We'll see.......

                  I know it's hard to understand why we would all of a sudden develop a symptom we didn't have for months (nausea) but this is a complicated recovery we're going through. It does get better though. Finally I can say that!!

                  Lots of luck to you with your healing,

                  Brynn

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                  • #10
                    Chris-
                    I think I switched gradually to other meds. One thing that really tasted good to me was Ensure- chocolate and vanilla. Have you tried it? I drank them all the time for awhile. I even kept one by my bed on ice for when I had to take a pill in the middle of the night. I think it helps to have something on your stomach when you take the meds.
                    Cathie

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Hi Chris--I don't recall having queaziness but as I progressed on the drugs, I had a very small appetite. There were days I had to push myself to eat at around say 4-5 mths. For me, it continued until recently believe it or not! I finally am eating better now at a year post-op but still have not regained the passion for cooking & baking that I had....weird!! Of course I'm nice & thin though!!! Ly

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                      • #12
                        Hi Brynn, good to hear from you! So glad you're feeling better. Yes, this recovery process is a challenge, isn't it?!?! I hadn't thought of the Senna but I've been taking a ton of that as well so I'm going to switch that around also. When you think about it, with all the junk we're throwing at our stomachs, it's not suprising that we develop sensitivities.

                        Cathie, Ensure is a good idea...

                        Lynne, also maybe the decreased appetite is due to the soreness/numbness of the anterior incision too? My stomach is so hard and swollen there...like there's not much room for eating..
                        Chris
                        A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                        Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                        Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                        Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Well, I have to look for good news where I find it, so I guess I'm grateful for my cast-iron stomach. I have had very few problems with my digestion, either going in or coming out! About the only long-standing med reaction I have is to codeine and its derivatives. And I can probably count on one hand the times I have suffered constipation. I only have one serious food allergy - to caviar (anaphylactic shock) - so I love to tell that to docs when they ask about allergies. Gives us all a laugh - the usual comment being that I can rest assured they won't serve that with hospital food!
                          FeliciaFeliciaFelicia
                          10/24/00 posterior fusion T4-L4 at age 57
                          8/5/05 posterior surgery for spinal stenosis at L4-L5; laminectomy and fusion
                          5/14/07 posterior revision with fusion to sacrum
                          2/11/08 anterior discectomy L5-S1, and reinforcement of fusion with plate attached to L5-S1
                          3/9/2011 and 3/11/2011 revision surgery with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis - complete revision and fusion with instrumentation from T1 to sacrum, one lumbar osteotomy.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            It's weird how everyone's appitite is different. I only lost mine for 4 weeks and now im eating like i was before my op but im also down to valium at night.

                            Lee
                            Had surgery May 28th 2007 Anterior/Posterior getting fused from T3 - L3

                            http://curvedgirl.blogspot.com

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Loss of appetite

                              Hi Chris,

                              Other than the nausea, I'm glad you are coming along. I can tell you, as the others did, that those meds play havoc on you. I lost so much weight, depression set it, etc. and I didn't realize it was from the meds. It was months later that I either read about those side effects or someone told me. Now when I know someone is taking them after surgery, I make sure to tell them the side effects. My cousin recently had foot surgery and she e-mailed me to say she was getting depressed, not realizing it was from the medicine. Sure enough after I mentioned it to her, she weaned off them and was back to normal. Patients should be informed of this. Truthfully I can't remember if they told me (although I don't think so) but being ovewhelmed with going home, having pain, etc., maybe I didn't remember. Anyway, keep up the good work. How is you leg feeling? Thinking about you, take care. LYNN
                              1981 Surgery with Harrington Rod; fused from T2 to L3 - Dr.Keim (at 26 years old)
                              2000 Partial Rod Removal
                              2001 Right Scapular Resection
                              12/07/2010 Surgical stabilization L3 through sacrum with revision harrington rod instrumentation, interbody fusion and pre-sacral fusion L5-S1 - Dr. Boachie (at 56 years old)
                              06/11/14 - Posterior cervical fusion C3 - T3 (Mountaineer System) due to severely arthritic joints - Dr. Patrick O'Leary (at age 59)

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