Post-Op Med Survey

[Geish]

You guys are so awsome! I made myself a promise this morning when I got up that I'd be much kinder to myself. And I think I have been. I really haven't done anything and guess what? The world didn't end and the house hasn't fallen in around me!!!!!! I could really get used to this!

Thank you for being my cheerleaders!

What??? The house didn't fall in and the world didn't end?? No way!! LOL I plan on being as lazy as I can for as long as I can. Housework sucks!

[Qikdraw]

Well I had to call my mother to recall what I was taking after my surgery. It was 25 years ago and I was only 12, I actually didn't remember taking anything. However my mother says I did take pain meds and I was taking Tylenol 3, she couldn't remember how long I took them, but for several months.

I apparently fought the docs on taking anything. In school I had just had a 'health' class talking about pain medications and how you can get hooked on them, so I was scared I was going to become an addict. So I suppose I gave them fits until they gave me medicine I felt ok with. lol

Thankfully I didn't have to do much when I got home. No dishes, no laundry, no bed making, I just played on my Atari 2600 and played with my GI Joes.

Brad

[Janet]

I don't recall the names of the pain meds I was given, but I know I stopped taking them at 1 month - I felt no difference (but maybe 'cause I was constantly vomiting, the meds never made it into my bloodstream anyway ). I take Tylenol now if I'm feeling really sore from doing too much, and keep my supply of Vicodin handy, just in case.

As to the medical professionals' concern about becoming addicted, I'll share this with you: On day 16, I was transferred from HSS - the surgical hospital - to the rehab facility at NYU. NYU doctor - whom I'm guessing was an intern - comes to my bedside and starts giving me a lecture about the high risk of addiction to the pain meds. I looked at him like he was nuts - after all, he hadn't experienced this kind of pain - and told him I was just 16 days out from major surgery. He said that he had injured a muscle (as if that is comparable to having your back sliced and diced!) while playing football in college, and he became addicted to the pain meds. I cut him off mid-sentence, telling him that I have never had an addiction to anything and that, given my age, I doubted that I would become addicted now, and his experience had no relevance to me - I was really PO'd at being lectured at by someone less than half my age, who thought he knew what he was talking about, and who was arrogant to boot. He shut up but kept his smirk as he walked out of the room

Moral of story, as said by so many others on the forum: most people, even medical professionals, are clueless about the pain we experience. Just ignore them!!!

[Polyphemus]

yep! "quite grateful for the meds" says it all. I'm 2 months after 2 consecutive days of surgery that fused basically my whole spine from neck to bum. Three weeks ago, on advice from primiary care doc near home, I reduced oxycodone by half, to just 1 5mg every 4 hours during the day, then I take a flexeril at night. Occasionally take tramadol inbetween. (It did take me 3-4 uncomfortable days to adjust to this change) Lately I find I often go 5-6 hours between doses... just forgot to take it! As I get more active, other pains are cropping up, like neck spasms and tightness, short periods of tingling and 'zingers' right at the surgery site. Hearing the wide ranges of experiences here is encouraging to me too. Thanks!

[txmarinemom]

... I was told by Dr. Boachie's clinical coordinator that I need to stay on Lyrica (like Neurontin) the longest. I need to get a better idea of "the longest". ...

Ginger,

I suspect at 7 weeks you haven't yet experienced the worst of the phantom itching (if you get it ... some don't), and the Neurontin (Gabapentin ... same thing, just generic - and dirt cheap - like $13 cheap for 30 100 mg pills ... full price - yay!), and that's probably why they say you'll be on Neurontin the longest.

It is said to help some with pain, but I'm not sure I've noticed that. I still take it regularly at 5 months post-op due to the maddening itch of nerves trying to regenerate. I don't generally hurt, but who knows whether the Gabapentin has anything to do with it.

I still itch (down deep ... far under the skin - completely different than a skin itch), but it IS better. As I said, some lucky people never have this sensation, and some unlucky people have it and the meds don't help. I went through a spell a few weeks ago where my left shoulder blade itched for a week solid and there was NO WAY to reach it ... aghhhhhhhh! Talk about something that'll drive you *nutso*.

Out of sheer desperation, I have found a way to temporarily relieve nerve itching when meds don't help ... Tiger Balm to the area of skin that feels like it's itching. (note: NOT advisable after you've clawed it!)

Apparently, it distracts the nerves enough with the sensation on the skin it gives at least temporary help. I've seen people who have luck icing the area, but that doesn't work all that well for me.

Anyway, Ginger, IF you're one of the people who have nerve itching, and IF you're helped by Gabapentin, I'd suspect that's why they estimate it to be your longest dosage. Hopefully you won't experience it (the itching) at all!

You sound like you're doing so well. That's so fantastic!

Best regards,
Pam

[debbei]

if you need pain meds, by all mean *take* them. I've always been a bit amused by the competition to get off meds by _____ weeks/months post-op. Who cares? It's not a big deal.

Pam,
what I'm worried about (and I said to Susie yesterday in a PM), is that my surgeon will be Dr. Neuwirth. His book said that he believes patients should be off pain meds in a month. Now, I'm no spring-chicken, and I'm seeing how many of the people on here are on for much longer. This is something I will discuss with him at my appointment prior to surgery.

[Susie*Bee]

I'm with Geish on the housework thing! Glad to see you are backing off a little-- but stay that way for as long as you can, Becky. Your body needs to do some major healing, and if you are stressing it, I think it will take longer... My hubby still does the laundry, changing sheets, vacuuming, etc. I do dishes and cooking now and things like that again... although I do find it uncomfortable to tilt over the sink a little for a long time... I don't use the dishwasher at all. One of the best "little helps" I've gotten for the kitchen are new measuring cups-- OXO brand, where you can read the measurements while still standing straight up.

Pam, you got me on the meds! I always said I was a newbie in that field. I've never had to deal with pain meds-- or not much, anyway. What I meant and what I said are different, I know. Norco and Vicodin are similar-- I had looked on different sites on the web-- like this one, that lump them together because they have the same ingredients: http://www.medicinenet.com/hydrocodo...en/article.htm
And in the first post I did on this thread (#3) I had written the dosages I had, varying from 10/325, 7.5/325 and 5/325. So yes, it definitely is available in 5/325, since that's what I had at the end. I do know that I was not to take any tylenol for headache or other pain, as there was already tylenol in the hydrocodone-- and you have to watch the amount closely or you could have liver damage.

Ginger-- I took Neurontin for extreme leg pain that developed about 5 weeks post-op. (I think I may have said 3 weeks before...) I took it for about 4 months, but in decreasing amounts/time after awhile. I did have some itching, but it was livable.

It sounds like everyone has had such different pain med regimens! There's more than one way to skin a cat-- and also, as Pam said, we react differently to meds as well. That's why I had to try several arthritis meds before I found one that worked fairly well... (plus the recalls made me change some too!)

[skoshi314]

This thread has helped me more than any of you will ever know, for a number of reasons. I've learned so much about pain meds, I feel so much better about still being on pain meds, I am now taking much better care of myself and doing so much less around the house (ok, I'm not doing anything!) and my family is standing around, scratching their heads thinking "What's up with Mom taking care of herself?" (It's really entertaining!). And yes, Geish, the house is still standing and the world is still turning!

Pam, I'm glad you brought up the phantom itching. I've only had one small episode and that was about 2 weeks ago. It was right under my scar at the top of my butt cleavage. Drove me crazy for about 12 hours then it was gone. Poof, into thin air! I've also had some strange sensations in the areas that are still numb. Probably just nerves waking up.

I have another questions. We all agree this surgery is done on our backs, right? Then why is the very top of the inside of my thighs numb? Does anyone else have strange areas that have no feeling? Just curious.

Again, thank you all for your wonderful responses. I truly can't imagine going through this whole thing without the gift of everyone else's knowledge!

[Geish]

LOL...I am still numb on the outside of my upper thighs and my hips. For a while i was even numb on the front of my ribcage. The nerves that get cut (I assume they cut them anyway) control feeling in areas other than the back. Depending on how far down they cut you will determine which areas go numb.

I still get phantom itching/ants biting me feelings every now and then. It drives me nuts. And if you try to scratch it just makes it worse and spreads it even farther.

I am so glad your family is doing more and you are doing less. I was serious when I said to take advantage of it as long as you can. One day they will revolt and just say no.

[loves to skate]

Hi Becky,
I was on 10 mg oxycontin (long acting) twice a day for about 1 1/2 months, along with 10 mg oxycodone (short acting) 4 times a day slowly tapering off to no meds at 2 1/2 months. At my 3 month checkup, I was given a prescription for Gabapentin 300mg twice a day for leg pain and restless leg syndrome. I have tried to cut back on that but the RLS comes back when I only take one a day, so I will stay with two a day for now. And yes, my brother said the oxycontin is addicting and I shouldn't take it. There is no way most of us will become addicted to it because who wants to be constipated the rest of our lives or doped up. I can understand the lay person saying you shouldn't take narcotics, but the spine surgeon setting a limit of one month or any of his people?
Sally

[txmarinemom]

... Pam, you got me on the meds! I always said I was a newbie in that field. I've never had to deal with pain meds-- or not much, anyway.

I didn't mean for it to come across as "I got you" or anything ... the main thing was (and I'm glad you saw that part) how differently everyone reacts to meds. And I wish I didn't know any of it, to tell the truth!

... as Pam said, we react differently to meds as well. That's why I had to try several arthritis meds before I found one that worked fairly well... (plus the recalls made me change some too!)

Funny you brought that up. My Mom takes Celebrex for her osteoarthritis. She went to get it fiilled yesterday, and was told by the pharmacist they now require some sort of affadavit from the doctor that no other med will work. She's on Medicare (with a supplemental policy), so I don't know if it's all insurances - or just hers ...

Have you encountered anything like this recently?

Best regards,
Pam

[Qikdraw]

I have another questions. We all agree this surgery is done on our backs, right? Then why is the very top of the inside of my thighs numb? Does anyone else have strange areas that have no feeling? Just curious.

Around my right shoulder blade is numb, and has been since my surgery. I also have some other odd things that I mentioned in another post, but when I am hot only the left side of my face sweats, and when I eat spicy foot the right side sweats, my right hand is dry as a bone while my left is normal. I also only get goosebumps on my left side.

Nothing serious, just odd.

Brad

[Susie*Bee]

Pam-- the "you got me" didn't mean anything other than you knew more about it than I do. I just knew those were names for the hydro/apap combination, not looking into the amount of the tylenol/apap part.

As far as the Celebrex goes, I have no idea. I take Voltaren (diclofenac)-- after having had success with Vioxx for several years, and then Bextra after the Vioxx was recalled-- and Celebrex was the third one in with that bunch that was in the news back then. Bextra may actually still be on the market. I switched to the voltaren because of the bad notoriety the whole group received-- plus the Bextra wasn't cutting the pain/symptoms very much. My thought is that there may still be enough of a problem with Celebrex and they are trying to tighten the reins on who is taking it if there are other viable meds that might work. I don't know though, of course. That's a guess. Or maybe it's just the fact that it's one of the more expensive meds... Right now I can get a 90 day supply for $10 at Wally World... can't beat that. My Evista, on the other hand, costs an arm and a leg. (All these body parts. ) (hand, arm, leg...) Must be time for doing something else if that's amusing me.

Best wishes with figuring it out for your mom.

Qikdraw-- you had me rolling on the floor (well-- if I could, I woulda been!) You are definitely a funny guy! How many spicy feet have you eaten??? Does that make them more palatable???

[skoshi314]

Hey, Qikdraw, I'm with Susie Bee. I've never tried spicy foot, but I'm open to anything as long as it isn't seafood!

Seriously, I hope you know this is all in a very light-hearted spirit. There just aren't that many men on the forum so we like to take advantage of the ones that are here!

[Ginger W.]

Thanks, PAM, for explaining the purpose of those Neurontin type drugs. I DO have some "deep" itching and I feel it more in the evening, especially at the top of my thighs and my lower spine. Perhaps it would be worse if I didn't maintain the 2x/daily dose of Lyrica, which is a successor of Neruontin and supposedly achieves efficacy at lower doses.

BECKY, I, too, am numb . . . on the left side of my spine, wrapping all the way around to my belly button and down the left side of my stomach to the pubic bone. It also goes about six inches down my left thigh, only on the front side. There's slight numbness on the top of my right thigh. Underneath the numb skin level, I feel pain, especially when I press my fingers against it. Dr. Boachie's nurse says that this will go away between 6 weeks and 3 months. I'm seven weeks out and the truth is, I AM getting more sensations in those areas. Sometimes it's a bit prickly, but tolerable.

DEBBEI, I have a possible plan for you that worked for me. I was concerned that I would have adequate pain management when I got home from NY. So, I started educating my Physicians Assistant (the one who actually gives out meds. at my PCP's office) by emailing her quotes from this forum. That way, she was aware of the long-term nature of scoliosis surgery recovery. I turned my pain management right over to her when I got home from the hospital. Another option is to turn it over to a pain management clinic. Generally, they require monthly appointments in order to give you meds and my primary care doctor (and P.A.) didn't require that. Soooo, consider turning the responsibility over to some other care provider.