Bilateral TKR A little about me and my meds!

[Pumpkin]

Most likely your body is used to the pain medications, you are dependent on them and will have to wean off.
Weaning off pain medication

Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

 

[Jamie]

@RayeRaye ... given your fairly extensive use of opioid medications, you may have a bit more difficult time keeping your pain properly managed and getting off them eventually. Have you discussed a plan for withdrawal with your surgeon and/or your GP or pain management doctor? If not, you need to. Obviously while you are still in pain from surgery you should not make too great an effort to start withdrawal. You are still very early in this recovery and you may need to stay on some type of pain med schedule for a while.

Once your pain is well controlled, you may be able to use a step-down drug like Tramadol instead of the opioids until you get to the place where just Tylenol will do the trick. I would anticipate this gradual stepping down and withdrawal to be a rather long process for you, so just plan for that....maybe twice the time you'll read in the link Pumpkln provided for you. Slow and steady will work best, but don't attempt it too soon in this recovery process.

 

[RayeRaye]

Have you discussed a plan for withdrawal with your surgeon and/or your GP or pain management doctor?

Yes, thanks for asking Jamie. I started working with my GP prior to my surgery, talking about my concerns extensively. I met with her 2 weeks post op and we'll meet every 2 weeks until we feel I can start titrating down on a monthly basis.

I guess I was just hoping to see if anyone else had been on opioids as long as I had and had gone through the type of withdrawal I anticipating. Everything is so new since the BTKR, different than I had expected.

 

[Jamie]

We have had a couple of members in the past with long term opioid use, but I can't recall any that are actively posting now. But one in particular, @Nana moon 27 might see this tag and come on board to talk with you. She was successful in going off the heavy medications once she got her knees settled. I'm glad you're working with your doctor. You'll make it. We're always here to talk with you and help you through it if needed.

 

[Nana moon 27]

Hi @RayeRaye im so sorry to read of the problem with the meds. They truly are a nightmare. I'm off all morphine now as quite frankly they seemed to stop working, the hallucinations omg, and I didn't see any point in continuing them. They affected my whole personality.

I became a weeping mess, suffered severe anxiety and depression. I said and did things I would never ever have done under normal circumstances. I knew something had to give. I weaned myself off. Thank goodness for this site. The people on here were so supportive and helped me through a very hard and strange place.

I'm on Lyrica twice a day but that's for nerve damage. It helps.

Raye you will get through ok. Honestly.
This forum is the most supportive place for information and advice.

Please don't push yourself too hard too soon. I learnt a hard lesson from that. For me personally it was a good 12-18 months until I got to any kind of normal. However we are all physiologically different, so recovery most certainly is individual.

My advice is to take it easy, do exercise but please don't overdo it. and recovery will come naturally. I'm sorry to hear about your breast cancer and your hubbys health issues. I do hope that you are both feeling better.

Please take care. If you want to ask me anything at all it's fine by me.

Love Nana moon x