Drug concern

[Doug]

O.K., I can accept the waking up at all hours of the night. I was on call for the majority of my police career and am used to odd hours. I can catch up on sleep.
What is really starting to concern me is my almost constant need for pain pills.
I'm now 3wks3days post tkr and I am pretty much having to stay on some type of pill. The Dr. gave me some heavier stuff for night time. I try to gut it out and not take them but I get a deep constant soreness. Ice helps but I was told to limit it to 20 mins. at a time.
Anybody have any addiction concerns?? Has anybody who has slowed down with the pills had any withdrawal problems?
It just scares me. I did work vice/narcotics for a part of my career and have seen the negative effects first hand.
Maybe I've just been awake for too long. I'm just sitting here in a dark house worrying.

 

[referee54]

I teach and have seen the addicition in a few of my students. I too, was scared. But the MD and the PT said not to worry. you take the stuff for pain---and when you feel the time is right, you walk away from them. It knawed at me---I would tell my wife to pick up another presciption...In the end, thought, they wee right. SInce I was taking them for the real pain, when the pain went away, I just stopped taking them.

I wouldn't worry---you are doing what you are supposed to be soing now. When the time comes, (and you will know it) you can flush the suckers...

Tim C.

 

[SusieSW]

Hi - I had the same concern. I'm a social worker and I've worked with people with addictions. The idea of taking narcotics over a period of time really scared me - I worried that I would become dependent despite every intention to avoid that. My bilateral TKR was 10/23/07. What happened for me was that I just started having less pain, and other types of pain relievers worked for me. I tapered off the narcotics and experienced no withdrawal symptoms at all. All of the medical people I have discussed this with told me that it is not unusual to need the pain management at only 31/2 wks post-op, or even closer to 3 months, but to a lesser extent. It's important to manage the pain appropriately so you can do the PT and home exercises, which means taking the meds before you're in more pain, on schedule. You'll know when you need them less often and then you'll be able to taper off them. I think those of us who have seen the destructiveness of addiction probably worry about this more than we need to - and will handle the pain meds appropriately.

 

[Josephine]

Let me reassure you - a person who has pain and is taking medication to control it will not have any such problems in the short term. As long as you have the need for the analgesics then your body will not become dependent upon them. As both Ref and Susie said, as the pain decreases, so will the need for them. In any case, such situations will be unlikely to develop in a matter of a few weeks so don't fret about that. You will hinder your progress by not taking them.

Notice I said dependence - there is a vast difference between addiction and dependence. I did some study about clinical treatment/dependence/addiction. Dependence will mostly be a problem after maybe 4-6 months and even then is characterised by taking the meds 'just in case' rather than for actual pain. In other words, the meds become a crutch where the patient is over anxious and fearful of being unable to cope with pain. Same thing happens with people on antidepressants where someone takes the pills because they are scared of facing the day without them rather than a real need for the medication.

Addiction is more characterised by an increasing need for the drug itself, probably because of the psychological or emotional lift it gives them. They end up watching the clock to take the next dose, not because they are fearful of pain or whatever but because of their need for it.

And finally there are character 'types' who are more susceptible to either state. However, I know of people who have been on pain killers for months and even years but who are able - on the odd good days they have - to go without their meds without any problem whatsoever.

In other words, I really wouldn't worry about it. 2-3 months or even more on pain meds will not be a problem.

 

[Doug]

Thanks to all of you.
I think I just over did it yesterday both in working it out, and, I decided I wanted to help my wife shop...Big mistake!
I just made today a total day of rest, ice and pills. I'll jump back in the fray tomorrow.

 

[Skeet]

I had similar concerns, Doug. I started with 12 a day (2 every 4 hours) and at 7 weeks PO I am down to 3 a day most days. PT can up that by one or if I overdo it. I've gone like 14 hours with nothing, but find bedtime is still necessary. My doctor has filled my prescription 3 times. I am trying to add some Alleve to the mix to help delay the need for narcotics. At my last appt, last week, I asked the Dr about pain meds and he said he expects me to be on them for a total of about 3 months but to taper off as I am.

You are fine to be on them at 3.5 weeks! I didn't start tapering off a lot until about 5-6 weeks. It seems you have like a breakthrough at around 6 weeks and I hear I can expect another one around 8 weeks, then 12 weeks, in terms of recovery. So, hang in there. Use the meds when you need them, stay with ice, and rest. Those are all keys to recovery.

Hope you are feeling better after all these responses. Have a great day!

Skeet

 

[JuneBug88]

On tuesday I will be 11 weeks post op. There have been days were all I need was Advil. Yesterday my husband & I hosted his dad's 70th birthday party. yesterday I needed to take my pain meds, today I really needed my pain meds. I know I overdid it and paying for it today.

 

[Doug]

You all really helped me out with this issue. Thanks. I'm trying to add in the Alleve during the day. Advil doesn't seem to do anything. It didn't before the op.

 

[TitaniumMan]

Hi Doug....Josephine, the expert said it all in a nutshell. As the pain turns to discomfort you will find that the "need" for the medicine will decrease. As the discomfort lessens you will find that you wont rely on the meds to get you through the day. I do have the remainder of my pain killers in the cabinet. Its nice to know they are there if you really need them but as of late, I really have not needed them. Dependence and addiction are two seperate things. I depended on them for a short period of time and would not have survived the physical and mental pain if I didnt have them. I still take a mild prescribed sleeping pill when needed because we need rest for our bodies to re-coop from the invasion, exercise and implant we both have. Godspeed in your recovery. Chuck

 

[Doug]

Thanks Chuck. Pretty obvious from the times of some of my posts, I'm going to need some type of sleeping pill.

 

[gatiger]

Doug, I came home with the mindset to get off the pain meds as soon as possible. I thought that by dropping the meds it showed improvement, but now I'm like bring on the meds. I'm pretty like everyone else on here with the sleeping. If I can get 2 hours without waking up, I feel good about it. I'm taking Lunesta and at least I go back to sleep after I wake and shift, but I still wake up anyway. I've tried taking Benedryl but it didn't help, so I went to the Lunesta. It doesn't make me groggy the next morning and it does seem to help. Last night I wound up in the recliner with an ice pack, but I got about 4 hours solid. Hope this helps.

 

[Doug]

I'm going to go ahead and get the ambien cr. I've used it before. My sleep cycle has almost gotten humorous. My wife usually stays up till midnight. When I go to bed at 10:00, I usually say "I'll see you in an hour". Now I just nap when I want to. It is amazing with all of the t.v. channels we have now days that it is hard to find anything worth watching. I'm sure that most of us are old enough to remember when there were only three channels and they went off the air late at night. Since I take pain pills every night, reading is out of the question.

 

[kath]

Hi Doug,
I am at 5 weeks, only 4 nights ago I started to sleep in my bed, I couldn't take it, brushing up against my poor husband, just getting up and down. I slept the 2 hour shifts on the sofa, so on and so forth. I still take my pain meds and before I go to bed, then all of a sudden I realized wow I slept 6 hours, 4 nights in a row! I didn't have to get up because of pain...I am 5 weeks out, you are only 3.5 weeks.
When the pain lessens, sleep will return. Until then take the pain meds as directed. I take vicadin 2 every 4 hours, but now I take them before I go to bed and once before I go to work, then once before PT. I go to PT 3 times a week. If not doing PT only stuff at home, I don't need them. I was worried too and my doctor said STOP WORRYING! Do you think I would allow you to do that to yourself? Oh, good point. I have a second surgery scheduled in 4 weeks, so I was extra concerned and he also insured me of all the things our Josphine and everyone else has said.
Thank God they make pain meds, that's all I can say.
Kath