Has anyone taken pain meds before surgery?

[sasvermont]

I have plans to have a THR in late October. Yesterday morning I went to get out of bed and was in so much pain, I couldn't walk and still cannot. Does it make any sense to go on pain meds for a few weeks before the surgery? I am going to call my GP tomorrow to discuss this, but thought someone here might have experienced so much pain that they needs strong meds before surgery.

Also, other than being frightened to death about having to have the surgery......... what part of the body is in pain after the surgery? Is it bone pain, butt pain, both? I have had ankle surgery and didn't find that pain to be so bad, but was only on pain meds for a few days. From what I've read here, people are on pain meds for weeks!!! Yikes. That scares the heck out of me! Where is the pain?

Thanks.

As I've mentioned, I am terrified of having the surgery done. I live by myself and am afraid I will be stranded for six weeks - alone with my pain meds!:shk:

 

[loggon]

Sas welcome

I am a knee but some hippies will be along soon. You need to ask your OS about when you have to stop the pain meds.

But if you are in pain I believe you need something for now.

Do you not have some family or friends that can spend a few days
with you are come by and check on you. If not check with your
insurance company and see about home health care or see if you
can go to a rehab for a few days.

 

[Texas]

I did I actually wasn't allowed to take anything but I could take a pain pain even that morning that was told to me by the nurse that called prior to sugery when the anesthesiologist came in I told him and he just wrote it that was it....Im a knee so Im sorry Ii cant help more but others will post soon....Oh and Welcome post anytime......I think you will be happy you did this if your already in pain the pain after surgery will go away what you have now wont....good luck to you...)

 

[Texas]

PS you are never alone. We are all here for you. You can whine, cry anything on here we have all been thru it so we understand post anytime....

 

[TBONE]

sas--I also took meds before surgery for about 6 weeks. It was the only way I could get into the gym and try to workout. I took celebrex. I had a hard time getting my insurance to approve because it is expensive. But I did get it and it helped a great deal...though for me it was mostly so that I could go to the gym. I also got my handicap sticker ahead of time and that was great.
I can honestly say that no one was more terrified than me. I almost ran out of the hospital in my gown after they shaved my legs.
But I was over-anxious and aside from getting married, this was the best decision I ever made.
Tex is right, of course. This site helped me a great, great deal.

 

[mvo]

Hi there,

I too took pain meds so I could keep my fitness level up before the operation. Surgeon said to try not to take anything a week or so before surgery, so I complied with that. After surgery well, everyone is different. I didn't need any pain meds at all when I got home (a week after surgery) but my sister needed ten weeks worth after hip no 1 and six weeks after hip no. 2.

The experience was nowhere near as painful or terrifying as I had feared

All the best,

 

[Oldmarine]

I have been taken vicodin (Hydrocodone) for years prior to my surgery (8-11-09), for the pain related to my bad hip. Please consult your Doctor, but you will be advised to stop taking aspirin related products as well as NSAIDS like Naproxen, at least a week prior to surgery, because of the "non Bloood clotting" affect of aspirin etc. which could affect bleeding during surgery.
FEAR .... join the club. I've been thru a lot of scarey stuff in my life but YES, I was very scared and anxiety ridden leading up to surgery. But everytime I felt it get the best of me, I realized that living in my present condition was not living and that these surgeries have a high success rate of getting your life back.
I would describe the Post Op part as more discomfort than outright pain. I had a lot more swelling than most due to some other issues and EVERYTHING from my waist down was swollen to an extreme. This swelling discomfort was 100x worse than the post op hip or incision pain, which, truly was minimal for me.
My right leg did feel like it weighed 2 tons and when they got me to stand up the day after surgery I must admit that initial pain of trying to get my right leg off the bed was painful, and if it wasn't for a wonderful therapist, I could never have done it.
Work on getting a "Mind Set" that you will do anything and fight thru any discomfort to beat this situation that has so negatively affected your life up to now.
I also live by myself. So my hospital stay was 11 days with a start of PT around day 6, and now have a visiting nurse and visiting PT'ist a few times a week.
You will be fine ......

 

[sasvermont]

Thanks for your responses. I will be calling my doctor in a few minutes to discuss pain management until the big day. I need enough to allow me to walk but not enough to make me sleepy.

Will someone offer an answer to my question(s) about where the pain is after the surgery. I am trying to picture what and why the recovery takes six weeks at least.

I have been to the surgeon - about four months ago and agreed to come back in October to sure up the plans for surgery, thus I haven't had the second opportunity to ask lots of questions.

I have a really solid relationship with my GP (who recommended the surgeon) and will deal with him until I meet again with the surgeon.

Thank you again, for your support.

Oh, I will discuss all my fears, including the home health care availability for post op problems and help.

I live in a rather off beat area of Vermont and even the transporation to and from the hospital will take some arranging.

 

[HopAlong]

I was not allowed Motrin 3 weeks before surgery because it thins the blood. Tylenol was allowed in moderation. But with all the anxiety before surgery, it would better if they prescribed a pain pill that helps you relax too.
Just remember...The anxiety is the worst part of the whole procedure. The rest is much easier to handle. Keep thinking positive thoughts "Soon I will be pain free!"

Hop

 

[sasvermont]

I just got off the phone with my GP and he is calling the pharmacy with a script for Tramadol (sp). He said it would leave me with the best ability to work and allow pain relief. Fingers crossed.

I will revisit this forum frequently, thank you.

I am so glad I found this forum. Everyone here seems so nice, informative and encouraging!

I know, we do what we have to do, health wise but it does seem a bit overwhelming at time.

Thanks again.
Sas

 

[TBONE]

Sas--Good. I was on tramadol post surgery and it is th eonly prescription pain med I needed. It's not as strong as vicodin, but has a little more impact than celebrex, in my opinion.
My pain was mostly in my incisions. And recovery is a bit of a continuum rather than a 3 definite time frame. I am 5 months post-op tomorrow and do whatever I want to, but I do have occasional pain , for which I take Tylenol. And whil I took pain meds for 6-7 weeks, I returned to work very early.

 

[JudyS]

Sas,
Welcome. I had a hip scope and microfracture surgery before the replacement and was on vicodin for the 4 months before surgery so I could continue my hiking, and other exercise.
I think OldMarine wrote about waking up with your leg weighing 20 tons. I was totatlly comfortable when not moving my leg. Only hurt in the hip area when moving it to get to a standing position or sitting,laying. The pain is really muscle and ligament and some incision pain.

It really is the most successful surgery . I love my new hip
judy

 

[Josephine]

Yes, they got it. Most of the early pain is from the incision but it's different pain from what you are experiencing right now. It is reasonably controlled with meds and ice. Then you get pains from the muscles as they go through the process of adjusting to the new hip (if your old one had some deformities) and getting back into trim again. That's also easily controlled.

Tramadol it a great pain killer. I had 100mgs plus 1gram of Paracetamol (acetaminophen) for the first two months. Sometimes I'd take 50mgms and 1G and later it was just the paracetamol. More recently, because of problems in my other knee, I've started taking Trams again. Though it's synthetic morphine, it doesn't have the bad effects of morphine like really bad drowsiness and swelling in the legs.

 

[lissa]

I have plans to have a THR in late October. Yesterday morning I went to get out of bed and was in so much pain, I couldn't walk and still cannot. Does it make any sense to go on pain meds for a few weeks before the surgery? I am going to call my GP tomorrow to discuss this, but thought someone here might have experienced so much pain that they needs strong meds before surgery.

Also, other than being frightened to death about having to have the surgery......... what part of the body is in pain after the surgery? Is it bone pain, butt pain, both? I have had ankle surgery and didn't find that pain to be so bad, but was only on pain meds for a few days. From what I've read here, people are on pain meds for weeks!!! Yikes. That scares the heck out of me! Where is the pain?

Thanks.Yeah oh yeah, I was taking vicodin..about one pill a day, broken in half. Then ambien at night. I switched to tramadol after surgery, as the vicodin didn't do the job anymore. You need to do strengthing leg and muscle exercises before surgery..you need to keep those muscles acitve..pain pills help you keep moving..it's terrible important1

As I've mentioned, I am terrified of having the surgery done. I live by myself and am afraid I will be stranded for six weeks - alone with my pain meds!:shk:

I wrote my answer in the paragroph above..the quote mark...hope you get it....take pain pills so you can keep flexing and keep the muscles exercised!

 

[mvo]

Hi Sas

"Will someone offer an answer to my question(s) about where the pain is after the surgery. I am trying to picture what and why the recovery takes six weeks at least."

Straight after surgery (in the recovery room) no pain - in the days that followed, nothing but a dull ache, if that, nowhere near as bad as the pre-surgery hip pain of bone on bone! Nurses asked all the patients about their pain level on a scale of 1 to 10, and, I assume medicated accordingly.

I wondered about the six weeks beforehand, thinking, "What on earth takes so long?" But you really do need that time to recover properly, even if you are reasonably young and fit. I went back to work fulltime at six weeks, and that was managable, but very tiring. After three months I was a new person, racing around with no pain and more energy than I have had for years

All the best

 

[Texas]

Hey SAS good news pain isn't fun.....Hope this one works for you. Glad you joined as well.......)

 

[loghaula]

Hi SAS,
Why 6 weeks recupe? For starters, they take to your hip with hammer and saw. Sounds like a bodyshop instead of a surgery.
If you check through past threads, you will notice that we all react differently. I had two surgeries 8 weeks apart with two entirely different after-effects, but fortunately, two super outcomes (same OS, same hospital). Just wish they had been done sooner.
Most of my post-surgery pain was dull and achy (after the second surgery, but hard to define exactly where) for which I was prescribed Percocet. I did have some aggravation, for a better word, in my knee, which would also have twitchy fits. This I presumed was due to nerves and flesh/ligaments repairing, as well as bones realigning. After the first surgery, I had no pain and did not need any meds after they took away the pain pump in the hospital. After the second surgery, I was off pain meds after being home a few days.
During your recupe, if you overdo things, your hip will have its revenge on you and get very sore. I am just relating this from other threads as this seems to be the biggest problem during recupe. Your best line of defense is to take things slow and steady. I have followed this course and have been doing great. Am now able to go about my day without using a cane, including my walks. That doesn't mean I don't have any discomfort; it is manageable (drug free) and lessens as I move about. I get stiff after sitting and when I first get out of bed. It is hard to pinpoint exactly where, sometimes in the hip, or down the thigh bone, or in the knee.
The discomfort you have after the surgery is nothing compared to the pain prior. Before my second surgery, I had to use a walker to get about, as the groin pain was so bad. No sleep, no relief. And I was told not to use any meds for 10 days prior to surgery except for Tylenol which was totally useless.
You mentioned problems with transportation. See if you can get this straightened out asap as I found it helpful to practice getting in and out of said vehicle prior to surgery.
Hope this relieves some of your worries.
Ask all the questions you need; the more informed you are, the less worries. The surgery is definitely worth having, as you can return to the world you once had before all the nasty pain you are now having took it away. You can only improve, as without it you only get worse.

Glenys
LHR 5/28/09
RHR 7/23/09

 

[sasvermont]

The pain meds they gave me are working and I have managed to adjust them so I am not punch drunk at work each day. I can't imagine going without them for 10 days before surgery.

I find it interesting that the medical world makes you qualify for surgery, when, if it is a "broken hip" as a result of a fall, for example, they rush you in to surgery and that is that. My Mom broke her hip, was on Plavix and tons of other meds, lots of issues medicallyand she was operated on the day after her break. I understand they are trying for the best outcome, but don't you think they may be just trying to cover their butts from a liability standpoint? I cannot function without the pain meds. I will talk with the doctor when I visit him this coming 16th.

I am hoping the surgery schedule will be one I can work with - and I am hoping the surgeon will be on the same page with me when it comes to incisions, etc. I don't like the idea of doctor shopping, as it is expensive for me to do so.

Speaking of expensive. I will be out of work, without pay, for six weeks. I have a $6,000 deductible to meet and then must pay for prescriptions etc. along with living expenses. I have insurance, but now days, insurance programs have the patient paying larger deductibles and co-pays. Once I meet the $6,000, the rest is covered 100%. I am having to take money from my retirement account to cover the operation. I live alone, so I will need to pay someone to come in to clean etc. I don't have anyone to take me to the Dr. appointment (checkups) and will need to use a cab to and from. All of my friends work - no one is retired. :pnc:

I know much of this worry is probably for nothing. I am sure I am not the only one to have faced this - as I have been reading in the older posts.

I would love to find a surgeon who does the MIS - I did find one in a town not too far from where I live, but will wait to discuss the surgery with my current surgeon, recommended by my family doctor.

Ugh. The unknown is killing me.

I am getting relief with the Tramadol (SP?) and it puts me right to sleep at night. Thank goodness.:thmb:

I have enjoyed reading the posts here - and have some concern about some of the complications, but know that I am noted for recovering from hospital stays and medical issues, fairly quickly. I can only assume I will sail through this procedure and regain the use of my hip - and my normal activities.

Thanks for listening!

 

[Josephine]

I :lvhrt: Tramadol! It's an awesome analgesic IMO!

I understand they are trying for the best outcome, but don't you think they may be just trying to cover their butts from a liability standpoint?

Indubitably! :thmb:

 

[Stanj]

Hello Sas
The concerns you have now will be different than those after so try to relax and not get too anxious about what you will just have to guess at.
Having a firm schedule for returning to work is one of those things that depend on a lot of thing not currently in your control. For example your problem with your hip took years to develop at its own rate without your input and after the replacement don't surprised if the recovery process is equally single minded. The range of your recovery time and pain will probably be in the center section of a wide range of results reported on this and other forums.
I was pretty lucky, after years of bone to bone contact and daily pain my worst fears turned out to be wasted emotional energy. I put the operation off for months after finally finding a surgeon who would take the situation seriously, after being denied coverage by my long term health program. I never used any pain medication in the years before the replacement 15 months ago but I did take anti-imflamatories for a few months between the decision to have the replacement done and when I finally scheduled it. The anti-imflamatories worked well until about two weeks before the operation. The scheduling advance notice was only 4 days so I finally got enough nerve to schedule it and once doing it, all the pre-op stress and dread evaporated and a peaceful calm settled in.
From that point until the operation and the 9 day stay in the hospital and until now, 15 months later, there has been no complications, no pain, no unpleasantnes at all. For weeks after the operation I was mentally kicking myself for not doing it 5 years earlier, a few weeks after that I had forgotten almost everything about the past discomfort and even forgot that I had even had the replacement when I was surprised when my girlfriend said the incision was almost invisible. It did not dawn on me what on earth she was talking about....I had forgotten I had an incision.
At 3 days post release from the hospital I began walking to work everyday but my energy level was not high. I managed to just go about life as normal and did not have assistance so went grocery shopping, house cleaning, climbing stairs, walking 1-5 km each day and everything needed to life as normal as possible, all on crutches. About the 3 week point after release from the hospital I headed off to Estonia, walked to the metro station, and half way to the bus station realized I had forgotten something...my crutches. I did not have time to return to my flat so went ahead without them. That was the end of needing crutches.
I did not take any medications, pain medication or otherwise, from the time I got out of the operating room. So the range of pain experienced by forum members cover a wide range and as I mentioned, you will probably will be somewhere in the middle unless you have other health issues.

You mentioned the difference in seriousness how some patients are treated versus others. The elderly person had guaranteed payment with Medicare so it is a higher priority, until a check clears no one knows whether an insurance company will actually cover a procedure so there is less "urgency". Recent audits of Pacific Care and United Health revealed that 38% and 30% respectively were denied when people thought they were covered. Mine was not covered for no valid reason. So I had it done with excellent results in another country for less than $6000 including superior private room and excellent attentive care.

Good luck Sas
Stan