Hi Everyone, i was wondering how long you are usally on pain meds im 10 weeks out and i am still having a lot of pain some days are worse than others i try not to take them to much because i dont want to get use to them then the pain can get bad im taking norco 10/325 are these normal every 6 hrs i take two sometimes only 1 when im having a good day.
pain meds
- Thread starter janet2008
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10 weeks is still pretty early, Janet. And you do yourself no favours by depriving yourself of adequate pain relief. In fact it can inhibit your progress considerably but making PT more difficult and interrupting your sleep patterns.
The correct pattern for pain control is to make sure you take them when the pain begins to break through but BEFORE it reaches the point of being real pain. In other words when it is at the stage of a bad ache or discomfort. This way, the meds have less to take action on. This graph shows it more clearly
The blue point is good, red one is bad!
![[Bonesmart.org] pain meds](https://bonesmart.org/forum/attachments/ai21-photobucket-com_albums_b286_flagady15_bones_painscale-jpg.59761/ "[Bonesmart.org] pain meds")
The period pain meds are needed varies greatly from person to person but be assured that very few would not still be taking them at 10 weeks. Many people are still taking them at 4 or even 6 months.
Hope this helps.
The correct pattern for pain control is to make sure you take them when the pain begins to break through but BEFORE it reaches the point of being real pain. In other words when it is at the stage of a bad ache or discomfort. This way, the meds have less to take action on. This graph shows it more clearly
The blue point is good, red one is bad!
The period pain meds are needed varies greatly from person to person but be assured that very few would not still be taking them at 10 weeks. Many people are still taking them at 4 or even 6 months.
Hope this helps.
Linda2
post-grad
I love your graph, Jo--and you are so right. From personal experience I know that it is much better to stay on top of pain control than to try and catch up. It also requires less medication, strangely enough--at least for me.
JudyS
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Hi Janet,
I am almost 7 weeks out of hip replacement.
I had been cutting back on pain meds as I did not know how my surgeon would feel about me still taking them at my 6 week apt.
I told him I could go with the minimum, still use a cane and limp OR I could still take percocet and walk without a limp and mostly without a cane.
He had no decision , gave me another prescription for percocet and said stay with the strong med as it works.
so , I have 5/325 and take 2 in the a.m and usually take 1 around 5 or 6. Some times I take 2 in the evening as well.
Judy
I am almost 7 weeks out of hip replacement.
I had been cutting back on pain meds as I did not know how my surgeon would feel about me still taking them at my 6 week apt.
I told him I could go with the minimum, still use a cane and limp OR I could still take percocet and walk without a limp and mostly without a cane.
He had no decision , gave me another prescription for percocet and said stay with the strong med as it works.
so , I have 5/325 and take 2 in the a.m and usually take 1 around 5 or 6. Some times I take 2 in the evening as well.
Judy
Lbee
junior member
I was prescribed norco 10/325 also, I believe that if you are experiencing discomfort use the pain medication. I do at seven weeks and wouldn't get it a second thought at 10 weeks. The surgery created a traumatic event to you body and it will get better in time. Everyone's pain threshold is different. You will move forward but not if you are in pain. I use a soft ice gel pack to cope with the pain and swelling. Mine is made by elasto-gel.
dar
junior member
I'm 11 weeks and still needing pain pills. I take Norco 5/325 several times a day. I mostly need them when I want to be up and about and definately when I get on that bike. I'm getting throught he night right now with just OTC meds. I figure if I'm having the pain and the doctor is still writing the script, I'm not worried about it. I'm banking on all these people telling me that it will get better.
Rowdy66
graduate
Doug one of the things I like about you is the way you can cut through the bs and get right down to the nitty-gritty. You are absolutely right, there are two options, hurt or take the pain meds. As everyone is well aware by now I am an advocate for using pain meds, without them I don't have much of a life and I prefer to get as much out of a day as possible. Anyone who has chronic pain should go through a pain clinic, your view on pain medication changes rather quickly. What I used to think of as a lot of pain medication is nothing compared to what they finally put me on long term. Sure I can cut back but the only person I hurt is myself. If you hurt don't try to suck it up, take the pain medication. Rowdy
wolfensteinsmom
new member
I have never liked taking drugs of any kind and therefore I have a pretty high threshold for pain. Even the nurses in the hospital were amazed. However, I LOVE my percocet. I am down to taking one at bedtime and one about an hour before PT, but I am certainly going to continue to take them as long as needed. I believe just like you, control the pain is better than cure the pain. Don't worry so much about taking the pills. Just worry about getting through this ordeal.
electron
new member
somebody correct me up if I'm wrong,..
I believe,..
you want to have a constant-low level of the med in your body,..so it doesn't take time to do it's job when it's needed.
take a dose just prior to an activity (helpful because we usually know what we are doing most of the day).
I take a dose when I get on my feet for the first part of the day,.. a dose for a nite-cap to keep my body quiet,.. between these I may take 0,1,2,..maybe even a 3rd boost,.. but I have been able to keep myself down to 1 on average for a week.
Is it possible that we are still healing whether or not we use meds to knock down the pain?
take as directed? the hardest part for me is to ingest some type of food with it,.. my appetite has never quite returned.
but as I stated above correct me if I'm off target,.. I'm still learning about MY meds.
jon
I believe,..
you want to have a constant-low level of the med in your body,..so it doesn't take time to do it's job when it's needed.
take a dose just prior to an activity (helpful because we usually know what we are doing most of the day).
I take a dose when I get on my feet for the first part of the day,.. a dose for a nite-cap to keep my body quiet,.. between these I may take 0,1,2,..maybe even a 3rd boost,.. but I have been able to keep myself down to 1 on average for a week.
Is it possible that we are still healing whether or not we use meds to knock down the pain?
take as directed? the hardest part for me is to ingest some type of food with it,.. my appetite has never quite returned.
but as I stated above correct me if I'm off target,.. I'm still learning about MY meds.
jon
ship4
graduate
To supplement the narcotics (delaudid, Visteral, and Celebrex) which I take in the AM and PM, I take Arthritis Strength Tylenol in the middle of the day. At dinner time I enjoy my glass of wine.......
This has worked out well for me.
Best,
Crystal
This has worked out well for me.
Best,
Crystal
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