Methadone and Gastric bypass

Hello everyone I am new here and I was wondering to anyone who had the surgery and was on liquid methadone. I am currently on 8 mg trying to get off but it isnt easy. My questions are am I gonna be givin pain meds or will I have to suffer cause of my past? I know it is probably a dumb question but i'd like to know. Also when I am in the hospital for the couple of days how will i get my dose? I have been on it for alomost 2 1/2 yrs and while I hate it so much it allows me to live my life feeling normal. I know there were a couple of posts with people asking if anyone had ever been on and had surgery but I want more info please what meds do they give you after the surgery do we have to take more cause of the methadone? Any insight will help. I am embarassed I have to even ask this but I guess it is what it is. Thanks in advance...  

Nikki

welcome, you will totally get both your methadone and will be medicated for pain. So no worries. used to be a surgical nurse and they will make sure your as comfortable as possible. Best plan is to talk with both your surgeon before and with the anesthesia person on the day of surgery.  Good luck

 Nikki its great you are being so brave to ask us! It's a really good question. I just wanted to say that I admire that you have left your demon behind. You will be off the crutch in due time. Hang in there!

 I am a chronic pain patient so I understand your concerns.  Just be sure to discuss this with your Rny surgeon.....he has to put the medication on your post surgery orders.  The nurses can only give you what your Dr has put in your chart for you so be sure your is going to list methadone as your medication for post surgery.

Absolutely talk with your surgeon and your anesthesiologist (if possible) before surgery and discuss this. There is no reason you cannot get your methadone in the hospital (I used to occasionally have to give it to OB patients) AND be comfortable post-op. There are lots of non-narcotic pain options these days, including epidural pain management. But you gotta make your concerns KNOWN.

ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF....you deserve to have your pain well managed.

Hello everyone. WOW u guys are so awesome I didnt think anyone would find my post.  =)  So today was my first surgeon appt. and I did put on my chart I was on Methadone and he said I will have to get off it first before surgery. Sooo was not expecting that but I will do what is necessary to make it happen. He said it doesnt sit well after you have the surgery which I think is a lil crazy cause ppl here have been on it and said it isnt a problem. But he is the doc so I will have to make it happen. I kinda think maybe he hasnt dealt with many patients with it before so if I'm off it he doesnt have to deal with it ya know. Thats what I got out of his reaction but again I am only on 8 mgs I have tried to come down before just 2 weeks ago I was at 3 mg and I started to feel like crap so I had to go back up. I kinda think it is a mind thing too. But well see. Thanks again for reading my posts everyone U all Rock my SOcKs!!!!  Lol

Hi sounds like you will be taken care of with meds after and this could be your way of getting free of the methadone all together.. so I am excited for you!!

I don't know if it would make a difference to your surgeon or not but have you tried suboxone or subutex? They might help you get off the methadone without withdrawls. Good luck to you!

I am hoping I can be methadone free however I have tried to detox from it before by coming down 1 mg every 2 weeks and I got to 3 mg and I started to feel the anxiety and other withdrawal symptoms so I went back up to 8 mg. I want so badly to not have to go to that clinic daily but right now it keeps me feeling normal and not like I am trapped in my own body. I do want to come off but I wanted to do it really slow if 1 mg every other week didnt work I thought maybe 1 mg a month. But that would take me a little while. As far as the suboxone goes the taste makes me so sick I cant take it and subutex I dont think it is an option but I will definately ask. I asked if maybe I could have pill form methadone were I am such a low dose but they wont do it cause it is used for pain management. I am gonna try to not let this get in my way. Maybe now that I have this surgery forcing me I will be more sucessful. I just dont understand how the liquid methadone would be an issue I could see if it was a pill and the pouch not being able to break it down but liquid hey what do I know... Thanks for your help all info is greatly appreciated..

Hey guys, I just had the bariatric sleeve this last thursday, mar 3. I have been on methadone for the past 4 years! at 180mg daily. I use methadone for chronic pain and addiction purposes. I was upfront from the very beginnig with my surgeon. After the surgery, I was in excruciating pain. They were finally able to get that under control, but did not give me methadone, so I started getting withdrawel symptoms! Very ugly. well my mom finally got me home, and I had methadone at home from, my clinic, so I took it, and got very sick!  Dry heaving, and very full feeling. this subsided but happened again this morning. I am thinking that the liquid methadone has sugar in it, and I am getting "dumping syndrome"? I am going to talk with the clinic in the a.m. but wanted to run it by you all first. I am, sure there is someone else out there with a similar concern?