Question:
HAS ANYONE ON METHADONE HAD SURGERY-HOW IS PAIN TREATED?
I HAD SEVERAL INJURYS A YEAR AGO AND BECAME ADDICTED TO THE MEDICATION THE DOCTOR PERSCRIBED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND THE DOCTOR ACTUALLY COULD CARE LESS AND BEING THAT I HAVE A CHRONICALLY ILL CHILD WHO IS HOMEBOUND AND ON PAIN MEDICATIONS- I AM CURRENTLY A METHADONE PATIENT AND DOING WONDERFULLY ON IT BUT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND A SURGEON TO EVEN TOUCH ME BECAUSE MOST OF THEM DO NOT KNOW HOW TO TREAT PAIN ON A METHADONE PATIENT BUT I FINALLY FOUND A SURGEON WHO SAYS ITS NO BIG DEAL THAT THEY HAVE A PAIN MANAGMENT TEAM THAT CAN HANDLE IT, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THEY WILL USE FOR PAIN DURING MY STAY, BEING THAT THERE IS SO MANY THINGS THAT I CANT TAKE THAT WILL THROW ME INTO SEVERE WITHDRAWLS AND I HAVE AN UNBELIEVABLY HIGH TOLERANCE- HAS ANYONE DELT WITH THIS- IM REALLY SCARED THAT THEY WONT BE ABLE TO CONTROL MY PAIN AND MY BACK IS SO MESSED UP FROM EPIDURALS FROM CHILDBIRTH SO THATS OUT OF THE QUESTION. MY E-MAIL ADDRESS IS- [email protected] — APRIL H. (posted on May 2, 2002)
May 2, 2002
What is commonly used is the PCA pump with either demerol or morphine. In
your case, they may use something different. Hang in there, good luck to
you!
— Aimee B.
May 2, 2002
I am a recovering heroin addict (10 years drug free this June) and was on
methadone the last year of my addiction. What milligram methadone are you
using? I started at 80 mg. and weened myself off on my self-treatment / 5
mg's at a time every month. I was told it couldn't be done on my own and
that I would need hospitalization but I knew I wanted off all opiates all
together and their option wasn't an option I was willing to go through.
After using this regimen and approx. 1 year later and sitting at only 5
mgs. the hardest part for me was simply letting go. I stayed up 11
consecutive days/nights without sleep and just as I was about to go nuts, I
got on my knees and prayed - hard !! I asked if it was meant for me to get
my body clean to at least let me get some sleep so I could feel strong
enough to do so. On that 11th night, I slept (thank, God). My weight
started to come on after that point. I gained over 150 pounds over a
10-year period and my level of tolerance for pain medication is, like
yours, very high. 10 mgs. of valium or something like it does absolutely
nothing for me. My doctor told me, as the weight started to come on, to
pick and choose my battles - he said trying to conquer both the drug
addiction (to heroin / methodone) AND to try and lose weight would be not
only devestating to my body but to my mind and spirit and in my heart, I
knew he was telling me the truth. I conquered the drug addiction - have
never looked back and can never imagine being dependant on anything like
that as long as I live - I am thankful for being able to come through it
and I wish you the best in conquering the dependency, if that's what you
want. I don't know what to tell you in regards to the pain tolerance after
WL surgery - it will certainly be needed. It took me at least six hours to
be without pain after surgery and I know this isn't normal. I felt a pain
like I've never felt before - I've had a hysterectomy, 10 DNC's prior to
that, ovarian tumors (2 of them) and a back surgery and never, NEVER have I
felt the pain that I felt after this one. This was my first surgery since
being clean off of drugs though - not sure if that makes a difference or
not but that's what my experience has been. I'll be glad to talk with you
more, if you'd like to visit. Good luck.
— Lisa J.
May 2, 2002
dear friend hi my name is kim and i am a recovering addict of 6 years i
just had surgery 10 weeks ago i was taking methadone pills along with
percosset and anything else the doctor's would give me i was in severe pain
all of the time do to scar tissue pressing on my nerve cells in my back
right before my surgery i was in the hospital twice in december just for
pain control so you can imagine what my tolerance level was it was really
high so when i had my surgery they put me on that moforphine pump which did
nothing for me i suffered for about 8 hours untill this on nurse i call my
angel came and asked me how was my pain i told her it was bad and she went
and read my chart and said she could not believe no one else relized that i
would need much more then a mororphine pump to control my pain so right
away she called my surgeon and told him what was going on and they ordered
me a 30 milagram saringe to hook me up to so that i could use it like the
morphine pump that did seem to control the pain alot better then the
moraphine pump did . i was able to push it every 5 or 10 mintutes .so don't
make the same mistake i did make sure all the doctor's and nurses know as
soon as you get out of surgery you need to be hooked up to so something
stronger then the normal dose of morphine that they give normal people.if
you want to talk to me or if you have any more questions i can answer just
email me back.
— KIM B.
May 3, 2002
Just got on and saw your post. I was on methadone (and still am at 4 months
post) when I had surgery. My doc did AMAZING at controlling my pain post
op. He gave me nubain in my central IV every hour in addition to the
ativan. I have used methadone (plus lortab when I use just for break thru
pain ) for the last 2 years. I was given my methadone in addition to the
nubain while in the hospital.
— Melody F.
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