withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Hi everyone,
I posted here a few times about some issues I was having with my ankle along with tapering off vicodin before my surgery (well before I knew it would goto surgery). I tapered off in the beginning of November (was on about 20mg hydro a day) and it wasn't a walk in the park but wasn't too bad. Anyways to make a long story short I had surgery January 18 and since then have been prescribed vicodin for the pain (at first they gave me percocet but they made me SO itchy and wide awake). I have been taking them every 6 hours but the pain is lessening and I won't need them soon. I am dreading the withdrawal. My question is...if I ask my dr to taper or wean me off do you think they will be open to this or just say to suck it up and deal with the withdrawal? Until just a few days ago I was taking about 6-8 5mg vicodin. Now I am taking around 4 a day and only have about 10 left. Any advice or way to approach my dr is appreciated. Thank you!
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Hi Grace
I am glad the pain is lessening from the ankle work. Good news.
I would absolutely talk with the doctor about tapering down. Honesty is always the best route with any doctor. He will probably be pleasantly surprised to have a patient ask for help getting off the pain pills rather than asking for more and more. :-)
Let him know that you sincerely want off the pills, but don't want to suffer coming off. If you can start decreasing the dose now before you see the doctor, all the better. Ask him to work out a plan with you.
Wishing you the very best.
reach
Last edited by reachout; 02-02-2012 at 06:46 PM.
Reason: sp
The Following User Says Thank You to reachout For This Useful Post: Grace817 (02-03-2012)
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Hi
Gosh, Grace, that's a pretty darn quick taper. I think this doctor knows not too much about withdrawal. Is he a surgeon or family doctor? Many times surgeons are quick to say just stop taking them. Like thier work with you as a patient is over and done with so adios. I worked with my family doctor on my tapers although he was seldom the one prescribing (my oncologist usually prescribed, but my primary was well aware of it all).
If it was your surgeon that planned this taper, then maybe you should talk to your primary? A kind of rule of thumb is to taper 10% every week to ten days. While there is some withdrawal certainly, it is not as harsh as cold turkey or a quick taper.
The second thread on this board is titled, "Sample Home Detox." Check it out as there are many good suggestions there. It was written by someone who went cold turkey, but the suggestions are good ones for anyone going through any type of withdrawal.
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Yes, he is a surgeon. I have another follow up appointment on February 17th with him. Maybe he thinks I won't be too bad off since I have only been taking the meds for a few weeks but still. I just was not expecting that, espcially since I was the one who voiced wanting to taper off the vicodin. I have to call his office Monday anyways because my pharmacy would not accept the prescription as it was written for some reason. I just feel like such a pain sometimes when I call and I feel like if I even voice that I think the "taper" is harsh he will think I am drug seeking. Truth is, the vicodin isn't even having any sort of affect on me anymore, I will take one and not feel any different. Ibuprofen helps more with the pain but if I don't take the narcotic I feel anxious and get a headache.
I appreciate being able to come here and vent and get suggestions, it really does help alot. Any other suggestions are appreciated and I will keep everyone updated
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Picked up my prescription today, only 15. Took 4 today as I think my mind is playing tricks on me telling me I'm in more pain than I really am. In a weird way I just want the bottle to be done so I can just be over and done with this.
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Grace, what an arse you doc is, start with the vicodin first, take motrin inbetween as you are decreasing your dose, surgeons cut and say goodbye.
do you have A PCP MD, maybe you can talk to him. Reach has some good words to say as always, she's great. Do you have any short term comfort meds? Get some immodium, benadyrl, drink lots of fluids.
Wish you the best of luck.
Wish surgeons would have surgery and be given 15 pills to get off, moron.
Gracie
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
I have an appointment next Friday at my ortho so will discuss with him then about the meds. If I'm really in rough shape maybe I will call my PCP about it. Just don't want one doc to think I'm going behind the others back to get meds if that makes sense. I remember when I got a referral to the ortho my primary dr said that any prescriptions having to do with my ankle would now have to go through the ortho doc. I have some immodium and a few xanax from before my surgery and my mri that I never took. I can't take benadryl because with my adhd it has the opposite effect and will keep me up all night.
I actually do fine during the day because my body is not accustomed to taking the vicodin until around 6 pm now (started that last week). So I'm guessing the nights will be the worst.
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Hi Grace, you're so right about the pain meds, people who doctor shop, makes it difficult for you to get the meds you need after surgery.
Sorry you are going thru this, especially after having surgery.
Maybe you can cut the xanax in half, it's good that you only need the pain med 6pm, nights are always the worst for everyone detoxing or decreasing doseage amounts.
Take care,
Gracie
The Following User Says Thank You to zoiegrace For This Useful Post: Grace817 (02-07-2012)
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Even though I am a bit PO'd about the taper my dr did if I am honest with myself I could probably convince myself that I need the meds when really I don't. The reality is that if I had 50 I would take all 50...even if the pain subsided. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise.
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
you are so right, if we had a million, it would never be enough.
sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders and doing the right thing to get off and have a new life.
how are you doing?
best of luck
Gracie
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
I am doing pretty well but I still have a few of the vicodin left. I am working all weekend and work 2nd shift so am hopeful being at work will take my mind off any symptoms I may have. I have an appt next Friday with my dr so hopefully will be done any withdrawal symptoms by then because if not I know I will be tempted to ask my dr for more. How can my brain want something and know it is bad for me at the same time? Having arguments with myself is something I had never experienced before a few months ago haha
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Hi Grace, it's called addiction kiddo, sucks doesn't it, your brain will tell you and expect, more, more, more and and you will not be able to give it more. Doubt if your surgeon will give you anymore, isn't he the one that only gave you 15. Didn't you know the sky opens and the surgeons walk down to work, then go back up.lol I worked for 5 of them for over 10 years, PIA,
good luck
Gracie
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Haha yes my surgeon did only give me 15 to taper, my appointment is with a physician assistant. He definitely is a know it all. I still feel pretty good. Have three left and am going to try to save them for if I really feel like crap.
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Today will be my first day with no opiates and no refills in sight. Before when I would run out (prior to my surgery) I knew that I would end up getting more when I had my operation so it made the heebie jeebies a bit more bearable. Working in a couple hours so that should keep my mind busy.
The following user gives a hug of support to Grace817: flytheflag (02-11-2012)
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Grace, good luck with the job, you alresady can go back to work after your surgery?? Hope you don't get the heebie jeebies, hate that.
Take care.
Gracie
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grace817
Hi everyone,
I posted here a few times about some issues I was having with my ankle along with tapering off vicodin before my surgery (well before I knew it would goto surgery). I tapered off in the beginning of November (was on about 20mg hydro a day) and it wasn't a walk in the park but wasn't too bad. Anyways to make a long story short I had surgery January 18 and since then have been prescribed vicodin for the pain (at first they gave me percocet but they made me SO itchy and wide awake). I have been taking them every 6 hours but the pain is lessening and I won't need them soon. I am dreading the withdrawal. My question is...if I ask my dr to taper or wean me off do you think they will be open to this or just say to suck it up and deal with the withdrawal? Until just a few days ago I was taking about 6-8 5mg vicodin. Now I am taking around 4 a day and only have about 10 left. Any advice or way to approach my dr is appreciated. Thank you!
All I can tell you is your being smart to stop the opiates. I had 3 back surgeries and stayed on Lotabs/vocodin for 2 years...it just so happens that today is day 6 of o tabs...if I can make it so can u! Well i hope to make it. I will.
But I have read numerous posts here about meds a dr can prescribe..notably when u tell him/her that you KNOW u have a propensity for addiction, pain is pain and u r right to use the meds in my opinion...but if the pain is gone why stay on the meds? Because the meds make u think u need to? Thats what it feels like to me. Just do it!
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Thanks for the encouragement, I'm at work right now and don't feel any different. Before work I was having anxiety and just nervous about feeling sick I guess. Hopefully tomorrow I won't wake up with anxiety again. The true test will be to goto the dr and not ask for more. I'm so scared that I will. If I do ask and he says no then that's still me failing. One day at a time right?
Re: withdrawal following surgery, please help can I talk to dr?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grace817
Thanks for the encouragement, I'm at work right now and don't feel any different. Before work I was having anxiety and just nervous about feeling sick I guess. Hopefully tomorrow I won't wake up with anxiety again. The true test will be to goto the dr and not ask for more. I'm so scared that I will. If I do ask and he says no then that's still me failing. One day at a time right?
when you go to thje doctor just flat out tell him/her "hey i am trying to quit", like the first thing u sau when u walk in the door. don't be anxious, you are who you are and you will do what you do. I know that sounds like crap talk but the point is you have the right idea because your talking about it here and now. your making it work. Just tell the doc u r quitting and waht your status is and then let the doc work with you on what the future plan is. So what if you get pils or have pills. Its your choice, albeit a hard one. I have a bottle of pills. They just sit there and I look at them. I am not going to take them. Be tough sister.
Cheerz, DT
