Josephine66
08-12-2004, 11:36 AM
I just had an anterior fusion on C4 on monday. I really had a hard time in the hospital with pain management. They had me taking 2 lortabs every 6 hours and morphine every 3 hours for bt pain. It wasn't working very well at all. On my last day there I had to demand to try something else so they switched me to delaudid for bt which helped some. Another problem is the way the nurses treat you when you ask for pain meds. They put it off as long as they possibly can and actually lied to me about how often I could take my meds. When they switched me to 2mgs of delaudid every 2 hours the nurse at first refused to give me 2mgs and would only give me 1mg at a time. She wasn't "comfortable" giving it as perscribed. Well I wasn't "comfortable" being in so much pain either! Now I am home and they sent me a script for 1-2 lortabs every 4-6 hours and valium. It is not controling the pain so I had to add ketaprophen which I don't want to take because it might prevent fusion. The pharmacy also changed the script to take 1 lortab every 6 hours because I would be taking to much tylenol if I followed the directions the doctor gave. So I have a call in to the doctor to see if I can switch to vicodan es and stop the ketoprophen. I don't know why they sent me home on lorotabs when they wern't working in the hospital to begin with! :mad:
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Kissa
08-12-2004, 11:47 AM
Sorry to hear you are suffering so. Doctors are weird, when I had shoulder surgery in November I made sure they knew that I was allergic to certain antibiotics (I am required to take them for up to a week after any surgery due to titanium hip) so what did they do? They sent me home with the exact medication I was deathly allergic to!
When I had my ACDF done on 4 levels I was in little to no pain when in the hosital and stayed one night. I was on a pump not pills and I am very surprised you weren't as well. In fact all of the surgeries I've had in the last 15 years that required at least an overnight stay I always had the pump. Unfortunately the pump meds made me super hyper and I couldn't sleep so they kept feeding me valium every 4 hours to try to make me sleep. It was rather humorous actually.
As far as meds go, this was before I was in pain management, I took 1 percocet every 3 - 4 hours and loads of ice the first few days. Ice often, rest often. Take meds before you need them, if the pain is severe it isn't going to be as effective.
I was also put on a medrol dose pack which also seems to be the standard with many of the fusions, or so I've read. I'd say my pain level was about mid level for me about a week's post op. I wasn't braced at all either which made a huge difference, soft collar to sleep in and that was only for my own pscyhological benefit.
Hopefully the doctor will be willing to prescribe some vicodin, that should help.
When I had my ACDF done on 4 levels I was in little to no pain when in the hosital and stayed one night. I was on a pump not pills and I am very surprised you weren't as well. In fact all of the surgeries I've had in the last 15 years that required at least an overnight stay I always had the pump. Unfortunately the pump meds made me super hyper and I couldn't sleep so they kept feeding me valium every 4 hours to try to make me sleep. It was rather humorous actually.
As far as meds go, this was before I was in pain management, I took 1 percocet every 3 - 4 hours and loads of ice the first few days. Ice often, rest often. Take meds before you need them, if the pain is severe it isn't going to be as effective.
I was also put on a medrol dose pack which also seems to be the standard with many of the fusions, or so I've read. I'd say my pain level was about mid level for me about a week's post op. I wasn't braced at all either which made a huge difference, soft collar to sleep in and that was only for my own pscyhological benefit.
Hopefully the doctor will be willing to prescribe some vicodin, that should help.
Josephine66
08-12-2004, 07:15 PM
Kissa
Thanks for the reply. I picked a bad hospital for this surgery, won't ever go back again! They don't even have pain pumps which really surprised me. The nurses were very overworked so were never happy to have to give me pain shots when needed. The up and down was terrible with the shots instead of the pump! I also wonder if the doctors really listen when you talk to them. As I told him the lorotabs wern't working in the hospital so I don't know why he expected them to work at home without the bt meds. I called at 10AM and no call back! UGGGH!
Thanks for the reply. I picked a bad hospital for this surgery, won't ever go back again! They don't even have pain pumps which really surprised me. The nurses were very overworked so were never happy to have to give me pain shots when needed. The up and down was terrible with the shots instead of the pump! I also wonder if the doctors really listen when you talk to them. As I told him the lorotabs wern't working in the hospital so I don't know why he expected them to work at home without the bt meds. I called at 10AM and no call back! UGGGH!
Kissa
08-12-2004, 09:37 PM
I got to thinking about this after I posted. Sometimes when in the hospital before leaving the doctor may have already written your prescription the day before or even the day of the surgery in anticipation of your release so he may have already wrote it. Also sometimes their assisting doctors will write the prescriptions. So I'm thinking that might be the case or that he just doesn't listen.
If you don't hear back call again, and again, and again. Be insistant. If you have to page him after hours then so be it. If you are suffering it is his responsibility to respond to you in a timely fasion and give you the help you need!
Sending happy thoughts!!!! Try to get some rest!
If you don't hear back call again, and again, and again. Be insistant. If you have to page him after hours then so be it. If you are suffering it is his responsibility to respond to you in a timely fasion and give you the help you need!
Sending happy thoughts!!!! Try to get some rest!
madhatter
08-13-2004, 09:37 AM
Thats strange how they gave you lortab,and morphine for breakthrough.i always thought a breakthrough med. was a med. that worked woth longterm med.
Kissa
08-13-2004, 01:17 PM
The morphine was probably the instant release kind as opposed to the long acting, or at least that's my guess. BT meds are generally always SA or IR meds so you are correct Mad.
chriztene
08-13-2004, 03:22 PM
Oh, gosh I sure learned this lesson the hard way recently! Prior to any surgery, us cper's need to discuss what meds we take to the surgeon AND the hospital (anasthesiologist).
I recently had a lapro to remove adhesions and really never considered post-op pain as I had a tubal 3 years prior with lapro and was up and walking the next day. However, this was prior to me going into pm and developing a tolerance to opiates. All of us who have been taking the long acting meds develope a tolerance and need to inform everyone prior to surgery.
The post-op pain was so horrific I thought I would die. I had to stay in recovery longer due to my blood pressure being so high due to the pain. The nurses finally got my pain under control, thank God.
I feel us cper's should be issued an ID bracelent in the event we are ever hospitalized. I am now terrified of having surgery in the future. Has anyone had a pleasant experience post-op? Does your pain management control depend on the surgeon?
I recently had a lapro to remove adhesions and really never considered post-op pain as I had a tubal 3 years prior with lapro and was up and walking the next day. However, this was prior to me going into pm and developing a tolerance to opiates. All of us who have been taking the long acting meds develope a tolerance and need to inform everyone prior to surgery.
The post-op pain was so horrific I thought I would die. I had to stay in recovery longer due to my blood pressure being so high due to the pain. The nurses finally got my pain under control, thank God.
I feel us cper's should be issued an ID bracelent in the event we are ever hospitalized. I am now terrified of having surgery in the future. Has anyone had a pleasant experience post-op? Does your pain management control depend on the surgeon?
Kissa
08-13-2004, 04:04 PM
I've not had too many problems with post op surgeries, I've had 13 surgeries and I couldn't tell you how many proceedures that required me to go under.
Your post op meds do vary greatly by doctor and anethesiologist. I had an PCL release done by a doctor who doesn't believe in giving females pain meds, we discovered this after therapy and I met various patients of his. The women were severely under medicated while the med were over medicated. He should loose his liscense. At any rate he majorly undermedicated me.
Prior to that I had a different doctor do an ACL reconstruction, the post op meds didn't do much because the nurses kept forgetting them even though I had a pump I also got additional medications. I blame this on the nurses. That very same doctor fixed a ripped rotator cuff and spur removal, a much less painful surgery and he and the nurses had me so loopy I feel asleep on the toilet LOL.
So yes it depends on dr's, nurses and anethesia guys.
Your post op meds do vary greatly by doctor and anethesiologist. I had an PCL release done by a doctor who doesn't believe in giving females pain meds, we discovered this after therapy and I met various patients of his. The women were severely under medicated while the med were over medicated. He should loose his liscense. At any rate he majorly undermedicated me.
Prior to that I had a different doctor do an ACL reconstruction, the post op meds didn't do much because the nurses kept forgetting them even though I had a pump I also got additional medications. I blame this on the nurses. That very same doctor fixed a ripped rotator cuff and spur removal, a much less painful surgery and he and the nurses had me so loopy I feel asleep on the toilet LOL.
So yes it depends on dr's, nurses and anethesia guys.
sgibson
08-18-2004, 04:48 PM
I really learned my lesson when I had my spinal fusion in January. I was put on a morphine pump in recovery room. Well the morphine was less than the meds I was taking pre surgery!!! Well, after a horrible experience in recovery, which I wont go into because I have already explained it before here and it is rather long, they got me to my room and then I was basically given the meds I was taking pre surgery with no increase. Ok, I was already tolerant to these meds and they weren't controlling pre surgery pain levels and then I have major back surgery and they give me the same amount of meds. The only thing they did different was change my flexeril to valium. Then on the day of my release, in the middle of a huge snow storm, my docs partner was working and obviously didn't read my records. The nurse brought in my scripts and he released me with a script for hydrocodoneand valium. 5mg/500mg. Ok, that meant I was supposed to go from a 50ugh fentanyl patch with 20mg oxy for BT to only taking hydrocodone!!?? Well, I immediately told the nurse this won't work, call my doctor. Well, the office my dr was in that day was 70 miles from the hospital but only 15 miles from my parents home (did I mention the Nor easter that was hitting us?). Well my parents went in the middle of that snow storm to the office, picked up the scripts, brought them to the town where I live, 35miles from the drs office and had them filled. Thank God my parents and I both own 4WD SUV's. Talk about an interesting experience. I was so upset and in so much pain by the time I got home from the hospital. Travelling in a 4WD SUV in the middle of a snowstorm with that stupid full body brace on and muscle spasms straight from the pits of hades is an experience I never wish to repeat. If I ever have to have surgery again, I will make sure my pain management is in place before I even check in to the hospital. It was a hard lesson learned but that makes it a hard one to forget. The surgeons and nurses just aren't aware of the tolerance issues and high doses of meds that most of us are on. It's not really their faults, they really need to be more educated in the subject. I just assumed that because this was a spinal surgery ward in a major hospital that they would be aware of these issues. I will never assume anything ever again when it comes to my medical care. Take care, stay informed, and always advocate for yourself.
God Bless,
Sherry :wave:
God Bless,
Sherry :wave: