pain management in hospital and out. - Pain Management Message Board

Josephine66 · 08-12-2004, 08:36 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!

Kissa · 08-12-2004, 08:47 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.

Josephine66 · 08-12-2004, 04:15 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!

Kissa · 08-12-2004, 06:37 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!

madhatter · 08-13-2004, 06:37 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.