Just learned my surgeon doesn't give pain meds after surgery!

[Tishthedish 5]

Ok, I am seriously freaking out about this, I am scheduled for surgery 12/28, I have paid more than $500 just in nutritionist visits alone and now, during my pre op appointment I learn that my surgeon doesn't give any pain meds? None. As in, I am sent home and told to take Tylenol. Is it me or does this just seem wrong? To create six inscisions and rearrange my insides and tell me to take Tylenol!? I am especially angry because when I had my consult, I was never told this. I had specifically asked about pain control and they said they'd make sure I was taken care of. But now that I have paid, committed to them, and am just a few weeks from surgery they drop this on me? Ugh.

[catwoman7 11,212]

I can't speak for others, but personally, I didn't need any. Other than very sore abs, I had no pain after surgery. I didn't use my morphine pump, and whatever it was they sent me home with sat unopened. Although I'm guessing if you're in a lot of pain, they'll give you something - they wouldn't let you sit there and suffer (I hope....). But from reading this board and others, it sounds like most people have very little pain with this - if any.

[MrsSantiago 27]

Sounds odd my surgery is on the 29 and i got prescribed pain meds now so i can have them by surgery. I would suggest talking to him to express your concerns

[sharkgirl 251]

I agree with Catwoman7, I took 2 pain pills when I got home and I probably could have taken tylenol. In fact, I routinely tried to get them to give me less pain meds in the hospital because they made me so sleepy and itchy and I had to take Benedryl for the itchiness which caused me to be more sleepy.

Could you get your PCP to give you pain meds should you need them?

[mduffield 252]

I also did not need any pain medication post surgery.

[Tishthedish 5]

That's reassuring. I hope I have no pain, but I guess I'm out of luck if I do. If I had known I would've gone with a surgeon who at least gives me the option of taking them if I need to, especially since I have other pain issues that are likely to be aggravated by surgery. I feel like they purposely misled me.

[jess9395 5,449]

I hope you are one of the ones who has no pain or that they change their tune based on how you do in the hospital. I had a relatively easy recovery but did need pain meds for the first two days and at night for a few more days.

[miiasan 370]

yeah, I used the morphine pump a couple of times the day of surgery but nothing after that. Although I was sent home with pain meds I never took them. The only pain I remember was from gas and just had to work through that I do not imagine they would let you sit there without meds if you were to be in a lot of pain. You might have a doctor that will only give them if you request them - wouldn't hurt to double check.

[James Marusek 5,244]

I took no pain medicine after I left the recovery room. I didn't need to. I had very little pain. Besides pain medicine doesn't do much good, muscle relaxers are a better choice. I did't use any of those either.

If you are concerned about pain, make sure that you walk about 30 minutes each day from this point forward. And once you get out of the recovery room walk every 2 hours while you are in the hospital. It will dramatically reduce any pain you might have.

I began walking almost immediately after the recovery room. After a few hours, one of the nurses came in and was upset I was doing in her opinion too many laps. She said when the surgery anesthetics wear off I will be in extreme pain because of the excessive laps. So I cut them back a little. But when the anesthesia wore off I could hardly even tell. I kept watching the clock waiting for it, but it never came.

I was in the hospital for 2 days and did a total of 100 lapse. They had a write board on the wall so that the patients could keep track. At the beginning it was a little tough because you had to haul around a portable stand that had the I.V. attached. But on the second day, they unhooked this and it was easier. Also make sure that you get a trapeze hanging bar above the bed so you can pull yourself up out of bed. It makes it easier.

The nurse who administers pain medicine would come in the room and check my pain level. I always told her it was either a zero or 1 on a scale to 10 and I wanted no pain medicine. It was my impression she went away mad.

My experience may not be typical. I suspect your surgeon will administer pain medicine while you are in the hospital. By the time you leave the hospital, I feel that you may not need any unless you experience some major complications.

[Meggles07 21]

I didn't really think about this before surgery, other than knowing I couldn't take NSAIDs. I was told to take extra strength Tylenol at home. I think I took one for the first two nights and that was it. In the hospital I had pain in my left side that I later found out was gas pain - wheweee!! I got two shots of morphine for that, but like others have said, the best cure for gas pains is walking The head nurse said if I did any more laps she was going to put me to work!!

Meg

[justintime 9]

I needed zofran more than the pain pills.

[rking 484]

I have had two major knee surgeries and talk about pain!!!!! I was taught to stay ahead of the pain and take pain meds as often as prescribed. I did that. I needed that. With my sleeve, I followed the same advice. Used my morphine pump a lot the first day. Then hydrocodone. When I left hospital I felt great and didn't have pain really. Yes, stomach was sore, but I wouldn't say painful.

Good idea about the PCP. I also agree that if you were in a lot of pain in the hospital you would probably get something.