Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Recommended Posts

When did you stop needing pain meds? Today was my 1st full day at home (Tues the 31st was my surgery).

I'm in so much pain on my left side....hurts so so bad.

Just curious about when others were able to get by without pain meds.

follow me on Instagram: BeachGirlLosingWeight

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The bariatric lady at the hospital and the nurse both told me to follow the prescription for the first four days at home. I went home on a Tuesday and stopped taking them Saturday. They said it was better to take them as prescribed so as not to get in pain and then have to wait for them to kick in.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Is the pain you're feeling from an incision site or just an overall feeling of pain along one side?

If it is the overall pain it likely is from trapped gas they use to inflate the abdomen to get in there with the surgical tools. Many docs now try to remove the gas as much as possible because it does hurt like anything when trapped. The best thing is to get up and walk around often; the more you move, the more it works the gas out.

If it is an incision site, it likely is the large one where they pull the stomach through; that one hurts more because it's got stitches in the muscle area (the other incisions are small enough not to need that) so it does tend to hurt more. The only thing to do is keep up the pain meds on schedule. If you are in pain, don't try to stretch out the length of time between dosages as it may let the pain get worse.

If the pain is bad, then call your doctor's office. Pain should be manageable with the pain meds and if not, then you may need to get in to see them or get something else that works better. But if it so bad you literally are crying and the meds aren't touching the pain - especially if you are running a temperature, you might need to go to the ER as intense pain with fever can indicate a leak.

Hope you feel better soon!

Edited by FrankiesGirl

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had surgery on a Tuesday, went home on Weds with oxycodone and Tylenol. I alternated taking them about every 4-6 hours a directed for a few days. On Sat and Sun I only took the oxy before bed and I was totally off pain meds on Monday following surgery.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I took liquid Tylenol for two weeks after returning home from hospital. I did not take one single dose of narcotic from the time I woke up from my surgery because they made me too nauseous. They were able to give me an iv NSAID and also gave me some kind of lidocaine-ish pain med at one of my incision sites that was inserted under my skin during surgery and not removed till about three days after I arrived home from the hospital. So your mileage may vary if you do not have that. Try the maximum dose of liquid Tylenol: the over the counter dose of "extra strength" Tylenol is 500mg of acetominophen x 2 tablets for a total of 1000 mg. If you are taking children's liquid Tylenol you will need to adjust the dose for yourself. I was able to find 8oz bottles of Tylenol "Sore Throat" liquid on Amazon whose sole ingredient was acetominophen. It tastes like a shot of jäger Meister but it does the job with MUCH less nausea than the narcotics without ANY risk of addiction. BUT there are side effects to everything so talk to your doctor about what your maximum dose of Tylenol should be. For most people it is about 3,000 mg per day, but if you have any pre-existing liver issues your mileage may vary so please confirm with your doctor. Thousands of people each year actually do overdose their livers from over the counter pain meds containing acetominophen. So if you feel the need to go over the amount of acetominophen recommended by your doctor then that is also a good indication that you may need to continue with the narcotics. Many people take them only at night for a day or two or three and then give them up altogether. I personally also think it's a good idea NOT to dull all pain because that pain signal also lets you know when you are overdoing it when you are reaching too high, lifting too much, or pulling too hard. It helps us set appropriate limits with our activity so that we can HEAL, which is not a bad thing. At the same time if you can't get any rest because you are in so much pain that is also not helpful for healing, so transition to Tylenol when you can and take the narcotic when you need it most. I hope hat makes sense

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Also agree with other posters to stay ahead of pain. That is why I took the liquid Tylenol second thing after waking each day (first thing was zofran, an anti-nausea med that helped me keep the liquid Tylenol and everything else down). I hope this helps

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

this is going to vary depending on what they gave you in the hospital and what your surgery entailed. Mine had no hernia repair and I had a nerve block in my abdomen, so I was only on pain pills a couple of days and a week at bedtime. only needed a low dose.

but you should take them as long as you need them, and hopefully you have a one week follow up where you can discuss and concerns you have if you are still having that kind of pain.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • cryoder22

      Day 1 of pre-op liquid diet (3 weeks) and I'm having a hard time already. I feel hungry and just want to eat. I got the protein and supplements recommend by my program and having a hard time getting 1 down. My doctor / nutritionist has me on the following:
      1 protein shake (bariatric advantage chocolate) with 8 oz of fat free milk 1 snack = 1 unjury protein shake (root beer) 1 protein shake (bariatric advantage orange cream) 1 snack = 1 unjury protein bar 1 protein shake (bariatric advantace orange cream or chocolate) 1 snack = 1 unjury protein soup (chicken) 3 servings of sugar free jello and popsicles throughout the day. 64 oz of water (I have flavor packets). Hot tea and coffee with splenda has been approved as well. Does anyone recommend anything for the next 3 weeks?
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        All I can tell you is that for me, it got easier after the first week. The hunger pains got less intense and I kind of got used to it and gave up torturing myself by thinking about food. But if you can, get anything tempting out of the house and avoid being around people who are eating. I sent my kids to my parents' house for two weeks so I wouldn't have to prepare meals I couldn't eat. After surgery, the hunger was totally gone.

    • buildabetteranna

      I have my final approval from my insurance, only thing holding up things is one last x-ray needed, which I have scheduled for the fourth of next month, which is my birthday.

      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BetterLeah

      Woohoo! I have 7 more days till surgery, So far I am already down a total of 20lbs since I started this journey. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NeonRaven8919

        Well done! I'm 9 days away from surgery! Keep us updated!

    • Ladiva04

      Hello,
      I had my surgery on the 25th of June of this year. Starting off at 117 kilos.😒
      · 1 reply
      1. NeonRaven8919

        Congrats on the surgery!

    • Sandra Austin Tx

      I’m 6 days post op as of today. I had the gastric bypass 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×