Emergency room required, or typical pain?

SlicedBread · July 27, 2008

Hi everyone, my girlfriend just went through the surgery. She's in a country where the medical providers are uncaring and unhelpful. We've been trying to find out if she needs to go to the ER, or if this is normal and she just needs better pain meds. However, we get the "uninformative answer runaround" where they pretty much just hang up on her. I'm depending on you guys to tell me if this sounds typical or not. A visit to the ER might be prohibitive for us. The most worrisome symptom is great, torturing pain that just isn't getting any better 8 days after the surgery. It's constant and horrible. Her symptoms are: - Pain slevel from 6 to 8 (10 being the worst ever) - Sharp pains from belly to shoulder - No bowel movements for seven days - Taking a bit of laxative but no help - Difficulty breathing because it hurts to breathe - Taking Tramadol (sp?) but it only helps for 5 to 10 minutes - Cold sweat from the pain She takes long walks around the house until she can't go any more, and that helps her to burp but the pain is still there overall. Thanks in advance for any help, advice, tips, and rumors from anybody.

Nachtigall · July 27, 2008

To be honest: this does not sound very good an I would go to the Emergency Room if possible.

I had my surgery two days ago and I recognize some of the pain you describe and well, pain is a very individual thing and varies form person to person, but in my opinion, after eight days your girl actually should feel okay.

She should see a doctor and that soon.

Take care

~Kat

Mrs J.J · July 27, 2008

When did your girlfriend have her surgery done?

HeatherO · July 27, 2008

It sounds very serious and I would not wait to go to the emergency room. There is no way we can tell if she just has a very low pain tolerance or if she is battling an infection or serious problem that may put her life on the line. Go now, or if you can't go where you are, go immediately to somewhere you can.

What country are you in?

Lunabeane · July 27, 2008

I would get her to the ER. I had significant pain after 8 days but it was manageable by pain meds. Tramadol is not an appropriate pain management drug after surgery...especially if she has low pain threshold. Is she drinking enough Water? What country is she in?

KVM · July 27, 2008

I think 8 days of pain is to long. I did have the shoulder pain which started about 2 days after my surgery but it went away in about 4 days. I also do not have bowel movements very often. It was 3 weeks before I realized it after my surgery. It took me a couple of days of taking exlax before I went. But it is best to get her checked out. You said you are in a different country and the doctors are uncaring so maybe seeing a doctor in the ER she could get one that cares. Good luck and I hope she feels better.

ThinknHealthy · July 27, 2008

I would call the doctor who did the surgery. He should give you some advise -- that's what you paid him for. Also, make sure she is drinking enough liquids and following the liquid diet (dehydration can affect bowel movements and other weird things). Have her take a gas reducing medication (like GasX here in USA). Keep encouraging her to walk.

mickey123 · July 27, 2008

Better safe than sorry.......go now!

SlicedBread · July 28, 2008

What country is she in?

She's in the UK. The doctors there are kind of not motivated to care, like in our motor vehicle department.

barbara9460 · July 28, 2008

This sounds like gas pain to me. It's typically not as bad as what you're describing, but I have heard of it being this bad. Is she taking gas-x or something similar to help move the gas? Was she on a liquid diet prior to surgery? That would explain the lack of BM's. I went for about 10 days with nothing, and then I had the worst case of diarreaha - liquids in, liquids out. Also, is your girlfriend taking the Tramadol in pill form or is she crushing it first? She's not eating yet is she? That could also cause lots of pain because she should be on liquids only at this stage. Use a heating pad on the shoulder and tummy and walk as much as possible. If she doesn't have some relief after the gas-x and heating pad and walking, then you really do need to see the doctor. Preferably the doc that did the surgery, because he's going to know more about it than and ER doc.

Let us know how she's doing. You'll both be in our prayers.

Barbara