I might be allergic to morphine, how will post-op be handled? (sorry long)

 I have a true allergy to morphine, I vomit, have trouble breathing, break out in hives and itch from head to toe. They gave me an allergy bracelet when I got to the hospital and EVERYONE had to ask me what it was for before they where able to administer anything. They gave me dilaudid (sp?) and it worked wonderfully for me, no vomiting or other issues and it really kept my pain under control. I was able to go home on an oral dose (just needed to be crushed). 

Good luck. 

I'm a surgeons worst nightmare. I have an extreme pain tolerance , have a high pain med tolerance and allergic to many usual heavy pain meds. Morphine, codeine, vicodin etc. Only thing they could give me was a higher dose of dilaudid. Which worked but usually for only a couple hours (this was after my bilo-limb twist in 06 and my panni/hernia repair in 08, I didn't take any pain meds after my open ds in 05). Tylenol is useless and ibprofein only works forpain relief when I have 1000mg or more depending. 800mg will only help a nagging head ache. Needless to say I don't take pain meds unless its making me not sleep enough for more than 4-5 days. I get run down otherwise.

You might be headed for a sphincter of oddi reaction since your gall bladder was removed. Before my ds, I could take pain meds. My gall bladder was removed at the time of my ds, and since then I have a very definite sphincter of oddi reaction to demerol, etc. Someone here recommended a dose of an anti-spasmodic like Bentyl, then the pain pill. Works like a charm!

Thanks for that info, Marilyn! I've had a terrible reaction to codeine ever since I had my gall bladder out (2 years before my DS) and I never knew about the sphincter of Oddi reaction until recently reading about it on the Yahoo group. It was such a mystery to me how I went from taking hydrocodone frequently for back pain to doubling over in pain whenever I took it. After my DS, it wasn't so much of an issue anymore because the back pain was history. :) It's great to know about the anti-spasmodic though, just in case I ever need codeine.

Vitalady also recommended a spoonful of peanut butter or a couple packets of coro-mega if you don't have any Bentyl available.

Great to know. Thanks!

I'm allergic to codeine and morphine.  I was on an epidural pump in the hospital, and then I was transitioned to vicodin.  Vicodin doesn't do much for me, but fortunately by the time they took me off the epidural pump the pain wasn't too horribly uncomfortable, so the vicodin was sufficient.

In the past, though, when I had terrible headaches they gave me Fiorinal and it relieved my pain within minutes...I kid you not.  It was amazing.  I only took it that one time for 2 or 3 days, but it was amazing.

Don't worry...just tell your doc what you're sensitive/allergic too, and they will find an appropriate alternative for you.

Felicia