Pain med absorption after RNY?

Hi Everyone!  I have been MIA for a couple of weeks--trying to finish several projects before a surgery.

So, I just had surgery on my Achilles Tendon (it was an "FHL tendon to Achilles transfer").  I had mentioned this in a previous post--I am so optimistic for my future, because for 7years, I was told nothing could be done about this problem.  My  mood and outlook are good.

BUT.  My pain is BAAAAAAD.  I am on Percocet, and it is just not addressing the pain very well at all.  Do we malabsorb narcotics after WLS?

xoxo

I have not found that to be the case.

Please call the doctor and let them know you are in pain with your current med.

Thanks for replying so quickly.  I have obviously been preoccupied with the post-surgery stuff and apologize for not responding sooner.  I could not get the PA to respond until later in the day, after the pain subsided somewhat on its own (it went from an 8/9 to a 6, and I could manage at the 6).  I am doing well now--still on the meds, but without the high levels of pain.  I really appreciate your kindness in responding to me.  xo

This is not my experience. I absorb them fast ..they just don't last. like alcohol.  But percocet upsets my pouch. I can't take it... makes me sick.  Narco - that is one that I have much better results with.  I often take 1/2 of narco... then 1 hour later another 1/2.. Taking the whole narco at once - often makes me very drowsy and ..nauseated...  

Thank you for these insights.  I am always nervous about experimenting with dosing on narcotics of any type.  But your idea about spacing out the doses is a great idea.  I think the fast absorbtion may be my experience too.  Thanks.

Hope you are able to manage the pain level and your healing is speedy.

Post RNY (and DS) you can malabsorb meds for sure... in fact many people find depression/anxiety med dosages need to be adjusted several times during the first few months... I'm not sure it matters the type of medication though...  I haven't read anything specific to narcotics/pain meds. They seem to act the same for me post-op the times I've needed to take them. 

I have had medication take way longer to take effect post-op... zithromax (z-pack antibiotic)... pre-op I felt relief of symptoms by the 3rd day. Now it often takes days after the final dose.

But then OTC Benadryl are like roofies to me post-op.... super effective... almost too effective and the drowsiness side stays with me well into the next day.

Maybe the Dr can prescribe a liquid pain killer (yuck) 

Thank you very much for the insights into various meds.  It really does make sense that all types of meds could have differences in absorption.  I am doing well now--still on my pain meds, but the overall pain has leveled off quite a bit and I am managing well.  I am glad to have had this experience to know I need to be prepared for a different approach.  I hope to have plastic surgery sometime next year--and I anticipate that I will need better pain management for that than for this current procedure.  Best---

I definitely had trouble controlling pain post op and still do at times.  My docs understood though - they knew I'd had the surgery - at least enough to change my prescription to stronger and/or different meds.

Please do let your doc know.  No reason for you to be suffering any more than absolutely necessary.  Liquid pain med are nasty but they worked better for me at least at first.  There are also Fentanyl patches which are absorbed transdermally (sp?) and those help too.  Lastly, the opiates without the added Tylenol or ibuprofen seem to provide more relief than those combinations meds.  And we're not supposed to do NSAIDs anyway.

Good luck to you.  Don't give up until they give you some help. 

When I had Rny surgery I had liquid Oxycodone. I loved it because I could take a much smaller dose. I'm a bit of a lightweight and it also absorbed fast. I had the same thing after transplant surgery.

I always ask for the plain pain medicine. No tylenol or NSAID added. It nice when you are getting better you can take a pain pill one time and then tylenol the next time. Good for weaning. I don't want to add any more insult to my liver by taking tylenol with every narcotic p 

I agree!  I will ask for this next time.  I also wish I did not have to worry about the extra Tylenol.  They put it in, I think, as a deterrent to abuse.  Especially in my state, where there is significant prescription drug abuse, the medical offices seem to think everyone is an addict, so I wonder if they would allow me to even have the "pure" form of the med.  I have no history of drug abuse.  (I was going to say I have no history of abuse of any kind, but look at me with food . . .)