Question:
How would the use of the daily pain meds I take now react with the PCP or other meds

Has anyone with chronic back and spinal problems on oxycontin , neurotin a spinal stimulator and nerve blocks eveer had this RNY. I'm use to pain but concerned the pain from surgery will be hard to control with high level of pain meds taken now, any help out there? Thanks in advance.    — sharon C. (posted on May 10, 2001)

May 10, 2001
These are issues that can be dealt with. It is important that you discuss this with you anesthesiologist before surgery. He/she is the person most responsible for your pain management during surgery. That is the person most knowlegeable about pain medicine and if your surgeon seems unclear at all about how to handle your post-op pain, ask the anethesiologist to discuss it with him. By the way, there is a liquid form of Oxycontin which you can take and it may be necessary for you to increase your dose temporarily after surgery. It is VERY important that you not have narcotics withheld or your usual dose reduced after surgery. There may be a big difference in absorption of the extended-release Oxycontin after surgery but it is possible to get your equivalent dose in the liquid form with more frequent dosing. You and your doctor will have to work with this.
   — Anndrea H.

February 13, 2002
I am waiting for my surgery date and am a little bit concerned with pain control after surgery because of having a very high tolerance to opiates- I had several injurys in 1 year and became highly addicted to oxycontin that was perscribed to me by my doctor. it was so out of control. the withdrawls were unbearable and the doc could care less that i was addicted, he just said wean yourself off and continued to write the scripts for many more months until i put a stop to it and went for help. I am now on methadone and have been for a year. it saved my life and i finally feel normal again mentally and physically but havent weaned off of it yet because i have a child who is chronically ill and has beeen homebound from school for 3 years, he has a pain management doc and is on oxycontin, i have to handle his medications daily. i have no desire to take it, thank god! i had several surgeons not even want to see me about the gastric bypass because i am a methadone patient and they do not know how to manage the pain on a methadone patient. i didnt give up, i went to the hospital where my son goes and found a surgeon that has no problems with it at all, he said they have a pain management team at the hospital and they would know exactly how to handle it(i am asssuming this team is the one who takes care of my son, but not sure yet) i was really worried he would turn me away so when i went for my appointment i was totally prepared and had already had the letter from my doctor and the sleep apnea study results and even the psyciatric evaluation already done which of course i did not tell about the methadone, i also took him a years worth of clean drug screens from my clinic and he was so nice to me. i hope it will be alright , i am a little worried about them being able to control the pain and also there are a lot of drugs that they can not give me because i will be thrown into immediate withdrawls but a pain management specialist should know because methadone is also used for pain management, they may just increase my dosage for pain control. well good luck
   — [Anonymous]