Question:
I have a progressive, painful disease in which I have taken numerous pain meds.

Over the years I have built up quite a tolerance to all the pain meds. I also have had trouble with addiction to these meds. If I don't have them, I don't think anything of them. If I do have them, they are gone. I finally quit taking all narcotics about 8 months ago and have endured the pain from my disease. My fear is that post op I will become highly addicted again. Has anyone had this same problem. How did you handle it?    — [Anonymous] (posted on July 27, 2001)

July 26, 2001
I was off all pain meds by day 2 in the hospital and haven't had anything since.
   — Linda M.

July 27, 2001
This is something you should discuss with your surgeon and more also with the anesthesiologist. You will have an anesthesiology consult before your surgery and you should make him/her aware of this issue. Generally, we are off pain meds by day two and if they give you a script to take home, it isn't usually a narcotic. But, it's best to consult with the professionals about this.
   — [Anonymous]

July 27, 2001
You know your limits, so you are already ahead of the game. Just ask for a presciption for pain meds that includes only a week's worth of pills and tell them why. No problem. I had to sign in here because I noticed a couple people saying they were on pain meds for only 2 days! WOW! Day 4 was my absolute worst pain day, but I was on pain meds for 8 days so I didn't want anyone reading this to think they were wimpy or something if they had pain longer than 2 days (which seems ludicrous, really).
   — Cindy H.

July 27, 2001
There's nothing ludicrous about being fortunate enough to be off all pain meds by day 2.(Just as it's okay that many need help longer) Many of us are able. Everyone's pain tolerance is different. My words were to encourage to let you know that you may not be on pain meds for a long period of time. You may feel discomfort that for you an aspirin will handle.You may feel discomfort that dsn't need anything. You definetly should discuss this with your surgeon and if you have a mtg. with anesthesiologist than discuss with them too(I met anesthesiologist outside the OR). I'm sure you're not the first patient they have had to monitor for the same reason. Best of luck to you.
   — Linda M.

April 25, 2002
i understand what you mean and your concern, i too am concerned because my surgery is on may 24th and i have a problem also but first let me tell you where i stand, i had several injurys a couple of years ago and i was in a lot of pain and i was on oxycontin and oxycodone for a long time and when the pain was gone and i tried telling my doctor that i had healed as much as i was going to , i knew i would just have to deal with the back pain but that if i didnt take the meds i would get so vilently ill from withdrawls and his awnser was oh, just wean yourself off and continued writing the perscriptions. it was easier said than done and my tolerance was so high by that time that it was ridiculas. the doctor could care less because he was making money as long as i was his patient and i was so sick of being sick so finally i started a program at a methadone clinic and i couldnt believe this was happening to me and all from perscriptions from a doctor but it did and i really didnt think the methadone would even help me because my tolerance was so high, you think 3 vicadin is a lot, i had to take about 10 to 12 just to stop the withdrawls,but the methadone was incredable, from the very first day it worked, i had no desire to take a pain pill and no more wondering where my next pill was coming from, i felt like i was waking up and i felt so normal again finally- what i wanted to tell you was that methadone is also used for pain managemnent for people who are not addicted, you could talk to a pain management doctor about it. but if someone is just wanting to get high it wont work because it works differntly than most opiots and if your on methadone it will block the effects of other opiots, all it does is make you feel normal again and make you not desire opiots- i have stayed on the program a year and a half now only because i have a son who is chronically ill and has been homebound from school for 3 years and he is on the same meds that i got addicted to through a pediatric pain management doc and i think it would be disasterous to get off the program but back to my problem, it was very difficult to even find a surgeon who would even touch me because of the methadone, they dont know how to control pain for a patient who is on it because it does block a lot of pain meds and there are alot of pain meds that would normally used that would throw me into severe withdrawls but finally i found a surgeon at the hospital where my son goes that said they have a pain management team who can take care of me during and afterward which is wonderful. but i am worried about how they will do that, someone told me they may just increase the amount of methadone im on for pain management but who knows, if anyone reads this that has had surgery while on methadone ,please comment. but you were saying how you dont want to be in pain from the problems you are already having and i was thinking if your already addicted , which it doesnt sound like you are physically but you could try a methadone clinic and if you are not then you could try a pain management doctor but be honest with them- either way , i wish you luck and be careful because its not a fun road to travel down. if you wish to e-mail me and talk about it or if anyone has any information about what my concerns are please feel free- [email protected] april***
   — APRIL H.