Question:
What am I supposed to do now?!?! Please help!

Well, I'm feeling pretty upset and frustrated this morning. Let me start at the beginning: I had open RNY on 4/5/02 and then gallbladder surgery on 5/14/02. For the first few weeks after the RNY I felt fairly normal, just healing from the surgery. But then my gallbladder went bad about 2 weeks before I had it out. Since the gallbladder removal, I've had CONSTANT pain in my back and lower abdominal area. This pain is relentless, and will only go away (most of the time) when I take a Vicodin ES. I'm now working with a GI doctor on this pain and have had an endoscopy, MRCP and more blood work to determine if it is pancreatitis or not. All of these tests came back normal, so the GI doctor thinks I'm having spasms somewhere in my system. So she prescribed Librax earlier this week for the spasms and I started having some concerning side effects, so was taken off of that and just started taking Bentyl last night instead. In the meantime, I have only 4 pain pills left and my surgeon has refused to refill my prescription because I've been using it too long, but also wouldn't prescribe anything else for me. I would agree that I've been using Vicodin for much too long, but I'm also still having a lot of pain, so what else can I do? I know this works for me, and I still need to live my life. So then I called the GI doctor's office to see if they would refill it for me, I was told that she would NOT prescribe more, because my surgeon said no. It is now saturday morning and I don't have enough pain medication to get me through the weekend. I'm scheduled to see my surgeon on monday night and maybe I can get my point across to him that I still need something to help with the pain, but it's gonna be a rough road before that appt. I'm afraid to use the last of my pain pills, because then they will all be gone. But as I sit here, my back is killing me and the Bentyl hasn't helped. I took 2 Tylenol a couple of hours ago, and still no relief. I just don't know where to go from here. I can't get in to see my PCP until at least monday. I guess another trip to the ER is in store for me this weekend. I went to the ER before my gallbladder removal, because that was the only way I could get my surgeon to listen to me. I'm just looking for anyone's thoughts or experiences, and maybe a little advice. Please help!!    — Christine L. (posted on June 15, 2002)

June 15, 2002
I really feel for you. I am a chronic pain person so know what it is like to feel pain. I am almost 5 months post op. I am getting my gallbladder removed soon. I am curious as to why they told you that you had been on Vicodin to long? As I have chronic pain I have been on hydrocodone (same as vicodin or lortab) for over 3 years. I take it daily. If you need relief go to the ER. BTW my RNY surgeon knew I was on 2 different pain meds before surgery and knew that I would probably be on them for life. He confered with my pain managment doc before surgery. I pray that you get relief soon as I KNOW what it is like to live in pain.
   — Melody F.

June 15, 2002
I can totally relate to what you are going thru. I am 6 mos. post op, had complications, and am still taking pain meds. I too started to have problems with my surgeon regarding him refilling my hydrocodone. He expressed concerns that I would become addicted to them. I told him that unless he could do something to take my pain away, I NEED something for pain. So he reluctantly gave me another refill and had me get a CAT Scan to see what the problem was. Anywhoo, I know how you feel when you say you don't want to take your last pills. When I get low on mine, I DREAD having to call his office to HOPE he will give me a refill. I usually only need 1/2 to 1 pill a day, mostly at night so I can at least get a night's sleep in. I only take a pill during the day if I am in hard pain, so I really don't worry about addiction. I just had to call my surgeon yesterday and instead of hydrocodone, he prescribed Tylenol 3 that has codene in it. The Tylenol 3 makes me nauseous. I will use them until Monday and call his office to get something else. To me, nausea is just as bad as having pain. I can understand our doctors conderns with addiction, BUT, the way i feel, if I need the pain meds to be able to live my life a little more comfortable, then we will deal with addiction when or if it even happens. I am anxious to hear other responses to your question......Good Luck!
   — Kim B.

June 16, 2002
I was in your boat once I have not had surgery yet still working towards it. But I was in a car accident and wrinched my back pretty bad. I was so adicted to the vicidin to get me through the pain. I started geting help from my mom who is a nurse and she deals with people who have substance abuse problems. She told me to use a heating pad on my back and try using the hot tub at the gym. Both of these things I did and they helped allot to ease my pain. also vicidin is just tylenol with codin so if you really need it go out by some cough syrup (robentusin) and some tylenol and there you have vicidin. My doctor told me this he is great help when I needed him. So just follow the dose on the cough syrup and try that new tylenol arthritis medication. Be carefull combo will knock you out just like vicidin.
   — sheri B.