Hi

I am in the approval pre-req process for VSG. I have a history of opiate addiction, in recovery for 3 years. Just wondering if anyone else has been through surgery with addiction history?

I'm a recovering alcoholic ... do the meetings often. It is easy to get your head spinning with all the changes. It helps to have a program of recovery in place.

There is a forum here with cross-addiction threads HERE.

Thnak you both for your honesty. Honesty is the foundation for our recovery.

Thanks PDx and Tink!

i personally think we are all in recovery, i cant imagine removing 85% of your stomach without having a serious food addiction.

in Narcotics anonymous, we define recovery as 'an active change in our ideas and attitudes', so yeah, you are probably right. I am pretty well-connected in the recovery community, so I'm in a good place. Just want to make sure I'm covering all the bases before I have surgery. Need to set myself up for success, which probably involves very limited access to pain meds at home, as well as increased support/ counseling, as well as meetings.

i will tell you i havent used pain meds at home and actually stopped them in the hospital. you dont need them. i had my gallbladder out before and was terrified, but for some reason its just not a very painful surgery,

in Narcotics anonymous' date=' we define recovery as 'an active change in our ideas and attitudes', so yeah, you are probably right. I am pretty well-connected in the recovery community, so I'm in a good place. Just want to make sure I'm covering all the bases before I have surgery. Need to set myself up for success, which probably involves very limited access to pain meds at home, as well as increased support/ counseling, as well as meetings.[/quote']

Yes,

As I always say eyes wide open...

Know your potential pit falls before taking the leap.

I've never had an drug or alcohol addiction.

But I come from a family with both (my mother and brother)

This is a post from me some months back....

Comfort.. It's why I ate. Numbing myself with each bite, from what? Past trauma? Disappointment? Boredom? Life? The answer? All of the above.

As you know a lot of us struggle with addictive personalities here. If you've been around here you've heard me talk about my problem with the pain meds at night, I started taking them in the evening ( the same time I did my best eating) long after I "needed" them.. I shocked myself because drugs or alcohol have never been a problem for me.

It's like an addiction is waiting around every corner just waiting for me some days. I've been sick this last week and had bad allergies to top it off. I have always stayed away from Benadryl because I have a bad drugged type reaction and then it knocks me out. Well a few days ago I got so desperate I took one, worked awesome! I went back for more the next night. Last night I couldn't find them, my husband took them. He said I know you just want to knock yourself out.... Was he right? Maybe.

We have additive personalities, and we are sneaky beings. So we are always looking for ways to fill that hole. My husband knew about the pain meds in the beginning because I told him. That's how he knew to take the Benadryl away and confront me on it. You need to do the same.

Shine a light on the problem, talk to a close family member, friend, and counselor. And us of course,

i will tell you i havent used pain meds at home and actually stopped them in the hospital. you dont need them. i had my gallbladder out before and was terrified, but for some reason its just not a very painful surgery,

I'm not an addict but I can say that I could not have survived the first few days (up to a week) without pain meds. My dr took an extra 30 mins to dig my lapband out of my stomach so my recovery was much more painful than it should have been. I got Dilaudid in my IV every 2 hrs for the first 48 hrs the liquid Vicodin at home. If I really tried hard I could've switched to Tylenol after the first week, but absolutely not before then. I wouldn't have been able to function.

Good luck with that...

I didn't need pain meds after day 6 post op. Maybe you can ask your doc for a no-opiod pain medicine such as Toradol. I know i needed the dilaudid pump when i first got out of surgery. I did have a little problem with oxycontin about 6 years ago. But, the dilaudid made me feel so sick that I didn't want it! I did get some hydrocone from the doctor but i only used it a couple of days. I hope you are able to not have a relapse...make sure you have a strong support system...it sounds like you already do! Best of luck to you and keep us posted.

Hi

I am in the approval pre-req process for VSG. I have a history of opiate addiction' date=' in recovery for 3 years. Just wondering if anyone else has been through surgery with addiction history?[/quote']

I am fortunate to have only a food addiction. After my surgery I really had no pain. They have me a couple of pain meds in the hospital, can't tell you what, but discontinued that early. Sent me home with Tylenol with codeine, but I never took it. A couple of tylenols were all I needed. Hopefully you will have the same experience.

Whether it is food, drugs, or whatever, an addiction is an addiction. The only difference between any of them is that they are dealt with in different manners.