Anyone have a general high tolerance for pain meds?

[AtlantaRed 651]

I am not a chronic pain med user; however, the 4 times I have needed prescription pain meds, they haven't worked.

I thought I had a high tolerance for pain meds but the last surgeon said I had a low tolerance for pain (which just makes me sound like a big baby).

The first occasion was tonsillectomy when I was 28. All they gave me was hydrocodone and refused to give me anything else. I was out of work for 2 weeks.

Second was wisdom teeth extraction. Dentist gave me Demerol which was a dream! (but they don't give that anymore).

Third was last year when I had by gallbladder removed. My 74-yo mother had hers removed the year before and was on hydrocodone for 3 days (which were a blur to her) and then she was fine.

I woke up from the gallbladder surgery with severe nausea despite the patch behind my ear and Zofran, and a severe Migraine. They told me I won the award for the worst recovery! Doc sent me home with Toradol and Tramadol. I took them for 3 days, even though they weren't working. I stopped taking them because not only were they not working, but my eyes were severely dilated and I was seeing blurry. We had our annual vacation (we take one a year) scheduled for 3 days after the surgery and every single doctor and nurse swore we would be able to go on vacation. Nope. The day we were supposed to leave, I still needed help getting up and down from anything and couldn't stand up straight for 2 weeks!

For Migraines, the doc had tried me on all of the -codones, tramadol, toradol, fioricet, fiorinal, mobic, lodine, celebrex, imitrex, maxalt, and of course tylenol and ibuprofen.

They just don't work for me. It's like me eating an M&M. It's hard to find doctors who don't think you're drug seeking. However, my regular PCP can show documentation that she has never prescribed anything for me.

I had my first consult and most of it revolved around pain control. He said he usually sends people home with liquid percocet but since that doesn't work for me, he would send me home with Dilaudid and make sure I had adequate nausea control. He said he would do it in the hospital instead of the surgical center to make sure pain was controlled in the hospital and then he would send me home on whatever was working.

Just wondering if ANYONE is in the same position and have you successfully found something that will work?

[gamergirl 4,609]

Hmmm I feel no relief with many drugs that help people, such as morphine and codeine. Tramadol also does nothing. Aleve is a joke. This runs in my family. My mom and my son and I are all alike in this. But oddly, 2 extra strength Tylenol do more for me than any of those drugs, and without making me high. I hate feeling high. So I did find something that worked but it was nothing fancy.

Now when I was in so much pain that I was bed ridden, they made me take methadone. I was only on it in small doses for 2 months and it made a HUGE difference to the pain, but the detox from it? Horrible. I'd have been better off being a heroin addict than detoxing from methadone! With heroin, I understand the withdrawal is really bad for 3 days and then at least physically you're done. Methadone took 6 weeks of pacing the halls all night long.

Long-winded way of saying yeah they might find something that works for you, but beware the poisoned apple.

[AtlantaRed 651]

Wow! My PCP had discussed morphine and methadone. I've never been on either. Do you think it was because you took it for a long term? Could you have taken it for a week and still had the same withdrawal? I don't mind feeling loopy but I certainly don't want to withdrawal from something!

[ScottsGirl 106]

I didn't need any pain meds at all, not even in the hospital! The pain you're going to feel is from the air they pump into your abdomen, and very sore stomach muscles. Now, I opted not to have meds and I told my doctor before surgery that I didn't want them; I requested muscle relaxers and only took one (Soma). I had a surgery a month prior to the VSG and had meds then (Dilaudid) - BIG mistake! I felt nauseated, it took me long to recover, and slowed me down! I hate feeling like that. With the sleeve, I was drinking my liquids as soon as I was out of recovery and walking around the very same day, and was cut loose by 5pm the next day. I was very happy to go home, my bed is so much more comfortable!

Do what you think is best for YOU, you know yourself better than anybody. Take the meds home, use them if you need them. If you don't, even better.

Best wishes!

[AtlantaRed 651]

I didn't need any pain meds at all, not even in the hospital! The pain you're going to feel is from the air they pump into your abdomen, and very sore stomach muscles. Now, I opted not to have meds and I told my doctor before surgery that I didn't want them; I requested muscle relaxers and only took one (Soma). I had a surgery a month prior to the VSG and had meds then (Dilaudid) - BIG mistake! I felt nauseated, it took me long to recover, and slowed me down! I hate feeling like that. With the sleeve, I was drinking my liquids as soon as I was out of recovery and walking around the very same day, and was cut loose by 5pm the next day. I was very happy to go home, my bed is so much more comfortable!

Do what you think is best for YOU, you know yourself better than anybody. Take the meds home, use them if you need them. If you don't, even better.

Best wishes!

Thanks! My biggest fear is the pain, knowing I've had procedures which others thought were minor for them. Even having a small pimple sized basal cell carcinoma removed on my chest, it took 2 vials of numbing stuff to be injected because the stuff didn't numb me up like it does others.

[gamergirl 4,609]

Wow! My PCP had discussed morphine and methadone. I've never been on either. Do you think it was because you took it for a long term? Could you have taken it for a week and still had the same withdrawal? I don't mind feeling loopy but I certainly don't want to withdrawal from something!

Stay away from the methadone. Gut through the pain but don't touch that. Seriously. I used to work with drug addicts who were on methadone to help w withdrawal. They all said quitting it was harder than quitting the heroine. It's not a mental addiction but a physical one that is the pits.

The addicts used to get 150-250 etc doses. I was on a 20 dose, and I had to sign a paper saying I wouldn't try to quit it on my own. I was only on it for 2 months but I warned not to go off even after a week. They have to taper you off it and that takes forever! Can only cut dose in half each week, etc type if nonsense.

Honestly I quit pain meds with the surgery after 2 days and for what they did for me, OTC could have done the same.

Morphine for me was a non-starter because it doesn't even touch the pain. I'd do that before the methadone if I were you. But first try nothing.

[gamergirl 4,609]

Thanks! My biggest fear is the pain' date=' knowing I've had procedures which others thought were minor for them. Even having a small pimple sized basal cell carcinoma removed on my chest, it took 2 vials of numbing stuff to be injected because the stuff didn't numb me up like it does others.[/quote']

This is weird to hear cause I too need a LOT more to numb be than for most people, even for dental,surgery. I like that you're weird in the same way. Makes me feel less like a freak

[AtlantaRed 651]

Stay away from the methadone. Gut through the pain but don't touch that. Seriously. I used to work with drug addicts who were on methadone to help w withdrawal. They all said quitting it was harder than quitting the heroine. It's not a mental addiction but a physical one that is the pits.

The addicts used to get 150-250 etc doses. I was on a 20 dose, and I had to sign a paper saying I wouldn't try to quit it on my own. I was only on it for 2 months but I warned not to go off even after a week. They have to taper you off it and that takes forever! Can only cut dose in half each week, etc type if nonsense.

Honestly I quit pain meds with the surgery after 2 days and for what they did for me, OTC could have done the same.

Morphine for me was a non-starter because it doesn't even touch the pain. I'd do that before the methadone if I were you. But first try nothing.

Thanks so much for your input! Hopefully the Dilauded he gives me will do something. I don't expect to be pain free but taking the edge off will be nice!

[Joanie48 2]

Here's an interesting bit of information I learned from a pain management specialist. It seems that red heads require higher doses of anesthesia medication and pain meds. They are not exactly sure why but they see it in practice. My surgeon uses a combination of narcotic and non-narcotic pain medications (all given IV) which worked very well. I was able to walk around the entire unit twice the night of my surgery with minimal pain.

[AtlantaRed 651]

This is weird to hear cause I too need a LOT more to numb be than for most people, even for dental,surgery. I like that you're weird in the same way. Makes me feel less like a freak

Too funny! I guess it's nice to have someone to commiserate with!! We will have to keep each other posted when we find things that work!

[AtlantaRed 651]

Here's an interesting bit of information I learned from a pain management specialist. It seems that red heads require higher doses of anesthesia medication and pain meds. They are not exactly sure why but they see it in practice. My surgeon uses a combination of narcotic and non-narcotic pain medications (all given IV) which worked very well. I was able to walk around the entire unit twice the night of my surgery with minimal pain.

I heard that too! When I brought it up to the surgeon who did my gallbladder, one of the worst experiences of my life, he acted like I was crazy and said there was no truth to that!

What were you sent home on?

I'll just believe it is so. However, doesn't help with the suffering.

[Daydra 345]

Here's an interesting bit of information I learned from a pain management specialist. It seems that red heads require higher doses of anesthesia medication and pain meds. They are not exactly sure why but they see it in practice. My surgeon uses a combination of narcotic and non-narcotic pain medications (all given IV) which worked very well. I was able to walk around the entire unit twice the night of my surgery with minimal pain.

Bah! I had a physical therapist that told me that as well. He said that it wasn't so much red hair, but Scottish/Irish heritage, which he referred to as "Reds". I thought he was freaking cracked! (He was trained in Denmark, which I guess is neither here nor there, but he had some funky ideas about physical therapy. My doc pulled me from care after several months.) He actually sent me home with an article about it. Probably long trashed by now... But it totally explained my experiences. Even as a kid, codeine didn't even work for me for a simple ear infection. Morphine was worthless, Toradol worked for me in the ER when my neck seized on me (along with some Valium), but Tramadol was a complete joke. All the fuzzy, stupid head side effects with none of the pain relief. I only accepted that after I had a doc refuse to prescribe the Percocet I requested. (For reasonably minor pain. I broke my tailbone about a decade ago and it still hurts like hell when I have to cram my arse into an airplane seat.) Perc works for me for fairly minor pain, but it doesn't work as well or nearly as long as it's supposed to. They gave me dilaudid while I was in the clinic and I had liquid perc for when I went home (at my request, they usually prescribe liquid vicodin). Fortunately, I didn't experience much pain and didn't bother taking it after the first couple days.

Good luck! Hopefully you will have an easy surgery and very little pain afterward!

[gamergirl 4,609]

I must take up this Scottish/red hair issue with my family who has been passing themselves off as Indians all these years

[AtlantaRed 651]

Bah! I had a physical therapist that told me that as well. He said that it wasn't so much red hair, but Scottish/Irish heritage, which he referred to as "Reds". I thought he was freaking cracked! (He was trained in Denmark, which I guess is neither here nor there, but he had some funky ideas about physical therapy. My doc pulled me from care after several months.) He actually sent me home with an article about it. Probably long trashed by now... But it totally explained my experiences. Even as a kid, codeine didn't even work for me for a simple ear infection. Morphine was worthless, Toradol worked for me in the ER when my neck seized on me (along with some Valium), but Tramadol was a complete joke. All the fuzzy, stupid head side effects with none of the pain relief. I only accepted that after I had a doc refuse to prescribe the Percocet I requested. (For reasonably minor pain. I broke my tailbone about a decade ago and it still hurts like hell when I have to cram my arse into an airplane seat.) Perc works for me for fairly minor pain, but it doesn't work as well or nearly as long as it's supposed to. They gave me dilaudid while I was in the clinic and I had liquid perc for when I went home (at my request, they usually prescribe liquid vicodin). Fortunately, I didn't experience much pain and didn't bother taking it after the first couple days.

Good luck! Hopefully you will have an easy surgery and very little pain afterward!

Thank you so much! He mentioned the liquid percocet but said since regular perc doesn't work for me, he would do the Dilaudid. Like I said, from past experience, I'm not looking to be pain free, just a little help would be nice!

[Daydra 345]

I must take up this Scottish/red hair issue with my family who has been passing themselves off as Indians all these years

Uh oh... you might have a "family secret"! :-)