Hi,

Due to chronic pain and past opiate/painkiller abuse I am on Suboxone sublingual. The doctors have prescribed liquid hydrocodone post surgery and they know my history. Wondering when you did your pre op taper from Suboxone? For those unfamiliar Suboxone is used in treatment for opiate addiction or withdrawal also a pain reliever. Look it up for more information.

Sort of scared of taking hydrocodone again. Hopefully, I will not need much. Figured, I cannot be the only one with prior non food addiction issues out there. Not certain of how many are on opiate pain RX's anyway prior to surgery. Not that I am asking to know. Just mainly the taper from Suboxone. Thanks

I would talk to the doctor that is prescribing you the Suboxone. They may have suggestions on how to taper it. They may have a preferred RX narcotic for you to use or have an alternate RX non-narcotic pain killer to use. If necessary have them talk to your surgeon.

I did use the narcotics the 3 days in the hospital plus one dose the night I came home just to make sure I slept well the first night at home. Quite frankly I would have done fine with tylenol that 3rd day in the hospital. I had an hour plus drive home so took an oral narcotic about 45 minutes before I was due to be picked up. I wanted to be sure the riding in the car wouldn't be uncomfortable.

Many people don't need the narcotics very long after surgery.

Once again I would talk to your Saboxine doctor about what they suggest.

If you really really feel like you need to have narcotics available at home after the surgery can you give them to a good friend or relative that lives close? This way you have to really need them and call that person to ask for them. They aren't sitting there in the medicine cabinet calling your name.

@@chele367 I agree - you need to discuss this with your Suboxone MD. They need to give you a plan for weaning off. They also need to know if you are taking narcotics. I would be very hesitant to take narcotics with a prior history of abuse. I'm actually surprised your surgeon is considering it. There are alternatives. Good luck!!!

@@chele367 - my son had a motorcycle accident Nov 2014 and is an opiate/pain killer abuser.

Unfortunately the 3 days on continuous pain meds in the hospital put it right back in his day to day craziness. He is currently in re-hab. Had I known more at the time exactly what all he had been taking I would have probably had him put in re-hab straight from the hospital. I walked out on him, after a screaming match and considered letting him go to a homeless shelter rather than bring him home.

It took 9 months (following an arrest) to get him hopefully on the right path.

Please talk to your doctor for both the WLS and the addiction and see if there is any other alternative. I pray that you are able to beat the addiction and that your WLS is also a success ((((((BIG HUG))))))

Hello,

Just wanted u to know that I weened off of the suboxone 8 mg in 4 day's it helped me so much I could not believe how great they work.i started uot on 8 mg and broke them up in 4 pieces and each day lower myself I was fine. Hope this helps didn't your doctor tell you whag to do?. Fell better!!!!

Thanks for your reply. Actually have an appointment Tuesday with the prescribing doctor. The nurse that called also had the sleeve a couple years ago. She said the liquid narcotic is way different than what it was like being able to take pills. Sometimes is causes sever heartburn and it does not take as much medicine like pre-sleeve. So far it sounds like they want me to do what the surgeon orders, then I can start back to the Suboxone. Will know more the 31st. Have a good Memorial Day. Keeping it simple myself getting household chores completed before the big date! Appreciate your feedback, thanks again.

I will echo what others said in that you will likely only need the narcotic for the first day or two. After that I was able to switch to the liquid adult tylenol and that worked just fine to control the pain.

Best of luck!

Go to an NA meeting and ask them what they think, you will get your answer...

I took liquid hydrocodone only twice after coming home and probably could have skipped it. The pain post op was very minimal.

Don't anticipate a painful recovery. It may not be that way for you.

I pray someone replies. I'm going to stop suboxone 5 days ahead. I've had to stop for dental work before and as far as addict behavior I had NO problems. The problem was they didn't make a pain medication strong enough. Once you take suboxone I don't know that pain meds ever work again. I tried oxy, and morphine and it didn't help. I'm thinking I'm going to hurt bad!

I pray someone replies. I'm going to stop suboxone 5 days ahead. I've had to stop for dental work before and as far as addict behavior I had NO problems. The problem was they didn't make a pain medication strong enough. Once you take suboxone I don't know that pain meds ever work again. I tried oxy, and morphine and it didn't help. I'm thinking I'm going to hurt bad!

I'm curious why you have to stop suboxone before surgery. Does it thin the blood?
I think you can handle the pain on Tylenol. Take what they give you in the hospital but at home just do liquid Tylenol.

They told me to discontinue prior to surgery because I would need the pain meds to work. In my experience they don't/won't work any way.

I do not think so the most pain is right after surgery and they will keep giving you pain meds until you are comfortable. honestly the headache I had from not giving up caffeine beforehand like I was suppose to do was way worse. Luckily post surgery the nurse messed up brought reg black tea so I sipped on that got rid of it. But you will be just fine. You are right the receptors have changed. Just watch out for alcohol down the road if you struggle with addiction and go to support meetings for bariatrics. I still have to watch sugar, alcohol and as a over a year out can eat more and that is scary. Going to put myself back on soft diet to shrink pouch.

Glad you wrote ! So you had a bad headache from not giving up caffeine? No one told me to quit caffeine I know caffeine withdraws give headaches. So a year out, can you tell me is there anything you maybe take a bite of or sip of that you thought you never would be able to again?

EVERYTHING! I was super strict pre/post op and lost 45lbs on my own but did not give up caffeine. And I did give up soda, have had a few sips here and there but it really does not taste good. I was a Diet Coke addict so for me to say that. I am fighting again to lose my last 15 lbs. I eat protein first try not to drink w meals, keep my servings to 1/2 cup no more than a cup of whatever I am eating. Shocked that I can eat popcorn but it sort of hurts like my pouch was tumbling rocks. You will find your zone but just remember your brain is not having surgery and it will be the same brain that helped you get fat in the first place. In the beginning you will not be able to cheat much cause you will not feel like it. But remember you can gain your weight back have to remind myself daily of that. Good luck and I am still happy I had VSG! Just got asked out for the first time since losing 145lbs.

your pain receptors are blocked by Suboxone so you have to be in active withdrawal in order for the medication in the hospital to work. Then you have to be back in active withdraw to resume Suboxone. Suboxone has saved my life and I am a big supporter of it. You will be okay just get off the pain meds post off as soon as you are able. My addict brain wanted to ask for more pain med's post but my body didn't need them then I was back on Suboxone. All good.