...I'm wondering if I can take my liquid hydrocodone slightly more often than recommended on the label.

While I was in recovery at the hospital, I was on IV dilaudid and was in GREAT shape. Got up to work every hour with no problem, drank baby sips of water and vegetable broth and tolerated both great.

I was released in the afternoon (paying out of pocket, os no overnight stay) and sent home with liquid hydrocodone. The intructions say to take every 4-6hrs, but Im finding the pain returning right around the 3rd hour. My dr said i should always try to get ahead of the pain.

Depending on how I do tomorrow, I may switch to liquid tylenol instead.

A few more questions for those of you post-op:

1. My incisions look great, but belly is SO SO bloated and it has a weird "went" above my bellybutton that wasn't there before. I'll try to take a photo tomorrow but anyone experience this? Will it go away when I become less bloated?
2. What are some tips for getting rid of that bloating? I have been walking 5 minutes on the hour religiously. It helped decrease swelling in my legs, but my belly is still very bloated. I took Gas-X at the hospital and didn't pass any gas. Taking another one now to see if it helps.

Wow, so many typos! Lol i meant to say my belly has a weird "dent" on it, right around the belly button incision. Here's a photo! Anyone else experience this before?

Im also having a mild skin reaction to the liquid hydrocodone. I know it's normal to itch on it, but my cheeks got REALLY red and warm (no fever though), and it spread to my chest and arms. No difficulty breathing or anything like that. Still it scared me a little. I texted my surgeon and he told me to take benadryl with it or stop taking it and switch to liquid tylenol. Im just scared im not ready to wean off yet, im still in pain.

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If you are starting to have an allergic reaction, I would discontinue use. Adding more into your system, even with benadryl, could make it worse. If Tylenol isn't cutting it, ask your surgeon for different prescription.

I didn't experience bloating. I would assume that is just the gas use for the laproscopic procedure. That will lessen over the next couple of days.

Thanks, Lanie! I switched to liquid tylenol overnight, but woke up feeling intermittent pain. I'll see how I do when I try to eat, but it's always here that I realize I still need the pain meds.

I dont know what would be worse: sticking to the tylenol and being unable to ingest fluids, or taking the hydrocodone and benadryl and being able to take in liquids.

If i really cant handle my liquids with tylenol, i'll have to call my surgeon again.

Wow, so many typos! Lol i meant to say my belly has a weird "dent" on it, right around the belly button incision. Here's a photo! Anyone else experience this before?

Im also having a mild skin reaction to the liquid hydrocodone. I know it's normal to itch on it, but my cheeks got REALLY red and warm (no fever though), and it spread to my chest and arms. No difficulty breathing or anything like that. Still it scared me a little. I texted my surgeon and he told me to take benadryl with it or stop taking it and switch to liquid tylenol. Im just scared im not ready to wean off yet, im still in pain.

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Holy crap your incisions look SO much better than mine! Mine look like a bear attacked me! I also had reaction to the liquid hydrocodone, one side of my face got super red and extremely hot and my arms were hot and red. They told me to discontinue use and switched me to dilaudid pill form as I tolerated the dilauded in the hospital just fine. Turns out I didn't need it because the next day I really didn't need any pain meds anymore. But I am still super
Jealous of your belly. Mine has huge bruises around each incision.


Lea

HW 282 5' 4" 39 years old SW 264 Sleeved on 7/24/17

Hi Lea! That's exactly what happened to me and the liquid hydrocodone, except it was both sides of my face, arms, and neck. I took it 2x more with benadryl but then decided to switch to liquid tylenol only.

Interesting that your incisions look so different than mine. Do you have that "dent" near your bellybutton incision as well? Im slightly concerned that it'll stay like that.

I would recommend walking more, not just 5 mins at a time, but of course as tolerated. This is the key way to minimize the gas and bloating you're experiencing, which is normal. Note that Gas-X will not help with the CO2 gas that was injected into your abdominal cavity during laparoscopic surgery (per standard process). Time and walking are the main ways to improve your comfort.

Hi Lea! That's exactly what happened to me and the liquid hydrocodone, except it was both sides of my face, arms, and neck. I took it 2x more with benadryl but then decided to switch to liquid tylenol only.

Interesting that your incisions look so different than mine. Do you have that "dent" near your bellybutton incision as well? Im slightly concerned that it'll stay like that.

No, no dent. But yeah my incisions are gross.


Lea

HW 282 5' 4" 39 years old SW 264 Sleeved on 7/24/17

The dent goes away. I'm 6 months out.

Thanks for sharing, Lea! I wonder if that will come in the next few days. I normally tend to bruise easily.
@lisabme thank you! This is what i was most worried about!