I have been reading posts and anything I can get my hands on regarding the bypass surgery. One thing I can’t seem to find is anyone who is on pain medications (like morphine and Percocet). I have been in pain management for almost twenty years. Some of my weight is attributed to being on meds for so long. However I cannot stop them. My prior injuries are kept in stasis if I take them. Without the pain is unbearable. My question is can I continue to take my meds following surgery. Haven’t been able to ask dr yet as I’m not scheduled for surgery. I should be first part of October. But I was just stressing if anyone knew the answer. I’d appreciate it if you would let me know. Thanks.

I don't think it should be a problem because they'll give you pain meds after surgery anyway. You should still ask just in case.

Good luck!

we're able to take a lot of meds. NSAIDs and extended release versions of meds are a no-go, but many others we can take.

I'm in pain management as well and I can still take my medication. I had to be on a higher dose for about 10 days after surgery to manage my pain levels after surgery.

You may find that once you take some weight off, the need for pain meds will diminish. Extra weight takes such a toll on the back, hips, knees, feet. I found once I lost about 50 pounds, I did not have pain! my chronic back pain was gone. My knee pain was gone. My hip pain was gone. Amazing!

I am work with a pain management also. Directly after my surgery I had liquid Norco prescribed my my Surgon. After my 6week follow up he turned me back over to my pain management doc. I take tablet form pain & muscle relaxers now.

11 hours ago, Cinde52 said:

I have been reading posts and anything I can get my hands on regarding the bypass surgery. One thing I can’t seem to find is anyone who is on pain medications (like morphine and Percocet). I have been in pain management for almost twenty years. Some of my weight is attributed to being on meds for so long. However I cannot stop them. My prior injuries are kept in stasis if I take them. Without the pain is unbearable. My question is can I continue to take my meds following surgery. Haven’t been able to ask dr yet as I’m not scheduled for surgery. I should be first part of October. But I was just stressing if anyone knew the answer. I’d appreciate it if you would let me know. Thanks.

There are other forms of these meds which will enable you to take them post op. But after my own experience with my opiates for other problems I cannot stress enough to you to get this side of things sorted BEFORE you have your operation.

I ended up in absolute agony not just from the complications of my surgery but my uncontrolled back pain too.

People do not understand my back pain as they could see me pacing the corridors, my back pain was as severe as my surgical issues and I was climbing the walls in pain, so please get it sorted ASAP

Thanks to you all who responded. Bastian i especially appreciated your advice. I know from experience if I don’t take my meds that within 24 hours I am vomiting. It might be considered addiction but after twenty years of use, I expect that’s what it is. Doesn’t make it any less real. So if hospital doesn’t give me my pain meds in some form I’ll be sicker from that than my surgery. Plus as you pointed out, my pain will be out of control. And I’m not talking surgery pain. I meet with my pain management dr this week to go over all of this. Hopefully I can get it figured out. I’m so glad someone understood what I’m worried about.

13 hours ago, Cinde52 said:

Thanks to you all who responded. Bastian i especially appreciated your advice. I know from experience if I don’t take my meds that within 24 hours I am vomiting. It might be considered addiction but after twenty years of use, I expect that’s what it is. Doesn’t make it any less real. So if hospital doesn’t give me my pain meds in some form I’ll be sicker from that than my surgery. Plus as you pointed out, my pain will be out of control. And I’m not talking surgery pain. I meet with my pain management dr this week to go over all of this. Hopefully I can get it figured out. I’m so glad someone understood what I’m worried about.

You are very welcome. Perhaps it is addiction physiologically but that is a moot point after 20 years and the fact you still have pain without it and yep doesn't make it any less real.

Pain management was one of my specialist interests as a nurse and that was before I was needing it myself. So many health professionals don't even get it. While I was on the morphine pca the pain management nurse said 'you are using it more than we would expect someone to use it with your back condition'. I even had 1 nurse tell me that I shouldn't need morphine at all! People are so quick to pass judgment when they don't actually understand things properly.

Well, first of all, they hadn't discussed my back condition with me, nor did they take into account that I also had a twisted bowel which is considered agony.

So glad you are seeing your pain management Dr beforehand and will have a decent plan of action. Let me know how you go

I am still allowed to take my pain medicine, but I also took zanaflex and my surgeon nixed that one. Just be sure they have an accurate list of all your medication. They will tell you which is good and whats not. I'll admit I am having a hard time without the zanaflex, but surgeon told me it could put a hole in my gut and yeah...I'm not sure I want that lol.

Also, a just to let you know, I had to stop my PM meds because surgeon would prescribe stronger meds. Well 2 days after being home I quit taking the diuladid percocet was soo much better for my pain. Just make sure you don't mix if you change like I did. I went from feeling almost as bad as I did day 2 to feeling like a totally productive human in the span of hours just by changing.

Oh great I take 4mg of zanaflex almost every night.

11 hours ago, toodlerue said:

Oh great I take 4mg of zanaflex almost every night.

I took 4mg 3x a day. That night time dose interacting with another med is how I slept. I can tell I am not taking it anymore. There is more pain in my back than I have had in the last year. I would start seeing if there is anytihng similar that isn't a muscle relaxer. To my knowledge no but something is fixing to have to give.

GL