OT surgeons: let’s talk post-op pain management

Have you asked for more?

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Have you asked for more?

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I did. I called and left messages with the nurse this morning, and also wrote messages explaining my situation on MyChart.

I don’t want to be a pain in their arse though. It was a successful surgery. I just feel like this is extremely conservative for a surgery that is genuinely known to have a pretty painful recovery.

I understand. But that’s pretty normal. See how you feel in a couple of days.

You’re going to feel better every day from here forward.

Unless you have sepsis or something. But probably not…..

Yes that's normal. I prescribe Norco instead of percocet, but patients get 28 tablets (1 every 6 hours) of either 5 mg or 10 mg depending on the procedure. They also get a block with experel which is a local anesthetic that last up to 72 hours.

Pain is important. People need to be okay with it.

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Try Advil Dual Action,it’s a combination of acetaminophen 250 mg and ibuprophen 125 mg.Take 2 tablets every 8 hours. It’s over the counter,my bil has serious back issues and he gets pretty good relief from these.

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Believe me, I’d definitely go with Advil but they told me absolutely no ibuprofen or naproxen because of bone regrowth. Tylenol only… which doesn’t really feel like it’s doing anything.

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They also get a block with experel

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What is a fair price on this? It’s on an upcoming surgery I’m paying cash for and $1,800 seems steep from what I’ve read online.

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I’ll be going to my GP for some supplemental pain support ahead of time.

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I would caution against this. Your surgeon can see if you've received pain medication from another provider. You may very well get push back from the pharmacy and/or the surgeon.

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I would caution against this. Your surgeon can see if you've received pain medication from another provider. You may very well get push back from the pharmacy and/or the surgeon.

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Honestly that may just be the frustration talking on this side of the pain. Like I said, if these narcotic tablets are typically this controlled nowadays, that’s just the way it is. I haven’t had any pain meds since getting my wisdom teeth out probably 20 years ago and I guess that was back when they were giving them out like crazy.

I appreciate all of y’all’s medical advice. I guess I just thought I’d be recovering in the warm haze of pain meds. This new world of recovery is a lot more harsh/real. My surgery appears to have been pretty successful though so overall, I’ll take the W.

No pain, no gain.

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approximately 30? yeah right...that's not how prescriptions work...they don't dispense an approximate number

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Using the term “approximate” was the wrong wording. It was exactly 30. The instructions were 1-2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours as needed. Even assuming exactly 30 tablets, taking 2 every 4 hours would exhaust the prescription in 60 hours, which is during day 3. In fact, once I realized on day 2 how quickly I was going through them, I started stretching the doses out. But the shite hurts, man. A lot. No bullshite.

So I’m not sure what you’re accusing me of. Do you think I was taking four at a time? I just had a pretty involved surgery, which is the first surgery I’ve had since hernia surgery as an 8 month old. And the first oxycodone script I’ve gotten since my wisdom teeth extraction 20 years ago. You think I decided to limp over to a rave somewhere? You think I was hanging out with all my fentanyl buddies at an opium den?

Either way, my question was whether 30 tablets of Percocet following a fairly intricate surgery with all the plates and screws and what comes with it was the way things are done. I assumed there were some doctors here who would explain this is the norm, which they did. But being this is tigerdroppings, I fully expected to get some arse responses. I’m surprised I got this far before someone did so.