Weaning off pain meds

[auntij2746]

Happy thanksgiving (belated) I am 2 weeks post op from 2nd surgery to repair a leak from 1st surgery. The surgeries were 6 weeks apart so I guess you could say I'm 8weeks from original one as well. 2nd time earound the recovery seems to be going somewhat better in that I did NOT  have vomiting, fever, reaction to med(oxycodone) for which I am very grateful. My question is about pain meds. I see here that some people are off them even before release from hospital, others months later so I know all are different. I seem to have more muscle tightening and numb like feelings in back of my head and not too much stabbing pain. I'm concerned about being too dependent on the meds-I am taking hydrocodone. Any ideas as to how others have handled the "weaning" process.? I have also seen here that being on pain meds sometimes causes us to feel better and do more than we should.
It is difficult for me to know ahead of time sometimes what overdoing actually is. Anyone else have this problem?
Thanks so much :) June  

[Viva001]

I'm 6 mo. post op and just at the point where I'm not taking something every day.  I dont doubt that I would have felt better sooner, but the stress prevented it.

[Crys86]

Hi, I was in the same boat as you. We both have the same neurosurgeon... I had to have the same patch you had replaced and a second surgery at the same time you did because it was faulty. Apparently he said that it wasn't soaked long enough so it stretched? Anyway, I had to slowly taper off the pain meds at home as well. I left the hospital taking them every 6-8 hours, and did that until I started feeling better. Then they had me taking them every 10-12 hours for a week, and every 16 hours for another week. Then I just took them once a day for a week. But I was on Dilaudid, because I had a lot of problems with my second surgery. Right now I'm 5 weeks post op second surgery and I am not taking anything, but I still have a lot of muscle spasms.. I have just been gritting my teeth and waiting for them to go away. The only thing I am still on is Decadron. Every time I try to get off it I get massive headaches with vomiting a few days later, and they put me back on it?? I don't know why :(

[selmaS]

  Hi...glad u did so much better with the meds this go around, but so sorry u had to go thru it again....

  AS for the weening process...slowly during the day add a OTC pain med in place of one of ur RX pain meds and do this until u can replace all day meds with the OTC meds using the RX for night and sleep....and slowly cut back on them as well until u r off them....that is how I did it....

As for ur neck tightness- are u doing ne neck exercises? U need to move ur neck to keep it from getting tight....start slow, with little movement and gradually increase....it worked well for me , my ROM is better then I ever had prior to surgery,....and my neck instability is better too as it did help strengthen  my neck.

[Sexybare]

Overdoing it is no joke. I've been taking care of myself since 1 week post op for 2 surgeries. So I know I've been overdoing things the whole time. I've wauted a whole year fir disability hearing set for february 8th, jst to have it a waste cause I can't afford to wait....should I just stick thru and wait til hearing? I know I can't work. I barely make it to pt. Help

[Viva001]

Hi June, I'm glad to read that you are doing better!

I wrestled w/this question myself, but my NS was very supportive of treating my pain, and told me not to stress about it.  I discussed w/his nurse the options, like "stepping down" to hydrocodone (from oxycodone) but I ended up getting a Rx for Tramadol.  It's easier on everybody.
I always wait to see if/what I might need now, although retrospect, I think I went to prn too soon.

It's pretty unpredictable, but I pretty much take *something* every day, even if it's only ibuprofen.  (I think there is still swelling).  Some days I take EVERYTHING, but that is rare.  I would like to know what "overdoing" is too!  There seems to be a delayed reaction to e.g., 5 trips to the car unloading 2 bags of groceries.  If I had a choice, I would not even be driving yet.