Anesthesia and Oxy Problems

[Van Lingle]

Hello all, I'm a first time poster here but I've gleaned a lot of valuable info just lurking. I had shoulder surgery on Jan. 21 of this year and was readmitted to the hospital a month later for a remanipulation. On both occassions I was given a general anesthetic and was placed on oxycontin after the second visit. After a 6 week tapering off session I've been clean of oxy (contin and codone) for 6 weeks now. I'm still experiencing depression and lethargy unlike anything I've ever known before. My question is, is it the oxy withdrawl or the anesthesia that's got me like this (assuming it's not something else)? A friend of mine who is fairly knowledgable on medical matters tells me that general anesthesia can leave you out of sorts for as much as 6 months and she thinks this might be the problem. Any opinions or experiences to share? Thanks, vl

PS I've been using the detox recipe found here from the first week of withdrawl.

[row]

Hi everyone, I am back. I went through the rapid detox which basically cleans out your system and breaks off the drug that is attached to your receptors in your brain and stomach etc... They put you under and when you wake up the hardest part is over. Its like a bell curve and they take you to the top of the bell and the rest is up to you. Iam in deep debt but that is better than dieing.

But anyway I felt like **** real bad lethargy and the runs for 1 week and now its been two weeks and my strength is coming back. I know it is not from the general anesthesia they give you, no way. Its the Oxy abuse because when I tried on my own I felt the lethargy and it was bad. I am still dragging, and my sleep is way off but Iam up to 4-5 hours now.

The main thing they tell you(they provide a lot of support and I have a lot of info if anyone is interested)is walk, get up and move around, take a shower, drink a lot of water and eat light the first week, no dairy! crackers, oatmeal, banana, pleanty of vitamines. But get out and walk even if it hurts so bad, because that is what I did and this is the 14th day, and I finally feel a turning point. The problem is that you dont wake up one day and your better, its like 3% each day so you really dont feel yourself getting better but you have to know that you are, just the little things in life like taking a normal ka ka was a big accomplishment after 10 days. Listening to music helps too and it actually is starting to sound great. When your on drugs nothing matters, not even music and thats sad.

You also need to re-build your endophins that is where the recipe helps, I think and renting a funny movie, try to laugh, laugh at yourself if nothing else.

My feet are killing me and my legs but the lethargy is going away each day. This oxycotin is bad news, it really takes over and starts to kill you slowly.

BUT KEEP MOVING, ITS LIKE WORSE THAN THE FLU BUT INSTEAD OF STAYING IN BED THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO WALK AND RESUME YOUR NORMAL DAY/NIGHT HABITS(the good ones) GET UP WALK TAKE A SHOWER, EAT LIGHT, REST, TAKE ANOTHER SHORT WALK, GET THAT BLOOD FLOWING!AND IT WILL CUT YOUR HEALING TIME IN HALF. WHAT DOSNT KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER!

Lots of Courage to all.

[OxyDout]

you need to re-evaluate your situation, it sounds to me your doing everything right, stay positive, I firmly believe you can "will" yourself to do anything. You just bought a new home with your wife, your not in jail, your not on the street, I don't know if your using, but your still alive and are very articulate, don't kid yourself, your doing everything to the best of your ability. If you need to talk I will be here.

GWH

[earlygrayce]

thank you very much for the info. take care of yourself.

[OxyDout]

thanks for the concern, I didn't watch the HBO special, I had watched the original when they showed the footage, the "americas bravest/ 9-11 special, and that absolutely crushed me, it made me think way too much, it just wasn't right, especially because I know he (pete) was either right above where the plane hit or right in the middle. I actually went to my counselor a couple of times after that, but I guess only time can heal what I can't handle right now. I know its a part of life and that I"m not by any stretch, the first person to lose a best friend and I'm certainly not the last but it doesn't make it any easier.... How have you been.

GWH

[Witchywoman]

Hi again grayce,
I started to have hearing problems mostly after I went off the vicodin.  Suddenly I started getting ringing in my ear, and a feeling of stuffinness in my ear, and noticed that I was not able to hear as well as usual.  That is when I went to get a hearing tesst and found I had measurable hearing loss.

I still deal with ringing in the ear. My Doc said it is not likely that my hearing loss will get better, but it is not likely to get any worse.

I really don't know what to say in answer to your second question. There is no way to predict if your hearing problems will get better, stay the same, or get worse. Not to alarm you, but the research I found says that sometimes it can get worse even after you stop abusing the meds. I haven't found anything that says it can get better.

Maybe your hearing problems are not related to the opiate abuse, and it will get better.  Have you asked your Doc what the prognosis is?
Most Docs have not heard about opiate hearing damage. I had to do a search on "vicodin and hearing loss" on the web, and print it out to show to my doc for him to believe me.
Try doing a web search on it. You'll learn a lot. It might scare you a bit though, sorry to say.

good luck and I hope your hearing gets better.
love,
WW

[earlygrayce]

thank you for your reply and your honesty. i really appreciate it in these difficult times. just two quick follow-up questions.
1)did you have any symptoms before or as you were experienceing he hearing loss, and what were they?
2)how long do you think, in terms of weeks or months, before i can expect to be clear of any damage if none has begun as of yet and that status stays the same? (i know you are not a doctor just your best guess, cause i want to have an idea of when i can stop worrying) thank you again so very much and i hope and pray for you and everyone else who is/was caught in this terrible cycle of abuse like i was.