quite the dilemma

[lady1981]

So, I have a surgery scheduled for next Wednesday - I am having a mass removed from my left breast. I had my pre-op appointment yesterday and I asked the nurse what my options were for non-narcotic pain killers for after surgery. She looks at me and says "Ultram isn't a narcotic and Im sure we could prescribe you that..." and I laughed at her and said "Yes it is a narcotic. My Neurologist gave me Ultram/Tramadol to help me get off of a year of heavy hydro use, and I ended up getting addicted to the Ultram."
She said "Well, maybe that was your mind trying to tell you that you were addicted, but Ultram is not a narcotic and is not addictive."
It took everything inside of me to not stand up and walk out. I didn’t really have time to argue with her, so I just asked her if there was anything other than Ultram that will help with the pain for the first few days. She shrugged her shoulders and said "Tylenol?"
Does anyone have any suggestions of meds I can ask for that are non-narcotic? By next Wednesday, I will be on day 31 and I really don’t want to turn back to narcotics to help me get through the first few days of recovery. I have caught myself trying to justify using, only because "this time I will actually be in pain"..Im in kind of a bind here. Are there non-narcotics strong enough to help me get through the first few days?
Any suggestions will help, Im feeling kinda torn right now.

[ants_mom]

I have also taken ultram/tramadol and went through withdrawel, but if you only need somthing short term i was in hosp for stroke and 'complicated migrain', i have also battled narcotics, they gave me toradol iv push its only supposed to be used for 5days, and it did work, maybe thats what you can use to help you through. After yor surgery, its also non narcotic, god bless and best of luck with your surgery, prayers come with this post, peace

[ants_mom]

I have also taken ultram/tramadol and went through withdrawel, but if you only need somthing short term i was in hosp for stroke and 'complicated migrain', i have also battled narcotics, they gave me toradol iv push its only supposed to be used for 5days, and it did work, maybe thats what you can use to help you through. After yor surgery, its also non narcotic, god bless and best of luck with your surgery, prayers come with this post, peace

[lady1981]

Thanks to everyone that posted on this thread, sometimes the support on here is overwhelming (in a good way, of course!)

I think I am just freaking myself out and I am *expecting* a lot of pain, but you never know, maybe I will be good to go the day after (keeping my fingers crossed!!!)

I plan on asking for toradol if im in a lot of pain, and hopefully motrin or another NSAID will help for anything after that. My surgery is this coming wednesday, so i will keep everyone posted.

Thanks again for everyones support. :)

[retiredrn]

Best of luck, I'll be praying for you.  By the way, Tramadol IS an opiate---Here's some info from Wikipedia-----As an opioid analgesic, tramadol can be abused. Its low agonism of the μ opiate receptor produces effects similar to other narcotics (i.e. morphine, hydrocodone), albeit not nearly as intense. In addition to acting as an opiate, tramadol is also a very weak but rapidly-acting SNRI[15]. At supratherapeutic doses, tramadol can cause seizures (typically tonic-clonic) and severe nausea, which could deter abuse to some extent. Tramadol has been known to produce severe withdrawal symptoms with abrupt cessation of prolonged use.

[VOsRose]

Hi, sweetie.  I'm sorry to hear that you're facing this problem.  The good news is, you will probably be able to get through it without narcotic pain meds.  I have had a series of kidney stones and have been given all kinds of meds for them and, by far, the MOST effective thing I've ever taken for that pain is Toradol!  Give it a shot...let them give it to you intravenously right after the surgery.  After you're released from the hospital just try to make do with motrin.  Try to keep a positive mind set..believe that the pain is not going to be so bad and you'll be surprised at how your body reacts.  

You're doing so well...I would hate to see you get set back.  But know this...if it does happen, you are going to have to stay strong and quit using anything past the point that you actually HAVE to have it for pain.  Please let us know how it goes when the time comes.  I'll be praying for you and thinking about you and hoping it all goes well.  

xoxoxo
Rosie

[bettie1976]

I was on a LOT of opiates at the time they gave the toradol to me. Thats probably why it didnt work

[tooklastdose]

2 years ago, I had a lump removed from my breast.  It was only slightly painful.
It would of been nice to have a few vicodin, but certainly not needed.
800 mg of motrin did the trick
Best to you

[jfrick50]

I don't know much about any of the meds either, I just wanted to tell you good luck with your surgery and hopefully you wont end up in that much pain at all! I hope you recover in no time!

[Savas]

That's a tough one...you may have to accept the setback and just try to keep it to a minimum. The only thing I can think is there are herbal remedies that work well. But the trick is getting "the real thing". Most herbals you buy don't work because they lack potency. There's like only...two places you can get them that are reliable.
There's no government oversight on herbals, lots of places take advantage of that. I've got a link here somewhere if you want to try it. It gives descriptions of herbs, their uses, and ratings for manufacturers.
I used to use herbals in the past, and they always worked well for me. But I'd never had a serious medical condition, until my own accident...and once in a hospital, well, they give you what they give you.

[addictedme]

Yea ,,they start at the top and go down ,,why not the bottom and up lol

[road2recovery]

After surgery, they had to take my iv out of morphine to give me a blood transfusion...So they gave me shots of toradol, and i have to say it worked great on pain..
From morphine to that, but really no complaints...SO hopes this helps you some..
Good luck
R2R

[grievingwidow]

One more thing I just thought of -- now days with most surgical patients the surgeon can inject a local anesthetic into the surgical site before he does the sutures.  That can be VERY helpful as far as post-op pain.  One drug they use is called Duramorph.  For sure, check to see if this is a possibility.

Thanks.  Cindy

[grievingwidow]

I have worked in doctor's offices and hospitals all my adult life and all I can come up with is Toradol also.  Toradol, by injection especially, is pretty effective so while you are in the hospital you might try that.  Toradol is really helpful for bone pain, you know like with fractures, etc.  They use it for break-thru pain in between narcotic dosages.  Hopefully, if you do require a narcotic, it will only be short-term and if you are getting it by injection, I would not think you would have too many withdrawal symptoms.  I have to agree with the nurse though about the Ultram - I do understand that you became addicted to it and others here have, but I just don't understand how - it is surely not what I would call a narcotic.  I have taken it quite a bit in the past but it never did much for me, not even helping my pain, so I don't bother with it anymore.  Guess it just effects people differently, that is interesting.  But, I would really consider the Toradol, I think that could be a really good option for you.

Good luck.  Keep us posted.

Love, Cindy

[lady1981]

you are so right - if there are non-narcotics out there that work, then why did we even start with narcotics?

[lady1981]

so you tried Toradol and it didnt work? were you on opiates at the time? if not, how long had you been off of them?

i heard that toradol can do a number on the stomach, and my stomach is sensative as it is. i guess its worth a try though...

[bettie1976]

toradol (i was told by a nurse so Im not sure since YOUR nurse was an idiot and didnt know her addictive drugs) is like Ibuprofen but in IV form it should work well. Ive had it before but it didnt work for me but Im sure its because I was highly addicted to opiates.

[addictedme]

my question about non narcotics has always been if they work then why did we START with a narcotic. My non addict freinds ( low tolerance ) say ibuprofen works a ok, I have hundreds of ultrams/tramadols but have never taken one cause of what I read about them from people who have gotten addicted to them,I"d try what fladdict said

[FLaddict]

Neither actually...

TORADOLORAL (ketorolac tromethamine), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is indicated for the short-term (up to 5 days in adults), management of moderately severe acute pain that requires analgesia at the opioid level and only as continuation treatment following IV or IM dosing of ketorolac tromethamine, if necessary. The total combined duration of use of TORADOLORAL and ketorolac tromethamine should not exceed 5 days

[tiffanylove90]

is toradol ibuprofen or aspiran

[FLaddict]

Toradol??  Worth a shot.. or ask if they can give you a shot of something be you are discharged that way you are not in control of the med.. and after that try toradol..

[tiffanylove90]

How about 800 mg ibuprofen works for my migraines that's what i got after a surgery i had and you will not get addicted at least i don't think it is .

[lady1981]

OK, so I just reread my post (lol) and I wasn’t clear. I know that Ultram is NOT a narcotic but it WORKS like a narcotic. Just to clarify, I know what the drug is and I know how it works.