17 days out TKR pain meds cut... in pain and depressed
Posted , 11 users are following.
I had TKR left knee on October 25, 17 days ago. Under NJ law, doc says he cannot give me any more Percocet 5-325 (got total of 100 at 1 every 4 hours which lasted until today) and he urged me to use Advil or Tylenol. Tylenol doesn't work for me and Advil is hard on my stomach, which is already compromised from gastric surgery. Right now, I am using some 10-325 Vicodin that I have here in my medicine cabinet. I am stretching what I have out to every 8 hours and supplementing with Advil to try to stretch supply. I feel that I need the pain killer for 1.) sleep, which is a nightmare and 2.) before outpatient PT which I start in two days. My doctor keeps telling me how I should be able to handle this with Advil. I found his attitude insulting. His attitude was "it is out of my hands" and "lots of my patients never take pain medication".. which made me feel terrible and weak and depressed. Doc said had to send me to Pain Management but you call them and they are booking appointments three and four weeks out! I don't want to be on Pain meds then! My in-home PT says I am doing really well. And, as long as I had the pain under control, I was feeling really good and optimistic. Now, facing the prospect of not having any RX pain killers just three weeks in and still in a lot of pain, I am depressed and angry. I would have expected to get at least a 30 day supply of RX pain meds for such major surgery. Had staples out three days ago. Had x-ray. Doc said everything looks good. I ice and elevate almost constantly. Is it normal to still need RX pain killers 17 days in?
1 like, 22 replies
kathylake laurie23156
Posted
I don't know where you doctor is coming from. I'm also in NJ and my doctor renewed by codeine at 6 week check up, but insisted I go to pain management. Fortunately I got an appointment the next week. At 3 months use it to sleep and occasionally after an unusually busy day. Good luck to you.
laurie23156 kathylake
Posted
Well, I think this took effect in spring of 2017... or maybe summer. When I called the two pain management places they both stated that they are sympathetic to the TKR patients because they recognize that TKR is among the more painful surgeries. The second place I called just told me to blame the Governor! She said she field calls from people all day every day who are in the same situation. My sense with the second place was that they have people register ahead of the surgery so that they an have them as pain management patients after the surgery and after the initial RX's run out. I was confused because nobody told me to register with pain management BEFORE the surgery. I figured the doctor would handle my pain needs. He did tell me before the surgery that he would be limited in what he could prescribe but really downplayed for how long I would need it and said if I needed more I could get a referral for pain management. He didn't say that pain management is almost impossible to get into! And, really, at this point. I just want Tramadol to help me with sleeping and PT. Arrrggghh.. I don't even want the Oxy drugs because they are very binding. If my PCP won't prescribe me Tramadol then I might have to try to get into one of the very limited pain management clinics around here. Thanks for the feedback. I hope you are doing well.
vickylynnp laurie23156
Posted
laurie23156 vickylynnp
Posted
I am own to 1 or 2 a day. I expect that will stop in the next few days. I hope my GP will Rx me Tramadol just to get me through the night because Advil and Aleve upset my stomach. I find that when I get a decent night's sleep I don't need the pain meds as much. Night time if the absolute worst. I dread it. Can't seem to get comfortable. Sorry to hear about your struggle.
Zadok1 laurie23156
Posted
You have to advocate for yourself. Your surgeon can write you for whatever. He just doesn't like all his patients charts with red flags and the close scrutiny the whole opioid crisis is doing to them. Meanwhile, we have to pay the price. A similar thing happened to me where my surgeon cut my dose in half at about the 6 week mark s/p TKR. I was freaked out, I tried to do it, but resumed back to my previous dosing. I saw him within the week of the change, I had to advocate for myself. He switched my from oxycodone to Norco 10/325 essentially the same amount I was previously on with OxY, only hydrocodone now. It saved me. But I had surgery on my low back in 2016 at L-5/S-1 cage and an inner body. For severe sciatica. So I am on other things re: resistance. Tramadol I take about 100 MG tid sometimes I only take a 50, but it's in conjunction with gabapentin and at times my Norco. It's all more synergistic that way. He also agreed Celebrex a potent anti-inflammatory med. Tramadol is not an opiate, but works on the same receptor sites that morphine does. It's classified as a non-narcotic analgesic. Some people get itchy taking it or slightly sleepless on it. In time those side effects wane. One effect that for some is a slight euphoria that can lead to a mild dizziness type of effect. Here's the deal, doctors have to treat pain. Expecially this close to your surgery. What can happen is your insurance will only cover so much in a month and if you can't wait for the next month to roll around, you will have to pay out of pocket like I did. About dollar for each Norco. Like Chico said you will more than likely need something for pain even 10-12 weeks out. They could be the last you would get but more than likely tapered down by then....hang in there and keep your pain consult in case your pmd won't order you anything. He probably would the tramadol, but opiates should come from the surgeon since your so close as I said b4. Hang in there and tell him your in pain.
Oldfatguy1 Zadok1
Posted
One problem, as you mentioned, the red flag. Drs don't want to have to take time to justify in writing when they are flagged.
I recently wrote my representative about this issue. I'm sure things in Washington are far too hectic and important to bother with a guy back home that has an opinion different than the one that the media is pushing.
Drs hate not being able to do what they were educated to do but politicians and insurance companies rule