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Medication

Posted , 6 users are following.

wendie67130
wendie67130

Hi all, I hope you are all well.

I’m just over 9 weeks p/o now and have been reducing my medication as i see fit. I’m coping very well in paracetamol 2/3 times a day and 100mg gabapentine twice a day. I have reduced this from 200mg twice a day this last week. I just wondered if there was a time scale we need to use meds or do we just decide for ourselves?  If we feel we can take non do we? I think why should we take them just for the sake of taking them. Maybe I should speak to the docter but I was just wondering how you guys manage. 

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • barb31990
    barb31990 wendie67130

    Posted

    I went off the drugs at 9weeks. Continue weaning yourself off so you don’t have withdrawal problems. The sooner you get off the better.

    I go to PT. Without any pain meds and it isn’t painful enough for even Motrin.

    Good Luck

  • wendie67130
    wendie67130

    Posted

    Thanks Barb.

    So really  it’s down to ourselves to decide isn’t it.  I shall do it responsibly for sure 😊

  • pat99452
    pat99452 wendie67130

    Posted

    I am 7 weeks post TKR and weaned myself off regularly taking anything at five weeks when I was released from PT. Now I only take two Advil if my home exercises really work me. I use the exercises my therapist taught me four times weekly and on the other days, I walk. Good luck!
  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX wendie67130

    Posted

    "In general"...most of us are off the heavy duty opioids in sixty days...some a bit longer.  Tramadol seems to be the drug of choice to titrate off the big stuff and finally onto straight ibuprofen or acetaminophen.  Gabapentin is for nerve pain.  Is that why you're taking it?  Lots of side effects plus weight gain.  I'd get off that as soon as possible if you don't need it.

    "It blocks GABA (neurotransmitter) in pain fibers, but can also slow down neural transmissions overall such that you slow down activity level and metabolism. Can also cause some amount of fluid retention." - Dr. Dr. Dr. Michael Wolf, Ph.D.s in pharmacy, chemistry and pharmacokinetics, major "player" at Johnson & Johnson HQ in New Jersey and former horn section leader in the 13-piece, five horn blues/rock band that I founded and led in NJ for 7 years before moving to TX.

    Plus new data on Gabapentin plus opioids together...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/nerve-pain-gabapentin-warning-648196

     

  • wendie67130
    wendie67130

    Posted

    Thanks Chico

    I’ve read your article and found it very interesting. Yes it was prescribed for nerve pain on week 3/4. For 2 weeks I was taking 1 twice a day then upped it to 2 twice a day for 2 weeks now back down to 1 twice a day this last week. 

    😊

  • 1955linda
    1955linda wendie67130

    Posted

    Hi Wendy, like you I am 9 wks post op and doing well. I am driving, going to the gym twice weekly and have a stationary bike that I use daily. I have reduced my meds and have a Naproxin and Omeprazol in the morning and I have Paracetamol at night. Scar is very sensitive at night, it hates the duvet!!! I have reduced my meds myself, never took anything before the op, so am wanting  to get back to that situation once again ASAP. Go with what your body tells you
    • wendie67130
      wendie67130 1955linda

      Posted

      Hi Linda 

      Yes very sensitive at nite. It drives me up the wall 😐

      Yes we pretty much on par doing the same activities and small amount of meds. 

      Keep up the good work 😊

  • linda84382
    linda84382 wendie67130

    Posted

    I decided to stop and got really sick. Spoke with doctor and she gave me a tapering off schedule. I'm still taking hydrocodone but a much lower dose. At 6 weeks pain got bad again. Doctor said this it is normal and to take more meds. I take half of 5mg tablet and if pain is still there I take another half.

    Be careful and remember that the reason your pain level feels good enough to stop pain meds is because you are taking pain meds.

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