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There has been a huge lawsuit against the drug manufacturers regarding this. They pretty much bribed doctors into forcing and misleading patients into taking opiates for decades which caused drug addiction and a heroine crisis.
I haven't been offered gas in...hmmm. I think I may have been offered gas once, 35 years ago. So about 70 visits ago. Maybe. And my dentist wouldn't give me even weak Tylenol #3 after having a molar pulled.
I get offered gas (and take them up on it!) every single time I go to the dentist, including for cleanings! I love it!
I don't think I've ever needed anything more than over the counter stuff after having any work done, except for when I had all four wisdom teeth removed and that was a long time ago (probably 40 years ago - wow, I feel old now). Anyway, I think 40 years ago I got tylenol 3 when I had all four wisdom teeth removed. Otherwise - just over the counter stuff but that's been all I needed anyway.
Approach is the same. Inform your MD/hospital staff you want to give non-opioids a chance first. If that doesn't cut it and there's no drug incompatibility, resort to an opioid. The key word is preference, not prohibition!
This is what I did and it worked. By that I mean, the non opiate meds worked. Did I have some pain? Yes. But it was manageable.
If I was the one facing surgery and I knew I would refuse opiates for pain control I'd probably make sure my surgeon knows this beforehand instead of pitching a fit with a nurse after the fact. Either that or make sure it is noted on the hospital admission forms you fill out. There is usually some place to state preferences. Your preference is for non-opiate-based pain control. These days there certainly are justifications for it, not limited to medical. IME post-op pain management usually came up either during the consultation with the surgeon or the admissions staff. I wouldn't lie about some non-existent allergy. Obviously that could backfire.
I have had bad reactions to some morphine derivatives in the past. I am NOT allergic to them, I just get sick as the world's most unfortunate dog. I always tell the admissions nurse this. Some hospitals issued me an allergy wristband others didn't. The idea is to warn them to double check my chart. The "allergy" warning never became a permanent issue.
Goes along with the idea that the more pertinent information you give a provider about yourself the more likely you'll get the care you want from them! Stack the deck in your favor. The only problem with this is that post-op pain isn't totally predictable. I might end up regretting my choice!
I've has the same problem with opioid pain killers in the past, they have caused stomach pain and vomiting so bad I think I'd just prefer the pain. I've always made it a point to inform any of my health care providers of this beforehand, and have never had any problems having unwanted pain meds forced on me, it's always been offered but my choice to take or not.
I have not had major surgery, but was offered a range of meds from tylenol extra strength to percoset for pain relief just after my pacemaker implant surgery, and found the tylenol extra strength more than satisfactory to relieve that pain. When I went to the ER with a broken wrist when I informed them of my GI issues with opioids, and they offered me hydrocodone/acetominophen with a zofran beforehand to counteract the nausea, I accepted that and it worked well. I had carpal tunnel surgery on that hand/wrist for scar tissue/ nerve impingement, and the doc gave me a prescription for a few days worth of hydrocodone/acetominophen, but it was my choice to fill it and/ or take it or not. I filled, took about 3 of the pills over about 4 days post surgery ( took 1/2 pill a couple times a day), then stopped as the pain subsided. I found I had no GI affects from that medication.
I get offered gas (and take them up on it!) every single time I go to the dentist, including for cleanings! I love it!
I don't think I've ever needed anything more than over the counter stuff after having any work done, except for when I had all four wisdom teeth removed and that was a long time ago (probably 40 years ago - wow, I feel old now). Anyway, I think 40 years ago I got tylenol 3 when I had all four wisdom teeth removed. Otherwise - just over the counter stuff but that's been all I needed anyway.
Some places advertise as "no pain dentistry" which I presume means they pump people full of gas for every little innocuous procedure. People being offered gas every visit must be going to one of those no-pain clinics, I'm guessing. I literally never get offered gas, and would turn it down if offered because I'm very sensitive to meds and don't know how I'll react. And dentist pain isn't that bad anyway, unless they are yanking molars.
At midnight after my knee revision surgery a nurse came in and woke me up to take another percoset. I didn't want it. I had had a little trouble going to sleep and found that simply hobbling across the room and back made my knee feel much better. A heated argument ensued. I was told that if I delayed the percoset it would be too late for it to have any effect. I don't believe that. She practically forced one down my throat.
Have been in hospital many more times than I care to remember after surgery and have never encountered this. The pain med is there if I want it but have never gotten a negative reaction to refuse it. Must be the policy in that particular health care system.
I had the same battle after joint replacement. 'You have to stay ahead of the pain.' My pain was a lot worse before the surgery so ice and Tylenol were enough to get me through post-op.
They didn't even ask me if addiction is an issue (it's not with me, but runs in the family). It's irresponsible, in my opinion.
Agree 100%. Father in law had a SERIOUS opiate addiction that started when he was given opiates for back pain. I question opiates being rendered totally ineffective if delayed until pain starts to become evident. Not my experience with knee replacement first time or revision knee replacement (due to infection) the second time. The revision is a much more invasive difficult surgery and I made it fine denying the second percoset in the hospital and using very few of the narcotics I was sent home with -- an amount that was much less than offered. Most of my knee pain was really more like knee "discomfort" and was stiffness that interfered with sleep, but was manageable by getting out of bed and taking a short walk. It would be nice if doctors and nurses said, "You can do this, but we have serious painkillers just in case it gets rough." That said, with both my knee surgeries the problem was nurses in the hospital not the surgeons. Positive for no narcotics most days was gastrological system working properly, and because it was left knee and car with automatic transmission, able to drive safely almost immediately upon discharge. If I told my surgeon, "Haven't touched an opiate in 3 days!" they approved.
Agree 100%. Father in law had a SERIOUS opiate addiction that started when he was given opiates for back pain. I question opiates being rendered totally ineffective if delayed until pain starts to become evident. Not my experience with knee replacement first time or revision knee replacement (due to infection) the second time. The revision is a much more invasive difficult surgery and I made it fine denying the second percoset in the hospital and using very few of the narcotics I was sent home with -- an amount that was much less than offered. Most of my knee pain was really more like knee "discomfort" and was stiffness that interfered with sleep, but was manageable by getting out of bed and taking a short walk. It would be nice if doctors and nurses said, "You can do this, but we have serious painkillers just in case it gets rough." That said, with both my knee surgeries the problem was nurses in the hospital not the surgeons. Positive for no narcotics most days was gastrological system working properly, and because it was left knee and car with automatic transmission, able to drive safely almost immediately upon discharge. If I told my surgeon, "Haven't touched an opiate in 3 days!" they approved.
Glad you got through it using natural means, for the most part.
I'm starting to think doctors and nurses are repeating what the drug reps told them. What better way to get a lot of people taking a drug they may not need, than by telling them to take it before they need it or it won't work. Fear of severe pain would make most people do as they were told. It just so happened that fear of addiction (for me) was far greater than fear of the pain.
Glad you got through it using natural means, for the most part.
I'm starting to think doctors and nurses are repeating what the drug reps told them. What better way to get a lot of people taking a drug they may not need, than by telling them to take it before they need it or it won't work. Fear of severe pain would make most people do as they were told. It just so happened that fear of addiction (for me) was far greater than fear of the pain.
For me, my wife, my friends, we have no fear of addiction. We just don't like opiates. Of course addiction is real and can be devastating.
I broke my elbow a couple of months ago (it was a clean, simple fracture — no cast needed) and in the ER they gave me a prescription for two weeks worth of Percocet, a high dose of another painkiller (Ibuprofen maybe) and a muscle relaxant. I did feel like I really needed all three that first night in the ER (I was in so much pain I was hyperventilating and cursing — loudly) and that was about it. I certainly didn’t need two weeks’ worth. Sure, my elbow hurt the next day, but it was not unbearable. I did take one dose of the non-opiate painkiller the following night along with one dose of the muscle relaxant to make sure I could sleep well. And that was it!
I later read about the prognosis for the kind of simple fracture I had. Up to 90% healed completely with no residual pain or loss of range of motion. But it seems that up to 5% were still taking pain medication a year later! I couldn’t help but wonder if those were the people who just took all their prescribed pain meds and maybe, you know, got a little addicted?
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