Hi all...

I am looking for some advice on pain control. I have taken vicoden for my last 4 surgeries, and have developed somewhat of a tolence to it, (I have to take 2 to get any relief). I am currently taking it for:

1) pain in the pouch, which I assume is from the pouchitis. I am currently on 2 week intervals of Levaquin and Augmentin. It actually hurts my pouch to walk.

2) for the Bartholin cyst I've been dealing with.

3)BB, I seem to be leaking (battery acid, I swear) more at night. After I lay down at bedtime, the pain I had during the day at least triples. Topicals don't help.

Nights are miserable to say the least. I also don't sleep when I take vicoden, (it usually gives me energy). I usually pass out around 4am, just from exhaustion. (You wouldn't believe the bags under my eyes...there is a reason I have sunglassed on that picture! )

I am thinking I need one pain reliever during the day, and something else at night, so I can sleep.

I hate to say it, but giving up my pouch has crossed my mind more then once lately.

I am lucky and never used pain meds after 6 operations (I dont do well on them and make me sick so I dealt with pain).. I just wanted to say I hope you figure it all out you have been on a long road and deserve a break. Good luck and I know someone will come here and help you out!

Cataja,
You describe what I've been going through for a very long time!

I take norco 10's, which is basically the same thing as the vicodin with less of the acetaminophen and more of the hydrocodone, and it gets me going, too!

I have FAR more problems as the day wears on, into the night- pain, a burning sensation in my pouch, etc.

I don't know what else you could try for pain, but it seems to me that you should be focusing your efforts on fixing the source of your pain, which for me, was next to impossible- only thing that did well for me was Cipro the first time I took it, but the next 2 times I tried to take it, I had a REALLY bad reaction to it.

I've had it, and just literally sent off an email to my surgeon to please schedule me for a reversal back to the permanent ileostomy ASAP.

I can't wait.

//Todd

Thanks Jason & Todd...

I am working on the source of the problems, but in the mean time I'm miserable. I seem to tolerate pain meds well...maybe too well.

(Oh yeah...I forgot to mention I take vicoden for the cysts on my ovaries too.)

It's funny....things seem to straighten out every once in while, and I won't take any pain meds for maybe a month. Then it all goes to heck.

Todd...good luck with your reversal. That's a huge decision.

Jason...I am so glad things are going so well with you since your reversal. (I do kind of miss your Jerry Seinfeld picture. ) Ha Ha.

I take three different pain meds, depending on the pain. I take vicodin, norco, and dilaudid.

The dilaudid makes me drowsy, so I take that one for the pain at night. The vicodin (which doesn't work as well anymore) and the norco are kind of weird, sometimes they hype me up, and sometimes they make me a little drowsy.

Have you told your doctor how the vicodin effects you? Maybe he can suggest something else while you are trying to figure out the source of your pain.

Good luck!

LOL ok.. for you I will repost that one.. see, I do care! Hey wait... You do like him right? ;-)

Cataja ,
I used Tramadol when i was post my operations. I had slight dry mouth with it and soem weired dreams but slept well and it coped with my pain pretty well.
I am not sure if they do it in US but this is the link:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a695011.html
Oxycodone is another alternative but i have only used it sporadically.When i did take it i felt animated and high. Its also addictive.
Good luck!

I love Jerry. But I like you hockey picture too! Don't change it.

I have a very high tolernce to all pain meds I been on the patch for a long time it did help but you can try that what I do is switch pain meds and wien down from them and switch seems to help. good luck.

You still have some more powerful pain meds to choose from. Vicoden is in the middle of the pack for me. Percocet is stronger. oxycontin works very well and is time released. The advantage of this is you only have to take one or two pills per day.
I've also used the fentanyl patch, which lasts about three days.
MS Contin (Morphine sulfite continuous release) is a powerful pain med that works well.
Of course all of these meds can be addicting, but if you have real pain, they are justified.
You and your doc should have a plan to keep you comfortable and to ween you off the meds when the pain is more tolerable.
Bill

Thanks everyone.

Yesterday my GP put me on the fentanyl patch. She said I won't need as much vicoden with it.

It turns out what I thought was a bartholin cyst, wasn't. The OB said she didn't know what it was, but it has come out.

Luckily, my OB and urologist were able to coordinate the surgeries. I'll have 2 procedures done on January 4th. The urlogist wants to take a closer look at my right kidney. It's not functioning as well as the other, and look at some polyps on my bladder. So I'll only have to "go under" once. It's also on a Friday, so I should be able to get back to work Monday.

Always something...

That patch should work well for you just keep in mind after long use you will become tolerate to it as I i'm as we speak and been wiening off it.
But hey you may not need it that long hope everything works out .

Last night I woke up with a migrane. For some reason I thought it was from the fentanyl patch. I took it off today, which would have been day 3, I was supposed to put a new one on tomorrow. Day one...nothing at all, but day two...I felt great. It was the first time I didn't wake up with pain. Last evening I did have a sip, (probably 1 ounce) of beer. We hadn't had it in a long time, and I just wanted to try it. Do you think that little could have reacted with the patch and given me the migrane?

Should I wait until tomorrow to put a new one again?

sometimes I end up changing every 2 days some wear off before day 3 soI would change it every 2 1/2 days also the beer could have alot to do with it people in my state have died from mixing drugs alchol with the patch so be careful.

Cataja,
I just had my Bartholin's cyst removed 3 weeks ago. Before that, I did not even know we had Bartholin glands. Mine was bigger than usual and infected. Needless to say, I thought this outpatient procedure would be a breeze compared to a colectemy! It's been worse than expected. I am still in pain and uncomfortable, but off pain med. Hang in there, and if you have to get it removed, just be prepared. Not for you--but good to hear of someone else that has had this problem
Blondie