Post by mrpmnewman28 on Feb 25, 2011 10:12:56 GMT -5
Does anyone know if gastric bypass patients have trouble absorbing pain meds to the degree that only strong pain medication such as percocette or vicodin are the only effective for pain relief and/or panic/anxiety disorder?
I'm 2 years post op & I was approved for surgery because I had metabolic syndrome plus I was overweight. I was approved for gastric bypass because of my diabetes. Which thank God is totally gone.
I was only overweight for a few years but not by much, my bmi wasn't enough to get me approved for the surgery it was only with the addition of my diabetes & high blood pressure did they approve me...
However, in Sept I had to get rotator cuff surgery. After the surgery & continual physical therapy, no pain meds seem to work so I was prescribed percocette. It worked!!
No over rejoicing just yet, I also know that it is highly addictive.
I came off of the percocette after 3 weeks & was put on something called tremedol (sp), conversation with me & the Dr..:
Me: It's not working
Dr: Take two tabs every 4 hours
Me: It's not working
Dr: Take Three every 4 hours
Me: It's not working
Dr: this is "impossible."
Mention: They know I'm a gastric bypass patient & no longer absorb some things the way others would...
I go to a pain management specialist, He puts me on 10mg of Percocette every six hours. Again, the 10 mg was supposed to last 6-8 hours but didn't just about lasted 2-3 hours.
I tell my regular doctor acted like she didn't & doesn't believe me, but she did agree to allow me 10 mg every 4 hours. Gives me "one weeks worth"
Refuses to refill
She decides to put me on vicodin, it works.
Now let me explain, if my wife "not a gastric bypass patient" were to take one tab of the prescribed amount of the percocette or vicodin she would have either been knocked out or would be high as a kite. However, for me it took the pain away, calmed me down & took away the anxiety and the pain.
OK...Vicodin also addicting, jump to now
I've been put on Neurontin..this is over 2 months now, since then I've developed a severe anxiety/panic disorder. The pain in my shoulder only hurts after sleeping but now I'm clenching my teeth very hard now all the time, I start crying over not being able to deal with anything. Note: I'm a 46 year old man, not that this is a huge concern but I've never cried like this, sobbing because I feel no one understands that I feel horrible & there's no help & the only med that seems to work is highly addictive to the average person. I panic at work as a training specialist for well into 20 years & as soon as I get to work, I start feeling anxiety & panic kicks in & I want to run.....never happened to me before I love my job....
I've seen my primary doctor, I do go to therapy & have a psychiatrist but as soon as I mention that the only thing that seems to work was percocette or vicodin especially for taking away the anxiety & panic I was feeling.....Dr says, you're getting addicted.
I've searched a few bariatric sites & have found quite a few people who have experienced this. I don't know what to do because they all say there is no quick fix. In other words, when I had a headache I took an aspirin or Tylenol, 15 min later pain gone, I'm good to go, if I were to try that now, I have to take 6 to 7 times per medicine to get the same result as pre surgery.
Sadly, when a bad anxiety attack hits me, there's nothing..yet I know what has helped me. For the amount of time, I was on percocette &/or vicodin when taken off I know a non bypass patient would have bad withdrawals, I have not whatsoever.....I go back to trying to find something that will work.
Oh and for the record, I repeat....I am NOT suicidal nor am I having suicidal thoughts.
I am angry that my doctors say those who developed dependence on pain medications post surgery is switching off addictions.
I have never been addicted to anything. I don't have the "addictive personality" and I am very angry that I have to be treated like I am some deviate because I need more medication for pain relief, anxiety/panic than other people. I developed severe nervous problems and the only thing that helps me stay calm are percocette or vicodin...
I need help the meds they are giving me for anxiety/panic are not working...they say they take time, well, when that time has passed by weeks then they bring up how I don't absorb because of the bypass, hello! Now, when they see what they are trying to prescribe doesn't work, they then go to what I've been telling them. I know my body & am still learning my body chemistry..but I'm in a bad emotional place...
Help: Is there any medical evidence that gastric bypass patients don't absorb pain medication? Are there any proven medical documentation I can give to my doctors, real medical proof? Proof that gastric bypass patients need higher doses or that we need to take the medication more often?
Any advice is greatly appreciate it. If you're just going to tell me I'm addicted to percocette or vicodin, please don't respond...I've heard it enough from my family & doctors who do not know what is going on inside me or what I'm going through with this....so thank you but I'm looking for serious posts from people who may have experienced something similar to my story with not absorbing pain meds & if they have any advice or any psychiatrists who understand bypass patients malabsortion & how to treat this with pain.
Sorry for going on & on, but I'm afraid & I need something that's going to calm the panic attacks quickly like a Tylenol for a headache, not here take this med it takes 8 weeks before it starts to do anything. Yet I remain struggling with either the panic attacks or struggling with the thoughts of when is the next one going to hit me, I need something similar to the calming effect that I got from the percocette that will take away my anxiety & pain...yet hopefully finding a med that is non-addictive
Thanks for listening & again, sorry for the ranting...
P
I'm 2 years post op & I was approved for surgery because I had metabolic syndrome plus I was overweight. I was approved for gastric bypass because of my diabetes. Which thank God is totally gone.
I was only overweight for a few years but not by much, my bmi wasn't enough to get me approved for the surgery it was only with the addition of my diabetes & high blood pressure did they approve me...
However, in Sept I had to get rotator cuff surgery. After the surgery & continual physical therapy, no pain meds seem to work so I was prescribed percocette. It worked!!
No over rejoicing just yet, I also know that it is highly addictive.
I came off of the percocette after 3 weeks & was put on something called tremedol (sp), conversation with me & the Dr..:
Me: It's not working
Dr: Take two tabs every 4 hours
Me: It's not working
Dr: Take Three every 4 hours
Me: It's not working
Dr: this is "impossible."
Mention: They know I'm a gastric bypass patient & no longer absorb some things the way others would...
I go to a pain management specialist, He puts me on 10mg of Percocette every six hours. Again, the 10 mg was supposed to last 6-8 hours but didn't just about lasted 2-3 hours.
I tell my regular doctor acted like she didn't & doesn't believe me, but she did agree to allow me 10 mg every 4 hours. Gives me "one weeks worth"
Refuses to refill
She decides to put me on vicodin, it works.
Now let me explain, if my wife "not a gastric bypass patient" were to take one tab of the prescribed amount of the percocette or vicodin she would have either been knocked out or would be high as a kite. However, for me it took the pain away, calmed me down & took away the anxiety and the pain.
OK...Vicodin also addicting, jump to now
I've been put on Neurontin..this is over 2 months now, since then I've developed a severe anxiety/panic disorder. The pain in my shoulder only hurts after sleeping but now I'm clenching my teeth very hard now all the time, I start crying over not being able to deal with anything. Note: I'm a 46 year old man, not that this is a huge concern but I've never cried like this, sobbing because I feel no one understands that I feel horrible & there's no help & the only med that seems to work is highly addictive to the average person. I panic at work as a training specialist for well into 20 years & as soon as I get to work, I start feeling anxiety & panic kicks in & I want to run.....never happened to me before I love my job....
I've seen my primary doctor, I do go to therapy & have a psychiatrist but as soon as I mention that the only thing that seems to work was percocette or vicodin especially for taking away the anxiety & panic I was feeling.....Dr says, you're getting addicted.
I've searched a few bariatric sites & have found quite a few people who have experienced this. I don't know what to do because they all say there is no quick fix. In other words, when I had a headache I took an aspirin or Tylenol, 15 min later pain gone, I'm good to go, if I were to try that now, I have to take 6 to 7 times per medicine to get the same result as pre surgery.
Sadly, when a bad anxiety attack hits me, there's nothing..yet I know what has helped me. For the amount of time, I was on percocette &/or vicodin when taken off I know a non bypass patient would have bad withdrawals, I have not whatsoever.....I go back to trying to find something that will work.
Oh and for the record, I repeat....I am NOT suicidal nor am I having suicidal thoughts.
I am angry that my doctors say those who developed dependence on pain medications post surgery is switching off addictions.
I have never been addicted to anything. I don't have the "addictive personality" and I am very angry that I have to be treated like I am some deviate because I need more medication for pain relief, anxiety/panic than other people. I developed severe nervous problems and the only thing that helps me stay calm are percocette or vicodin...
I need help the meds they are giving me for anxiety/panic are not working...they say they take time, well, when that time has passed by weeks then they bring up how I don't absorb because of the bypass, hello! Now, when they see what they are trying to prescribe doesn't work, they then go to what I've been telling them. I know my body & am still learning my body chemistry..but I'm in a bad emotional place...
Help: Is there any medical evidence that gastric bypass patients don't absorb pain medication? Are there any proven medical documentation I can give to my doctors, real medical proof? Proof that gastric bypass patients need higher doses or that we need to take the medication more often?
Any advice is greatly appreciate it. If you're just going to tell me I'm addicted to percocette or vicodin, please don't respond...I've heard it enough from my family & doctors who do not know what is going on inside me or what I'm going through with this....so thank you but I'm looking for serious posts from people who may have experienced something similar to my story with not absorbing pain meds & if they have any advice or any psychiatrists who understand bypass patients malabsortion & how to treat this with pain.
Sorry for going on & on, but I'm afraid & I need something that's going to calm the panic attacks quickly like a Tylenol for a headache, not here take this med it takes 8 weeks before it starts to do anything. Yet I remain struggling with either the panic attacks or struggling with the thoughts of when is the next one going to hit me, I need something similar to the calming effect that I got from the percocette that will take away my anxiety & pain...yet hopefully finding a med that is non-addictive
Thanks for listening & again, sorry for the ranting...
P