Hospital Pain Relief Bewilderment
Discussion
Ten days ago, as I came round from open heart surgery, my intensive care nurse alerted me to a handy button I could press to increase my intravenous pain relief. If I understand it correctly, tramadol, morphine and oxycodone are the medical profession's current favourite painkillers for cardiac surgery.
When I agreed that I was in a spot of discomfort, the nurse encouraged me to give the button a press. Press button, feel a bit seedy, feel rough and then throw up. Throw up rather a lot, as it happens.
"Oh, dear," said the nurse. "That doesn't agree with you. I'll get the doctor to prescribe Paracetamol."
Hold on, instead of top shelf, prescription only, painkillers you are going to give me stuff I can buy at the newsagent?
I take it all back. It's worked fine. Admittedly, I am still on a hefty dose and will have to start weening myself off it, but it has done its job.
There's my vote: Paracetamol. And no one more surprised than me.
When I agreed that I was in a spot of discomfort, the nurse encouraged me to give the button a press. Press button, feel a bit seedy, feel rough and then throw up. Throw up rather a lot, as it happens.
"Oh, dear," said the nurse. "That doesn't agree with you. I'll get the doctor to prescribe Paracetamol."
Hold on, instead of top shelf, prescription only, painkillers you are going to give me stuff I can buy at the newsagent?
I take it all back. It's worked fine. Admittedly, I am still on a hefty dose and will have to start weening myself off it, but it has done its job.
There's my vote: Paracetamol. And no one more surprised than me.
I never have had nor do I ever wish o experience the level of pain your surgery no doubt provides...
However I have a real adversity to taking any form of medication these days.
I couldn't honestly say when I last had an ibuprofen or similar - at least 5 years ago
Headaches, broken toes, shin splints, umbilical hernia (all mild in comparison to your pain) have been left without relief as I'm so stubborn and bloody minded over chemicals going into my body.
I'm weird I guess
However I have a real adversity to taking any form of medication these days.
I couldn't honestly say when I last had an ibuprofen or similar - at least 5 years ago
Headaches, broken toes, shin splints, umbilical hernia (all mild in comparison to your pain) have been left without relief as I'm so stubborn and bloody minded over chemicals going into my body.
I'm weird I guess
g3org3y said:
I presume it was administered IV? IV Paracetamol is actually very decent from an analgesia point of view.
Wishing you a speedy recovery from your op BTW!
Initially IV, but very soon in tablet form. Wishing you a speedy recovery from your op BTW!
The operation was on the 30th and I was discharged last Wednesday. Mind blowingly efficient.
There's humour everywhere. This morning I wondered about weening myself off the Paracetamol. The advice I found available from the NHS does not say, "Start to methodically reduce the dose." Instead, it gives a specific example for readers to interpret. I am on 1,000mg of Paracetamol four times a day. "Start by removing the middle dose."
There must be patients, eager to do exactly as they are told, who would have to ring up and enquire about a way round that conundrum.
I have already worked out how to do it, in case you're worried.
.g3org3y, I've no idea where I'd submit it, but would an article written from the patient's perspective on the dangers of ignoring warning signs of imminent heart problems be any use? From me having to stop walking to catch a breather, to having a double bypass, took a little over three months. At no time was it really painful. I'm not being brave, I'm concerned folk would have ignored what I had, pushed on and created severe problems for themselves. Contributed to their own heart attack, in other words.
We hear how painful heart attacks are. By skirting around the margins of heart attack, what I had was at worst uncomfortable. People should be told. I'd like to help to get the message out.
Incidents had to happen to emphasise to me how serious things were - "Transfer for Dicky to St Bart's." "Old boy over there." "How do you want it done?" "Emergency."
What? Hold on! It's only old Dicky in a spot of discomfort. Nope. Blue lights and sirens all the way, Reading to the City of London in just over an hour. In the rush hour.
Post-op I've had a couple of painful twinges. Pre-op, no. Uncomfortable at worst. People should know they're dancing at the edge of the abyss.
Still hallucinating?
They're calming down a bit now.
We hear how painful heart attacks are. By skirting around the margins of heart attack, what I had was at worst uncomfortable. People should be told. I'd like to help to get the message out.
Incidents had to happen to emphasise to me how serious things were - "Transfer for Dicky to St Bart's." "Old boy over there." "How do you want it done?" "Emergency."
What? Hold on! It's only old Dicky in a spot of discomfort. Nope. Blue lights and sirens all the way, Reading to the City of London in just over an hour. In the rush hour.
Post-op I've had a couple of painful twinges. Pre-op, no. Uncomfortable at worst. People should know they're dancing at the edge of the abyss.
Still hallucinating?
They're calming down a bit now.
DickyC said:
g3org3y, I've no idea where I'd submit it, but would an article written from the patient's perspective on the dangers of ignoring warning signs of imminent heart problems be any use? From me having to stop walking to catch a breather, to having a double bypass, took a little over three months. At no time was it really painful. I'm not being brave, I'm concerned folk would have ignored what I had, pushed on and created severe problems for themselves. Contributed to their own heart attack, in other words.
We hear how painful heart attacks are. By skirting around the margins of heart attack, what I had was at worst uncomfortable. People should be told. I'd like to help to get the message out.
Incidents had to happen to emphasise to me how serious things were - "Transfer for Dicky to St Bart's." "Old boy over there." "How do you want it done?" "Emergency."
What? Hold on! It's only old Dicky in a spot of discomfort. Nope. Blue lights and sirens all the way, Reading to the City of London in just over an hour. In the rush hour.
Post-op I've had a couple of painful twinges. Pre-op, no. Uncomfortable at worst. People should know they're dancing at the edge of the abyss.
Still hallucinating?
They're calming down a bit now.
Wherever you submit it if at all what you have written is a powerful message so thank you.We hear how painful heart attacks are. By skirting around the margins of heart attack, what I had was at worst uncomfortable. People should be told. I'd like to help to get the message out.
Incidents had to happen to emphasise to me how serious things were - "Transfer for Dicky to St Bart's." "Old boy over there." "How do you want it done?" "Emergency."
What? Hold on! It's only old Dicky in a spot of discomfort. Nope. Blue lights and sirens all the way, Reading to the City of London in just over an hour. In the rush hour.
Post-op I've had a couple of painful twinges. Pre-op, no. Uncomfortable at worst. People should know they're dancing at the edge of the abyss.
Still hallucinating?
They're calming down a bit now.
I am currently recovering from a fairly intense hernia repair (issues with the intestine not going back in place) so nothing like your procedure but any surgery makes you question mortality...
Speedy recovery....
Norton850 said:
Wherever you submit it if at all what you have written is a powerful message so thank you.
I am currently recovering from a fairly intense hernia repair (issues with the intestine not going back in place) so nothing like your procedure but any surgery makes you question mortality...
Speedy recovery....
And you! That sounds awful.I am currently recovering from a fairly intense hernia repair (issues with the intestine not going back in place) so nothing like your procedure but any surgery makes you question mortality...
Speedy recovery....
Jonnny said:
Madness.
I read this post, without checking the authors username and thought.. That's written very much how DickyC would have written a post in the 'TUSRTAYL' thread.
Checked the post, and low and behold it's DickyC. It's been a while, hope you're well and on the mend.
I am on the mend, thanks, Jonnny.I read this post, without checking the authors username and thought.. That's written very much how DickyC would have written a post in the 'TUSRTAYL' thread.
Checked the post, and low and behold it's DickyC. It's been a while, hope you're well and on the mend.
And determined to be a fitter and healthier person at the end of it.
To wait until I was a hair's breadth from heart attack to discover I was borderline cholesterol and borderline diabetic was an eye-opener.
Cholesterol? Me? Diabetic? Me? Must be a mistake.
The rush to London by ambulance brought out the worst of the faux Londoner in me. Along Piccadilly, down the Haymarket, round Trafalgar Square; I was having a whale of a time. And when I was discharged I used one of my favourite London expressions with a fellow patient. As I left I said, "Be lucky." He smiled and replied, "Be careful."
There it is. Stop being a smartarse and start taking care of yourself.
DickyC said:
Ten days ago, as I came round from open heart surgery, my intensive care nurse alerted me to a handy button I could press to increase my intravenous pain relief. If I understand it correctly, tramadol, morphine and oxycodone are the medical profession's current favourite painkillers for cardiac surgery.
When I agreed that I was in a spot of discomfort, the nurse encouraged me to give the button a press. Press button, feel a bit seedy, feel rough and then throw up. Throw up rather a lot, as it happens.
"Oh, dear," said the nurse. "That doesn't agree with you. I'll get the doctor to prescribe Paracetamol."
Hold on, instead of top shelf, prescription only, painkillers you are going to give me stuff I can buy at the newsagent?
I take it all back. It's worked fine. Admittedly, I am still on a hefty dose and will have to start weening myself off it, but it has done its job.
There's my vote: Paracetamol. And no one more surprised than me.
While I was going through chemo I had a reaction to something on my "off" week which meant I ended up back on the haematology ward while they worked out what the problem was. While I was in there I was given paracetamol "just in case" eventually I was okay and they were happy to discharge me but as is the way I had to be pushed out in a wheelchair and was chatting to the nurse about why they had given me paracetamol when i wasn't in pain. Her response - well they don't really know how it works or what it really does so when they are not sure about something they give you that to see if it fixes stuff, it works more times than they care to admit.When I agreed that I was in a spot of discomfort, the nurse encouraged me to give the button a press. Press button, feel a bit seedy, feel rough and then throw up. Throw up rather a lot, as it happens.
"Oh, dear," said the nurse. "That doesn't agree with you. I'll get the doctor to prescribe Paracetamol."
Hold on, instead of top shelf, prescription only, painkillers you are going to give me stuff I can buy at the newsagent?
I take it all back. It's worked fine. Admittedly, I am still on a hefty dose and will have to start weening myself off it, but it has done its job.
There's my vote: Paracetamol. And no one more surprised than me.
I don't know how true that is but it makes you wonder...
DickyC said:
g3org3y, I've no idea where I'd submit it, but would an article written from the patient's perspective on the dangers of ignoring warning signs of imminent heart problems be any use? From me having to stop walking to catch a breather, to having a double bypass, took a little over three months. At no time was it really painful. I'm not being brave, I'm concerned folk would have ignored what I had, pushed on and created severe problems for themselves. Contributed to their own heart attack, in other words.
We hear how painful heart attacks are. By skirting around the margins of heart attack, what I had was at worst uncomfortable. People should be told. I'd like to help to get the message out.
Incidents had to happen to emphasise to me how serious things were - "Transfer for Dicky to St Bart's." "Old boy over there." "How do you want it done?" "Emergency."
What? Hold on! It's only old Dicky in a spot of discomfort. Nope. Blue lights and sirens all the way, Reading to the City of London in just over an hour. In the rush hour.
Post-op I've had a couple of painful twinges. Pre-op, no. Uncomfortable at worst. People should know they're dancing at the edge of the abyss.
Still hallucinating?
They're calming down a bit now.
There's a textbook angina presentation, but plenty are not like that.We hear how painful heart attacks are. By skirting around the margins of heart attack, what I had was at worst uncomfortable. People should be told. I'd like to help to get the message out.
Incidents had to happen to emphasise to me how serious things were - "Transfer for Dicky to St Bart's." "Old boy over there." "How do you want it done?" "Emergency."
What? Hold on! It's only old Dicky in a spot of discomfort. Nope. Blue lights and sirens all the way, Reading to the City of London in just over an hour. In the rush hour.
Post-op I've had a couple of painful twinges. Pre-op, no. Uncomfortable at worst. People should know they're dancing at the edge of the abyss.
Still hallucinating?
They're calming down a bit now.
Textbook: tightness or pressure feeling in the chest on exertion (i.e. walking). Worse going up a hill/stairs. Relief on rest/stopping. Feeling may radiate into the jaw or left arm.
Some people however don't have pain as such, just feel short of breath. Some have nausea. I've also seen dizziness or feeling like going to pass out end up being angina. I remember a patient suffering left shoulder pain every time she hoovered at home and did housework. Initially it was attributed to musculoskeletal pain (from all the housework) - but it was angina!
The typical key is that the symptoms are exertional (and will relieve with rest).
(Once you start getting symptoms at rest or randomly, that's possibly unstable angina which is somewhat different).
Thanks!
The message certainly didn't reach me. I had angina symptoms and had I been a bit more knowledgeable I might have anticipated treatment for angina. The idea that I was a hair's breadth from a heart attack and needed bypass surgery didn't occur to me.
That's the message I would like to help to convey:
Beware! The prelude to a heart attack doesnt have to be painful. Discomfort in your throat or neck, tightness in your chest and discomfort in your upper arms may be angina but equally may be the warning signs of a heart attack. Get yourself checked out.
That warning doesn't seem to be there.
The message certainly didn't reach me. I had angina symptoms and had I been a bit more knowledgeable I might have anticipated treatment for angina. The idea that I was a hair's breadth from a heart attack and needed bypass surgery didn't occur to me.
That's the message I would like to help to convey:
Beware! The prelude to a heart attack doesnt have to be painful. Discomfort in your throat or neck, tightness in your chest and discomfort in your upper arms may be angina but equally may be the warning signs of a heart attack. Get yourself checked out.
That warning doesn't seem to be there.
They did do a short campaign last year https://www.england.nhs.uk/2022/02/nhs-launches-li...
I haven't looked into how effective it was though.
I haven't looked into how effective it was though.
I'd be grateful that you didn't get on with the opiates.
When I snapped my leg, the one dose of opiates I was given after the op gave me such terrible constipation that it felt like I was trying to pass a wardrobe. This was a problem as I had to pass a stool before they would let me go home...
Had a similar experience on prescription codeine so it's definitely the opiates.
When I snapped my leg, the one dose of opiates I was given after the op gave me such terrible constipation that it felt like I was trying to pass a wardrobe. This was a problem as I had to pass a stool before they would let me go home...
Had a similar experience on prescription codeine so it's definitely the opiates.
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