Re: I'm a new guy to the group. Former addict worried about the pain issue.

[Guest guest]

Dave:

I had upper/lower done on October 28. I can't speak for anyone else

but I know for myself I wasn't in too much pain. Due to the fact

the nerves in my face were shuffled around so much during surgery my

entire face was numb, as if I received a local anaesthetic. Only a

couple of times during my recovery did I ever really need a pain

med. The doctor had me on Percocet and I only used them in the

evening when I couldn't sleep due to discomfort or if I woke up sore

from sleeping wrong. The only excrutiating pain I had to deal with

was when the ortho gave me a new routine with elastics. My midline

was off by 2mm after surgery so the elastic I had to wear to correct

that.... well lets just say it hurt like hell!

As for your former addiction, I would definately tell your

doctor/surgeon about it. You said you have been sober for some time

now and they will love to hear that. You do not want to put

yourself in a position where you may be in pain and can't do

anything about it. The doctors, knowing about your past problem,

may have an alternate form of pain control for you to use.

Your doctors are there to help you and make sure you have the utmost

comfort. Trust them, trust yourself.

Good Luck with your decisions, surgery.

Mel

> I get braces in three days so there is no turning back. I'll be

having my

> lower jaw moved forward quite a bit. I'm really looking forward

to all of

> this. I've always had a bad bite and hated my profile. I have

one major

> question. About the pain after the surgery. Exactly how bad

are we

> talking here? Are we talking Tylenol 3 bad, Vicodin bad,

Percocet bad?

> Or maybe not bad enough to have to take pain medication at

all. The

> reason I ask is that I used to be addicted to pain pills. I've

been

> straight for a long time now, but I'm sort of fearful of this

whole pain

> pill issue. I mean, I'm scared at the prospect of that whole

addiction

> thing kicking in again vs. being in total pain without anything.

I'm

> reluctuant to talk to my doctors about the issue for fear I'll

just totally

> have to suffer if they find out I'm a former addict. On the

other hand,

> I am afraid of setting off the addiction again. It's 18 months

till I

> have surgery so I have awhile to think about it. I'm very

ashamed of my

> former addition, even if I shouldn't be. The people in my

current life

> know nothing about it. Anyone faced this situation or have

suggestions.

> Thanks.

>

> Dave

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!

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[Guest guest]

Hi - I am five days post op for upper and lower jaw surgery and

have not had to take any pain medication. I was prescribed Tylenol

3's but tend to stay away from them, and havent had the need for

them. Maybe I am just lucky but I think ibuprofin might be good

enough.

best of luck! Cheers, Jen

> I get braces in three days so there is no turning back. I'll be

having my

> lower jaw moved forward quite a bit. I'm really looking forward

to all of

> this. I've always had a bad bite and hated my profile. I have

one major

> question. About the pain after the surgery. Exactly how bad

are we

> talking here? Are we talking Tylenol 3 bad, Vicodin bad,

Percocet bad?

> Or maybe not bad enough to have to take pain medication at all.

The

> reason I ask is that I used to be addicted to pain pills. I've

been

> straight for a long time now, but I'm sort of fearful of this

whole pain

> pill issue. I mean, I'm scared at the prospect of that whole

addiction

> thing kicking in again vs. being in total pain without anything.

I'm

> reluctuant to talk to my doctors about the issue for fear I'll just

totally

> have to suffer if they find out I'm a former addict. On the other

hand,

> I am afraid of setting off the addiction again. It's 18 months

till I

> have surgery so I have awhile to think about it. I'm very ashamed

of my

> former addition, even if I shouldn't be. The people in my

current life

> know nothing about it. Anyone faced this situation or have

suggestions.

> Thanks.

>

> Dave

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!

> http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

[Guest guest]

To be totally honest the only thing I took the pain meds (vicodin)

for was to help me sleep and I only did that twice. I really did not

have any pain (everything was numb). I did have a bit of pain in my

teeth after my first OD visit post-op but just took ibuprofen.

Please be sure to let your OS know about your former problems with

paid meds. They will not judge you and they do have alternatives

that they can use if needed. My father became addicted to pain meds

after his first heart surgery, subsequently on his second one they

were very careful with what they gave him and he had no recurring

problems.

> I get braces in three days so there is no turning back. I'll be

having my

> lower jaw moved forward quite a bit. I'm really looking forward

to all of

> this. I've always had a bad bite and hated my profile. I have

one major

> question. About the pain after the surgery. Exactly how bad

are we

> talking here? Are we talking Tylenol 3 bad, Vicodin bad,

Percocet bad?

> Or maybe not bad enough to have to take pain medication at all.

The

> reason I ask is that I used to be addicted to pain pills. I've

been

> straight for a long time now, but I'm sort of fearful of this

whole pain

> pill issue. I mean, I'm scared at the prospect of that whole

addiction

> thing kicking in again vs. being in total pain without anything.

I'm

> reluctuant to talk to my doctors about the issue for fear I'll just

totally

> have to suffer if they find out I'm a former addict. On the other

hand,

> I am afraid of setting off the addiction again. It's 18 months

till I

> have surgery so I have awhile to think about it. I'm very ashamed

of my

> former addition, even if I shouldn't be. The people in my

current life

> know nothing about it. Anyone faced this situation or have

suggestions.

> Thanks.

>

> Dave

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!

> http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

[Guest guest]

Dave...

Dear Dave...congratulations on your overcoming addiction and on

getting into braces! NOTHING to be ashamed about...many many people

are addicted to many different things and hay-you're human and got

through it...so let's look ahead...not backwards.

I can understand your concern, this actually crossed my mind when I

was healing, knowing how some of my friends have dealt with teh same

issues in the past, I wondered how they would handle it. First

question is how is your pain tolerance? If it's strong, maybe you

could go w/o...but here's the kicker...they will give you morphine in

the hospital (typically IV style before you're even totally with

it)...you're obviously off it it when you are discharged but while

you're not high, it's still in your system a while, and then you are

still dealing with a ton of steriods and they can lead to a very

emotional time. If you are strong to pain but dealing with coming off

Morphine and doing a little steroid emotional rollercoaster...the

want for pain killers/need may be much larger than say right now if

you broke your toe.

I would also ask you, how close/comfortable are you with your drs? Is

there one that you feel you could confide in and share these concerns

with-even perhaps off the record initially to have an open

comfortable convo? They SHOULD know, while you don't want to suffer

unnecessarily, they may be able to offer you the minimum amounts if

you NEED them and be sure not to keep giving you refills...it's a

tough road you're walking, I hear you...but think about it carefully,

DUDE, THIS IS SURGERY...MAJOR surgery!

....and they will give you Morphine...one of the most intense pain

killers on the market...so I tend to think you should confide and

tell them honestly,something like " ...I am not saying this to have be

totally cut off from painkillers IF they are necessary, but I want to

know about alternatives and options and be assured that while I want

to avoid getting hooked again, that I will be able to handle the

situation....also don't want to implode with anxiety and worry about

the potential pain of my surg...after all having to go onto xanax is

not much better! " So get it on the table and set your course.

So I think you should talk --- better you all know then not and HAY,

if they treat you poorly and look down on you after that talk...you

have 18mths to find another surgen who will take all of your

questions and concerns seriously and consider your well being as a

physical and mental patient/human...not a jaw to operate on and

some " druggie " but just Dave who is recovering from pill addiction

and who has serious concerns about his recovery post-op.

Hang in there...and Dave try and work on that whole shame thing, for

your sake...I have people that I love who have had addiction probs

(all kinds) and sure there are some things they are and prob always

will be ashamed of, but not themselves as a whole...you are human,

humans make mistakes-some small, some gigantic...forgive yourself

Dave...for you...and then you will begin a whole new chapter.

Seriously...you can not choose how people treat you, but you can

choose how you treat yourself...so work on being nice to you...after

all, if you can be clean for yourself, you can be kind to yourself if

you work on it...afterall don't you owe that to you?

Hugs, cheers and understanding...JO

> I get braces in three days so there is no turning back. I'll be

having my

> lower jaw moved forward quite a bit. I'm really looking forward

to all of

> this. I've always had a bad bite and hated my profile. I have

one major

> question. About the pain after the surgery. Exactly how bad

are we

> talking here? Are we talking Tylenol 3 bad, Vicodin bad,

Percocet bad?

> Or maybe not bad enough to have to take pain medication at all.

The

> reason I ask is that I used to be addicted to pain pills. I've

been

> straight for a long time now, but I'm sort of fearful of this

whole pain

> pill issue. I mean, I'm scared at the prospect of that whole

addiction

> thing kicking in again vs. being in total pain without anything.

I'm

> reluctuant to talk to my doctors about the issue for fear I'll just

totally

> have to suffer if they find out I'm a former addict. On the other

hand,

> I am afraid of setting off the addiction again. It's 18 months

till I

> have surgery so I have awhile to think about it. I'm very ashamed

of my

> former addition, even if I shouldn't be. The people in my

current life

> know nothing about it. Anyone faced this situation or have

suggestions.

> Thanks.

>

> Dave

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!

> http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

[Guest guest]

I think you should have a talk with your surgeon about all this. He

or she should be capable of keeping in confidence anything you tell

him or her, and I can't imagine a surgeon who would willfully insist

that a patient go through pain, if there's any alternative.

I had lower advancement, 5 mm, with 3 mm movement to the side.

I used morphine for the first day post op. Could I have done without

it? I don't know -- I didn't try. Then I had Lortab (liquid) when I

went home, for about a week. After that, Advil or Alleve.

Many people find that the pain meds make them nauseated or otherwise

ill, and Tylenol or Ibuprofen serve some people much better.

Generally there is not a great deal of pain involved.

But talk candidly with your doc. If you shouldn't have the morphine

or Lortab or Vicodin, perhaps your doc can offer an alternative, or

at least make plans now to treat you in whatever way will give you

the least pain without rekindling your addiction. (I don't know much

about how all that works. But your doc will.)

I think you should be very proud of having licked that addiction,

rather than focusing on being ashamed of having had it. And I don't

blame you at all for being worried about getting hooked again. I

think that could be a serious problem for you.

Best,

Cammie

> I get braces in three days so there is no turning back. I'll be

having my

> lower jaw moved forward quite a bit. I'm really looking forward

to all of

> this. I've always had a bad bite and hated my profile. I have

one major

> question. About the pain after the surgery. Exactly how bad

are we

> talking here? Are we talking Tylenol 3 bad, Vicodin bad,

Percocet bad?

> Or maybe not bad enough to have to take pain medication at all.

The

> reason I ask is that I used to be addicted to pain pills. I've

been

> straight for a long time now, but I'm sort of fearful of this

whole pain

> pill issue. I mean, I'm scared at the prospect of that whole

addiction

> thing kicking in again vs. being in total pain without anything.

I'm

> reluctuant to talk to my doctors about the issue for fear I'll just

totally

> have to suffer if they find out I'm a former addict. On the other

hand,

> I am afraid of setting off the addiction again. It's 18 months

till I

> have surgery so I have awhile to think about it. I'm very ashamed

of my

> former addition, even if I shouldn't be. The people in my

current life

> know nothing about it. Anyone faced this situation or have

suggestions.

> Thanks.

>

> Dave

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!

> http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/