Hi there, After doing some researching on Google, I have what seems to be a rare issue with absorption of my pain meds after having the Rue-en-y or "bypass" bariatric surgery. It really shouldn't be such a stretch that this is happening to me as the reason the surgery works, or the point of it is to cause mal - absorption and malnutrition but here is what I'm experiencing. I am hoping someone can suggest the best way to deal with this as my GP and pain specialist don't believe me. So, I am on Hydromorphcontin 6mg, 2 caps - 3 times a day, and hydromorphone 4mg, 2 tabs - 5 times a day. As I am sure you all know these meds cause constipation. (I explain how I have found an excellent way to deal with constipation further down) I am first going to explain what had been my experience at first and how I have reduced the severity of the situation but I am still having issues that I am hoping someone can help me with. Anyways, for the sake of this question let's suppose I had a good BM this morning that cleaned me right out, all day I am going to struggle with trying to get any relief from pain at all and I will actually be in withdrawal consisting of constant yawning, all over aching and shudders. So throughout the first day and 2nd day I don't have a BM. On the 2nd day I will no longer be in withdrawal and I will have some pain relief taking my meds as prescribed. The 3rd day, still without a BM, I can go 12 hours without taking any meds at all!!! If I take my meds as prescribed on the 3rd day I go into overdose where I experience being "stoned", I can't see properly or think straight and I'm very drowsy. The other thing that happens, which I believe is an overdose issue is I am experiencing a humming and a vibration that drives me absolutely crazy and goes away immediately after a bowel movement! This was also happening with Gravol and not that long ago I stopped taking Nabilone because one night I took it before bed to help me sleep and 2 days later I was suddenly "stoned" and couldn't figure out why until I put 2 and 2 together and realized it was part of this absorption issue. Recently I thought 2 things about this. 1- I had thought that to avoid the overdose issue I should never take my meds until I start feeling the withdrawal symptoms but then I thought that by going the 12 hours I am losing the half life which causes part of the problem of going into withdrawal in the first place and then causes me to have to take more meds than prescribed and, 2 - using a strong laxative does this as well. Very recently I discovered that magnesium is the active ingredient in laxatives and I found it causes a lot of health issues when you are deficient, which I am, so I have switched to taking 1 magnesium tablet before bedtime and this has helped the constipation issue without the violence some of the other laxatives I've tried including Senekot. So I think I might be answering my question partly but what I am wondering is if anyone has heard of this issue and if anyone knows if I am on the right track and/or if anyone has a better way of dealing with this. Also, I was on suboxone for over a year and had the same issue and my pain specialist didn't believe me saying because suboxone is sublingual it goes directly into the blood stream and so it couldn't be happening but I am telling you it most certainly did. I do know that digestion/absorption starts in the mouth and maybe that's why, who knows, but it really was happening. I did read some of the ways people are getting a bigger bang for their bucks but I am not interested in obtaining the euphoria these drugs can provide as I think that will cause a whole other issue I don't need or want. If ya know what I mean, jellybean. Oh and my surgery was in 02/2013 and this issue did not happen right away. It started about a year and a half after surgery and I did have complications from the surgery. I couldn't eat at all for 5 weeks and eventually couldn't even drink water. They found that where they re-attached my intestine to the pouch had a build up of scar tissue and I only had a 3mm opening so they went in with a scope and stretched it open again. I have been able to eat ever since but there may still be scar tissue build up as I still eat like someone who has just had the surgery. I recently saw a dietician and she said that people usually start putting the weight back on by now, not only am I not gaining but I actually eat high calorie foods on purpose in order to prevent further weight loss. Even though I could stand to lose more weight I find that I start to look sickly and the already bad wrinkles from yo yo dieting my whole life (I'm 54) and the surgery, ( actually it's my second bariatric surgery, I had a gastric stapling in 1999), get much worse and I look like crap. Just so you know I lost 130 lbs, I was 350 to start, I took off the first 50 myself, I now weigh 220. Also, allowing them to "fix" any remaining scar tissue is not an option I am willing to explore for fear of regaining any weight. Being 350 lbs is the most horrible thing I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. Anyways, I would appreciate any help. Thank you.
