surgery+dilaudid question please?

[dovesmajik]

I'll cut to the chase here. I broke my wrist about a month ago and just went through surgery, which involved the surgeon having to re-break my bone to re-align it and to place four pins in my wrist to assist in the healing process. Needless to say, my pain level is completely outa control right now dispite the fact i was sent with a script for 40 2mg dilaudid pills. I have never been in so much pain before in my life, ever, and im having a hard time dealing. I'm only two days ofa sugery and i'm not sure if my pain level is *normal* considering the fact that i've never undergone any type of surgery till a couple days ago. Perhaps somethings wrong? I unfortunately have a gut feeling there is not only because my pain level is off the charts but also because of severe swelling plus i cannot move any of my fingers whutsoever. I am certain tho' that my appt. with my orthopediest on monday will either comfirm or deny my gut feeling. Hopefully deny.

Onto my question. The dilaudid I was sent home with has not even put a dent in my pain. However I have been taking this med as prescribed, which is 1-2 pills every four to six hours. I'll be blunt here. 1-2 pills is NOT helping at all. My pain is still outa control on this particular dosage. Question: how safe would it be for me to up the dosage on this drug a bit? I'm honestly not even sure if it would help me to do so or not seen as has NOT even helped me at ALL thus far. All i want here help. Help to get my pain level down to a *tolerable* level. I say tolerable cuz I know that there should naturally be *some* pain that goes along with sugery. But whut im going through right now is hell and I just cant tolerate it any more. I should'nt have to SUFFER like i have been the past couple days. Its not fair! There MUST be some pain
med out there that could help me! Anything! Perhaps even a higher dosage od this dilaudid crap will do? I dont know im willing
to try ANYTHING *excluding needles* right now.

Another concern of mine. I'm worried, even at prescribed dosage,
that i'll get addicted to em'. My mother has already very clearly expressed her concerns about me turning into a "junkie/addict" from taking this med. This concerns me cuz the med she fears i'll undoubtedly get addicted to isnt even working. I feel that I may even at this point and time need something stronger to at least help me get things under control. Can any one here relay the addiction posibilities of this drug? The last thing i want to do is add the pain of withdrawls to the pain im already experiencing.

I'm willing to do anything here yet I still want to use caution. Thus the reason im here asking questions. I'll narrow the questions down once again. Would using more than 2-4mgs of dilaudid every four to six hours be a *safe* thing for me to do and whut are the odds against me getting addicted to this drug?
My pain right now is no joke therefor ANY response would be very
much appreciated. Thanks.

Broken wrist+surgery+four pins+pain med that isnt working=BIG OWIES~!

*edit* Not a greenie here although for some odd reason its showing me to be? I'm just using a different name because it wouldnt let me use my real one which is *IRIE*

 

[Morrison's Lament]

Ehm, from what I thought I knew, dilaudid (hydromorphone) is one of the stronger opiates being abused out there, although not comparable to Fentanyl.

According to Erowid: "Dilaudid has two to eight times the painkilling effects of morphine while Percocets are similar to codeine but stronger."

So basically, all I can come up with is that you must be taking too little, that is supposed to be a VERY strong opiate you have there! That being said, I have NO idea what the recommended dose or LD50 of hydromorphone is.

Anyone have info on this, erowid is kidna short on the info on this chem?

--- G.

 

[Morrison's Lament]

Well, the biggest pill I've found references to so far in my searching is a 4mg variety, so you're probably very safe around that dosage level.

You should be more than safe in experimenting with popping three instead of two. If that doesn't work, get back to us, I'm sure more knowledgable people than me will have checked in by then.

I wish you luck with that terrible pain, comrade, it sounds like hell

--- G.

p.s. isn't it a bitch to type in your condition?

 

[diatribe]

You've discovered what alot of us already know, Dilaudid is one fucking overrated drug. If you IV it, it provides a short high and a mediocre rush, and thats about it. Orally? Personally I would call oral hydromorphone no more then a joke. Anyway, first of all, that's a lot of fucking typing for someone with a broken wrist. One of your hands must get alot of excercise. There is an easy remedy to this situation, tell your doctor the pills arn't working, he should change your prescription without any hassle, if your pain is that real. If for some reason you can't do that and have to experiment with the Dilaudid, I would try a 6-8mg dose, even as trash as Dilaudid is, 6-8mg should kill your pain. Good luck.

 

[Roll munchEr]

I have alot of evperience with Dilaudid, and I know that they make an 8mg pill! So anything around that should work! I agree that they blow for relieving pain, unless it is given IV! I would call your doctor and tell him that the medication is not dulling the pain and you are in pain constantly! And you really shouldn't worry about getting addicted to them!! 40 pills really isnt enough to have you expeiencing any withdrawls or anything like that!! MikE

 

[day_for_night]

ask for fentanyl patches...they will kill your pain for 3 days at a time.

 

[JTMarlin]

Have you tried Oxycontin? They might be better than Dilaudid, if he doesn't put you on patches ask about that. Well don't ask, but you know...

 

[dovesmajik]

1. It's now 9:30pm here and im already in panic attack city over my appt. with my orthopediest tommorow morning. Terrified that hes going to have to cause me even more pain than im already in to help me. Terrfied my gut feeling about something being wrong *insane amount of swelling/pain and still cant move fingers here and im 3 days outa surgery* will be confirmed by my doctor via x-ray. Terrified that my orthopediest is going to *attempt* to tell me whut i should and should not be feeling *like so many others have before in the past* when im the one who's having to suffer through this, not him. Terrified he will be unsympathetic of my pain
and send me home w/crap to suffer even more. After all, this doctor originally sent me home w/a script for fucking 5mg perks right after he re-broke, re-aligned, and shoved 4 pins into my wrist. Needless to say the reccomended dosage of percocet didnt work so off to the ER i went seeking help to get my pain under control. I stayed in the hospital overnight recieving IV shots every
2 hours *even got em' when I was sleeping*. Was released from the ER the next day with the script for dilaudid. Evidently my orthopediest thought that I would be fine w/just percocet? Well he was WRONG! Outa my entire 28 years i have never been in so much pain before. I'm in more pain NOW than i was in when i first broke it. NOT GOOD!

2. I tried 6mg as suggested by *DIA* and *MORR* had suggested. Even at 6mgs i still feel like my hand has just been run over back n forth by a car blah! SUCKS! Cant even fucking lay down w/out being in pain. ShOOt ME please!

3. YES it isa bitch to type in this condition. Takes forever to type up shit one handed blah! Fortunately *if yoo can even say that* i broke my left wrist n not right. I'm right handed here so um yeah. Had i broke my right wrist typing would be outa the question.

4. *ASK* for fentanyl patches? Um not so sure if asking a doctor for ne narcotic would be so wise? Wouldnt yoo be automatically be labeled as a drug seeker if yoo asked for a particular narcotic by name? IN F'REAL PAIN HERE n NEED HELP! Last thing i need right now is for my own fucking doctor not to trust me. If asked right now whut my pain level is i would respond by saying OFF THE FUCKING CHARTS! I can only hope that i will be sent home with something tommorow that will actually HELP me get this under control. Thats all i fucking want. Is this to much to ask?

okie hurting now n need ice. thanks for all the responses.

 

[JTMarlin]

Well, under normal conditions asking for them would make you a "drug seeker." But you aren't asking for them because your back hurts, a swollen hand after you got out of surgery and unberable pain are legitimate excuses for pain killers. Just bring back any of your prescription you have left, so he won't think you're trying to get a stash.

 

[day_for_night]

well, you have to be straightforward with your doctor. tell him you cant sleep because of the pain, that its unbearable...

he needs to realize you legitimately need a very strong pain killer, like fentanyl patches. if he asks how you know about patches, say that __________ (insert name of relative here) had cancer and was on them, and they recomended that you ask for them.

 

[diatribe]

Fentanyl patches are prescribed to people who have been on opiate therapy for awhile, and who have a tolerance. I really don't see one getting patches for a post-surgery thing.

 

[Negro-kitty]

^^^

I agree...I HIGHLY doubt you would be given a fentanyl patch and I think you would be viewed suspiciously for asking. If I were you, I wouldn't ask for anything in particular, I would simply tell him that your pain is not being treated by the dilaudid and that you would like something that 'works better'. I wouldn't even say 'stronger'. Just say that you are in really bad pain and the dilaudid isn't helping much and you want to know what you should do about it. If your dr is good he will then prescribe you something more powerful.

 

[day_for_night]

from the sounds of it, this individual already has a moderate/high tolerance. and fentanyl patches would not be totally out of the realm of possibility for what was described. pins in bone tend to be extraordinarily painful...

whether or not your doctor gives them to you is another thing though, and i have to agree with negro-kitty that simply asking for something "better" may be the best way to go. it all depends what kind of relationship you have with your doctor.

good luck

 

[Negro-kitty]

Yeah, he definitely DESERVES some fentanyl...I won't deny that!

 

[canada girl]

"
I agree...I HIGHLY doubt you would be given a fentanyl patch and I think you would be viewed suspiciously for asking. If I were you, I wouldn't ask for anything in particular, I would simply tell him that your pain is not being treated by the dilaudid and that you would like something that 'works better'. I wouldn't even say 'stronger'. Just say that you are in really bad pain and the dilaudid isn't helping much and you want to know what you should do about it. If your dr is good he will then prescribe you something more powerful. "

I agree 100% with what N-K said (above). I'm a "surgery veteran" , I guesss; I've had 29 surgeries - everything from removal of a cancerous tumour on my lung to having a metal plate grafted onto my collar bone. I've had pretty much every opiate out there - Dilaudid is pretty strong, though and I don't know why it's not controlling your pain enough. Just be honest with your doctor and hopefully he'll be understanding and give you something more appropriate.

 

[kapheen']

I shattered my left knee (tibial plateau) last year and had to have two pins put in. While my hospital stay was wonderful with all the hydromorphone I was getting IV'd every two hours, The day I got out I got one last shot and a prescription for 5/500 percs which didn't do shit for the pain I was in. I couldn't sleep and I was extremely frustrated that I was stuck in my bed.

When I tried to discuss the issue with my specialist he refused to give my anything else and stated that what I had was more than enough to get me through. I resorted by taking 15-30mg's oxycodone, Depending on my level of pain. After I upped my dose it helped greatly. Though, I was running out three days early and had to try and deal with the pain for these three days. After three weeks or so it was tolerable.

Fentanyl seems a little far fetched to me, But maybe your doc will hook it up.

I know how ya feel. Hope you get a better med for your pain, Good luck.

p.s. Oral hydromorphone sucks for pain management IMO.