I have not been on the site for awhile. I spent the last week in De-tox of all things. I ran out of my pain meds and by the time I got more I was already in the begining stages of de-tox. I threw up every 20 minutes for 36 hours and was sick to my stomach for another 3 days after that. I was also running a temp until Tuesday of this week! IT WAS HELL ON EARTH!! It really has taken over a week to get my diet back on track and feeling better.

I swear the pain meds they give you in hospital seem great at the time but getting off of them is a killer. If I didnt run out I am sure it would have been easier but either way I think some form of De-tox was going to happen. I have been on pain pills for almost 10 months if you can believe it.

Good news, my surgically repaired hip finally feels much better and I can tolerate the pain without any medication other than a few ibuprofen each day.

I am very anxious to get off the crutches and stop using the walker but I cant put any weight on my leg at least another month.

I have also had a blood test last week as precaution and my counts are great. So good news on that front as well.

Everyone take care!!

This is great news - especially that the de- tox going so well

God Bless, Pat

Hi Greg,

Glad to hear you kicked. That sounds smart, though not easy. Are you able to sleep? As with any habit, the more distance (time) you put between yourself and the last dose, the easier it gets. In this regard, time is your friend and ally.

I think mindset makes a tremendous difference. It sounds like you've made up your mind, and you're attitude is great. The time for pain relief is over. The time to move on is now.

Glad you're hip is starting to heal and feel better. Indeed, it is a relief having great counts. The month will be up before you know it. Hang in there.

Sincerely,

Vince

Greg, I'm sorry to hear that you ran out of painkillers. It's amazing sometimes how there seem to be plenty in the bottle one day, and then you realize that you're almost out, it's the weekend, and you hadn't thought about your supply over a week. It can happen with any kind of medication. Sometimes it's not such a big deal, but when you've been taking serious painkillers for a long time, your body adapts to them -- just like if you drink lots of coffee all week, it adapts to the caffeine, and gives you a headache if you go cold-turkey on the weekend.

When you're ready to get off the opiates, you need to give your body a fair chance at adapting back (which it will do if given half a chance). This means that you cut back on the amount you're taking at one time, or that you space the pills out more. Getting off these pills can be painless -- almost a complete non-event -- if you do it over the course of a week (or more) instead of going cold turkey.

Since it's still not safe to put any weight on that hip, I suspect that you're not ready to be entirely off the painkillers, but keep it in mind for next time. For that major surgery like that, most people find that they just naturally need slightly less, and then less again, meds after the bone has finished mending, until they're taking very little, so I suspect that the process will be fairly simple when it's time.

-w. (who's going to go count her famciclovir pills now, because shingles is no fun. )

Thanks everyone for the replys. Even today things are much better. I slept better last night too.

Take it easy...

It is great your hip is feeling better.

I am sure WAID is right that slowly coming off your pain killers would have been an easier way but if it was me if I had been off them a couple of days I would not be going back on them again if I could avoid it.

Speaking of the coffee I used to have about three cups a day, but I decided it was not good for me so I stopped drinking it. I had a terrible three days followed by another tricky say a week. I have not had a cup of coffee now for well over a year.

I was lucky with my gall bladder operation that I did not really need any pain killers. I refused most of them in hospital and never took any once i got home.

I was not being brave I was not in great pain and felt more at one with my body without the pain killers. I know you were not in the same position as your pain levels were way too high to avoid the pain killers.

Mt step dad had a similar experience to you with his hip replacement op. He struggled to come off the pain medications, but he got through it.

All the best and keep in touch.

FordP

I don't know how you did it Greg, but I sure was
happy to see these follow up reports that you are doing
so much better.. Wow you've been thru the ringer.

It seems these various side affects cause as much trouble
as the original problems... I laugh (nervous, sad type) when
I hear the commercials ... allergies / x disease / x condition?
oh take xx... it solves your problems at the source... oh by the
way side affects can be cold, flu, diahreah, bleeding, infections,
liver ... oh my..

Have you ever heard them say, "don't take this medicine if you are
nursing, pregnant or expect to be pregant"... they should add
"if you are living and expect to continue to live a halfway
decent pain less, less aggrevating life!" LOL

-- Pat

AMEN!!

They never tell you the down side unless you press!!