Yesterday during my pre-op assesment the breast nurse spent time explaining that I would be given strong pain killers during surgery because of research saying that although you are asleep your body knows whats going on and so if they numb the area your brain does not feel the surgery and does not get traumatised and you recover quicker. Well I knew about that theory, some private clinics give oral painkillers the days before. and i am pleased that I am going to get a good strong dose whilst i am out.
but this morning i have read a couple of posts that mentioned in passing reactions to painkillers. ( i do have a life away from this forum–honest)
Anyway I am not worried about reacting, I was just wondering is this a new idea?? Do they do it in all hospitals? Have they always done it?
Hi OAL,
as far as I know pain relief has been given during surgery for some years, as pain stresses your body even if you’re unconscious. You will also be given paracetamol before and after.
Most likely you’d be given an opioid like morphine for surgery. Some people do react badly to it, but you’ll also be given anti-sickness drugs to counter this.
I personally hate morphine (though I’m ok with codeine) and it makes me feel sick and horrid. I was given oral morphine after my first surgery, which made me vomit, and IV morphine after the second…which made me vomit! Speak to the anaesthetist about it - they see you before your surgery. I think only 3-4% of people react badly to opioids by the way!
Good luck with it
xx
oh i am fine with morphine. i had a pelvic infection once, went into toxic shock but was so ridden with infection that they had to pump antibiotics into me for a few days to make it safer to operate. In the meantime i was in terrible pain and my husband persuaded them to give me a self administering line so i could pump myself up with morphine whenever i felt the need–wonderful stuff. I will tell the aneasthatist, perhaps they will give me a double dose.
Yeah, pain relief during surgery, nothing new. My DD had a laparoscopy last week and she asked me about the pin prick mark on her abdomen & I explained that they would have shoved some LA in there during op.
All sorts goes on during an op!
In the recovery room after my WLE, if felt a pricly itchy feeling on my right arm. Asked Dr to move blanket as I though it was making me itch. He lifted it up and said’ hmm, I’ve not seen that before’. My arm from wrist to elbow had raised spots, about the size of an old penny, and they were blue. Blue from the dye used in the op to find nodes. It was a reaction to the morphine, he just gave me some intravenous piriton and it slowly cleared up. I looked like a blue Mr Blobby.
My breast surgeon uses diclofenac, an anti inflammatory pain killer and I’ve never had any bother with pain after ops (had about 8 over 14 years) except TRAM flap - but that was a 12 hour op in those days. LOL, I sound like the ancient mariner!. I think its a great idea, good luck xx
I had mx and 8 glands removed in January, I didn’t have a premed or morphine didn’t want it. I went home the same day and only had dicophenic for a few days after. There is very little pain after a mx.
I had a huge amount of pain following my mx last November and I was very grateful for the pain relief given to me both during and after surgery. I was hooked up to a patient controlled analgesia system which enabled me to push a button whenever I felt the pain relief wearing off and a small dose was administered via IV. I needed it for about 36 hours after the op. If I remember correctly it was Fentanyl they gave me because during the op they noticed that morphine was making my heart race too much.
After a couple of days I was on an anti-inflammatory which was more than adequate for pain relief from there on.
I was told that it is standard procedure to give patients some kind of pain relief during an op now because of the concern that even when they are asleep pain still registers in some parts of the brain.
The anaesthetist and the surgeon both came and talked me before the op and explained what they were going to do, including discussions about pain relief during and post surgery.
