A RL math "story problem" involving pain and pain med

[Grasswire2]

So I had some outpatient foot surgery this morning and was sent home with rx for vicodin for pain. Because I knew I had a few tablets at home already from an injury in August and because I have a high tolerance for pain, I didn't fill that rx today and didn't take any right away.

And now, seven hours later, the pain is quite bad. I have just 2 1/2 vicodin tablets in the bottle, and fifteen hours until I can pick up the new prescription at pharmacy.

Any suggestions on how to muddle through? Take half tabs? (which might not control the pain). Or take a whole one and then three separate half ones?

Thoughts appreciated.

[elleng]

1. Not a specialist, but I'd take a whole one first,

and follow with half tabs; get ahead of the pain, as much as you can.

[Grasswire2]

2. probably best, yeah. thanks for confirmation of my thought. nt

[WhiteTara]

3. I'm sorry you're in pain.

I would take 1.5 at first and that will get over the pain and then 1/2 every eight hours. It's going to be a rough night. Ice should be your best friend at this point. 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. Good luck.

[dawg day]

4. Yeah, pain makes you seize up and hurt even more.

Get the pain gone with a whole tab, then take the half when it first starts to hurt again.

[csziggy]

5. Put an ice pack on your foot

Frozen peas or corn work well as "instant" ice packs that don't leak. A more permanent solution is to mix 3 parts water to 1 part rubbing alcohol, double bag in zip top freezer bags, and freeze. One quart of solution to gallon bags is a good amount. Once frozen, they stay flexible so they wrap around the painful area, and they stay cold longer than almost any cold pack.

I have used the frozen peas/corn on injuries received away from home (kicked in the thigh by a horse at a show and the frozen vegetables made it feel so much better) or the home made cold packs after surgeries - to wrap around my knees after knee replacements and my wrists after carpal tunnel surgeries, and to sit or lay against after back surgery.

Since I hate the side effects of opioids (constipation and stupidity) I found cold packs more effective at easing the pain and let me stay competent. For me, Vicodin just makes me not care about the pain, it does not stop it. On the other hand, cold lets me at least be able to read while easing the pain.

[Grasswire2]

8. hmm post op instructions don't say anything about icing, although I know it generally is helpful.

My foot is wrapped round and round and round with a very thick dressing, so maybe cold wouldn't transfer through.

I don't like to take opiods either. Very rarely do.

[csziggy]

10. Maybe if you iced it above the bandage, the cold blood would circulate through the foot

When my husband got his foot operated on, they didn't tell him to ice it, either. The year before, I'd had both knees replaced and both times they put a cold pack thing attached to a pump that pumped cold water across the knee. It helped far more than the medications they gave me, so when I went home, I used my home made cold packs rather than the opioids.

So when my husband hurt, I got out my cold packs and he wrapped them around his foot. He stopped using the opioids they gave him and was very comfortable.

Note: both of us fill the opioid prescriptions and put the unused pills in the freezer. It comes in handy when something unexpected shows up - such as when my back went out and I couldn't get to the doctor for 24 hours. I still hurt but didn't care - and I also put ice on it which did reduce the pain.

[Kittycow]

6. I'd take a whole one at first too.

Since you don't have an opiod tolerance built up, you might be able to stretch that one Vicodin six hours.

Personally, I would take the one and see how it goes. Does your post-op instructions say not to take N-saids? Such as Alleve; it's naproxen. I take those with my Vicodin, with my pain doc's approval. They help me for inflammation pain; would you have inflammation in the surgical site as a side affect of your procedure?

I wouldn't take any Tylenol unless you figure out how much Tylenol is already in the Vicodin and you wouldn't going over the safe limit. You can kill your liver if it's too much.

Anyway, if the one Vicodin takes the edge off for six hours, you could take the second whole one for the next six hours, bringing you to twelve hours total, and then take the last half-one to last the final three hours, bringing you to fifteen hours.

That's just my thoughts as a long suffering pain patient. It also helps to watch videos on your phone or read to take your mind off it slightly

Oh, one more thing, if you find your body is hunching up over the pain, make it relax cuz hunching up makes the pain worse

Good luck, my dude, as the young folks say. Hang in there and it will come to an end, so don't give up.

[Grasswire2]

7. I did call my pharmacy to ask about taking tylenol w/ vicodin and she said no.

The liver issue. But she said I could take an ibuprofen with the whole vicodin. I did that a couple of hours ago and it took a very long time to make any diff but finally did make a slight impact. So I'll do that although I'm supposed to limit nsaids.

Re: inflammation, my CRP was off the charts a couple of weeks ago at 96but now is just fine at 4. The surgery was to debride a wound that started with a blister in May and remained open and became infected in September when some muddy water got in my shoe. It's an interesting infection -- a staph that is associated with goats and rarely seen in humans other than nosocomial. I couldn't for the life of me figure out the goat connection until I remembered that the park next door to my house had brought goats in to graze the vegetation last year. Long shot, but I don't have a better explanation. Eventually turned into osteomyelitis. Thus the partial resection of the metatarsal today.

[Kittycow]

9. Oh man, what a wild ride with your foot!

I hope you're doing a bit better.

[Hotler]

11. 2-acetaminophen, 1-ibuprofen together work well.

Really good for tooth aches.

[Grasswire2]

14. I'll keep that in mind. nt

[Hotler]

17. One helps with swelling and the othe helps with pain.

Swelling is what makes a tooth, so I am told.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

12. Will your pharmacy deliver?

[Grasswire2]

13. nah

Some do? That's nice.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

15. Bummer!

[Grasswire2]

16. so the night wasn't as terrible as I feared it would be

and the worst is over, I'm sure. Except for wearing a boot the size of Idaho for four weeks ahead. Hahaha.

Thanks everyone who replied last night. It was very helpful to have thoughts of what to do.

[Kittycow]

18. I'm glad you got through it ok.

You crossed my mind a couple times and I was practically counting off the hours myself