Hello My husband has a total neck fusion of 5 years and now has just got a TKR. He is constantly asking for tramadol which turns him into a zombie. I feel at 3 weeks out he is getting dependant on too much medication of Vicodine 325 mgs and is sometimes doubling it and demanding to have some tramadol (3 a night) and tizandine. How much longer should I tolerate this?
I would call his doctor. Everyone is different.
He's in excruciating pain! He's just had major surgery. Give him his pain meds on a schedule as prescribed. He cannot heal if he's in pain. Most people are on pain meds for months. You have to stay ahead of the pain. Not wait until you're suffering! Give the guy a break. He's not going to become dependent this quickly.
Not sure what country your in, I'm in UK and have had 2 tkr s. The surgery is major and very very painful. I needed high strength painkillers 3 to 4 times daily for a couple of months. Maybe a word with your doctor would help about dosage
Taken as prescribed and in that short of period of time I would discount addition as a problem. However; if you feel that the meds aren't doing the job, a call to your Dr is in order. There are so many drugs out there that they can choose from that a change might be in order. Either that, or they can change dosage amounts and pattern of delivery. Sometimes your primary care Sr is better with pain meds than surgeons. Don't feel like you have to live with the original prescription.
I think you need to discuss this with his medical team - because this really does sound as if he is developing addiction. At least - if I have understood your post correctly: that he has been on these medications since the fusion. If it is only the 3 weeks then it perhaps is less of a problem. But constantly demanding tramadol is not a good sign.
However - as the others say, TKR is a painful procedure and he does need the right medication and on time. Not allowing pain to develop means that the patient needs less medication. But there is a balance.
I agree with you , pain control is much better than pain relief . Ask the medical team to sort out a programe for taking the medication . Preventing pain is better than trying to relieve it .
Hes been on opiods since 5 or 6 years ago in 2008
That sounds like a lot of medication. Maybe he will agree to slowly reduce the amount taken. He's in pain but if you take the amount prescribed when it is due, i found it worked for me to stay ahead of the pain. Call the doctor and see what they think. Hope he feels better soon.
Which probably means that it is working less well due to the length of time he's been taking them - it's called developing tolerance and means increasing dose levels are needed to control the pain. Dependence is also always a risk with opiods.
It may be they need to review his management in the light of that - are the TKR team fully aware of his long term use of opioids? It is possible they didn't fully register there was a likelihood of a problem and the initial dose wasn't enough. But the other signs are of a dependence developing (if it hasn't already done so) and that needs taking notice of.
I've been on opioids for at least 10 yrs for pain and other conditions. only take them when needed, some days the full dosage other days maybe only once and sometimes none at all. I've never had a problem with them or become addicted.neither have my tolerence levels been affected. When I had my tkr s I took the full dosage as prescribed for a couple of months and then eased off to as and when needed .
Probably because of the way you used them - when you have breaks and/or vary the dose the body doesn't become habituated in the same way.