Okay, I am getting desparate here. I'd love to know what you take for pain.

My surgery was Thursday a week ago and I am still in lots of pain. I gave up on the Percodan. I took 50 of them over a course of six days and honestly, was in pain the whole time. They did make me relax and able to sleep.

Then I tried Extra Strength Tylenol, two, every four hours and that gave me soem relief, but I couldn't sleep.

This morning, a friend stopped by and told me to take four Ibuprofin. That's what the doctor ordered for her when she had a minor knee surgery.

So I took four, passed out for an hour and a half, and have been crutching around and the pain seems better. However, I'm afraid to take another four.

What do you use when you are in pain that HELPS?

Dotsie, I can take only a few things since my heart attack, but Advil is one of them. That's ibuprofin I think. I can only take 2. It is what I take for my almost constant back pain. It takes the edge off, but that is all. The one thing that does work is tylenol with codeine. Unfortnately, the doctors don't want me to get hooked so they won't give me anymore. However, for you...I would think you could take it until the knee pain is relieved. My back pain seems to be chronic and I am stalling getting an epidural injection for the past 9 months. It looks like I will have to give in soon.

Dotsie
Right before and after my heart attack I was suffering excrutiating migranes. My doctor told me 3 advil and two tylenol as a combo. Seems one takes care of one kind of pain and the other another. It worked longer and better than the codine that was simply putting me in an unwanted fog.

Pam and Anno, thanks for sharing. I find it interesting that something different works for everyone.

I think I"m sticking with Ibuprofen. It seems to be what's worked best thus far.

Anno, I've never heard of that combo. Do you still have migraines?

Pam, by giving in, do you mean surgery?

My migranes are a thing of the past. I have learned to manage my stress and deal with my day job in a better way.

As a warning, I used to take Excedrin Extra Strength. It has caffeine in it so with a cup of coffee, it got me up and running in the morning. But, I began to wake up with horrible headaches and had to take more and more Excedrin. My sister said that it, in itself, will begin to create headaches so I had to wean myself off of it.

Anno, it's always good to hear when one can speak of migraines as a thing of the past. Good for you. It doesn't happen very often.

Anne, codeine has done nothing for me either.

Dianne, aren't sisters the best?

Yes, especially when they are a nurse! Codeine makes me vomit for some reason.

Codeine makes me violently ill too. I don't take much medication at all, but for headaches I use Advil (or Motrin) - both are Ibuprofin. Dotsie, what does the doctor say about the pain...how long did she/he say to expect to be in such pain? Any relief in near sight? I'm keeping you in prayer and wishing I could be there to make you a good, soothing hot cup of tea...

Dotsie,
I am so sorry to hear you are in pain. It breaks my heart because I know how living in constant pain affects you, not only physically, but emotionally. Maybe you remember my posts when I had the surgery on my ankle.
I wish I could suggest something that will offer immediate releif, but I can't. For me, asprin combined with tylenol and codeine along with prayer seemed to help most. The asprin helped the inflammation and the tylenol and the codeiene helped the perception of the pain.
But the truth is, I think being distracted was the best help of all. The times when Dan loaded me and the wheelchair in the car and pushed me around the local gift shop was almost my only painfree time.
I have been in pain from dozens of broken bones for about 20 yrs. and I survived it only by taking asprin, smiling, and keeping very busy.
I don't handle it as well now perhaps because I am not as busy and thus not as easily distracted. Or maybe it gets more difficult with age.
I know how painful this must be. I was in that cast for five months and in pain every day. Be careful of your back. The cast threw mine out which certainly didn't help.
I finally found relief in a complimentary medicine doctor (An M.D. who also practices alternative medicaine). He helped me tremendously with low light laser treatments and accupuncture. Maybe there is someone like that where you are. I feel sure the treatments speeded my healing. Have you mentioned the pain to your doctor. Maybe he has a solution.

The only help I can offer is prayer and you certainly have that. This breaks my heart.

I hope you can just sink into the love of us boomers and your friends and family and feel better.
janis