I'm really at a loss. I don't know what to do anymore..

As some of you may know, I've had chronic pain in my abdomen since my surgery a year ago (I had gastric bypass surgery). I've been to all 3 surgeons in the practice, they keep finding scar tissue & nothing else. I've had several tests, two exploratory surgeries, & 4 hospital stays & they still find nothing except scar tissue. My pain is the same feeling you get when you pull your ear, only on a greater scale because its my stomach. This type of pain makes sense because of the scar tissue. My most recent stay in the hospital, they tried different pain medications on me (Dilaudid, Roxicet, Percocet) & I found that the Dilaudid helped the most, but it gave me a pounding headache. The pain management doctor came to see me when I was inpatient & she prescribed 5-10mg of Oxycodone (apparently most oxycodone pills are mixed with Tylenol. These aren't) every 6 hours. The pill I had in the hospital (it was a tablet) worked wonderfully. No lightheadedness, no weird feelings...& my pain was reduced greatly. I was so happy that I had finally found something that worked. They sent me home with a prescription for the 5mg Oxycodone & I was instructed to talk 2 pills ever 6 hours whether I have pain or not. They also gave a Lidoderm patch which does nothing but numb my skin. I filled the prescription & saw that the pills they gave me were capsules. Since my surgery, I've had problems with capsules, they don't work as well for me. I take the medication as prescribed & its barely doing anything. I made a call to my surgeon's office on Friday. The nurse put a page out to him & he didn't return it. I called again this morning, & he hasn't returned this call either. Another surgeon from the practice referred me to a pain management specialist. I called them to make an appointment & they won't return my call. And my primary doctor doesn't feel comfortable prescribing these kinds of medications (which I don't blame her). What do I do? I'm totally lost. My Mom said go back to the ER & show them that you're serious. I don't want to go back to the ER & have them admit me again. This is ridiculous. I have ONE dose of the medication left. What do I do?

**I also explained to the doctor that I don't want to just cover up the pain, I want to know what is causing it.

I'm sorry to hear you're having a rough time. Since you have trouble with capsules, do you think it might help to open the capsule and sprinkle the contents in something like yogurt or applesauce?

(HUGS).
Sorry - have no clue what can help you... just saying "sorry you have to deal with that"

Geez, I'm sorry that you are hurting that much! You say the docs won't return your calls. How long has it been? If it has been over a day, did you call the second day? If you are in bad pain and cannot get relief, what else can you do but go back to the doctors office or the hospital.
Not much help but lotsa sympathy!

I’m sorry you are going through so much.  I’m a chronic pain patient as well (I have RSD).  I had issues with my medicine after surgery too.  Oxycodone does not have Tylenol in it and the 5mg pills are small.  Percocet is the Oxycodone with the Tylenol and the pills are enormous. 

I honestly have all my medicines going through my primary.  Most pain clinics I’ve been to defer to your primary to write your prescriptions.  If you can call there, I’d do it first.  If you are without medicine, I would go the ER explain your situation and bring the bottle with you to show them.

As for the Lidoderm patches, you can wear up to 3 at a time.  I wonder if you lay them out next to each other on your stomach, if that would numb you a little.

Once again, I feel so bad you’re going through this.  Please send me a message if you want to talk more…I completely understand what you’re going through. 

Don't waste your time in the ER. Trust me, I'm an ER/ICU nurse. If you need chronic pain manegment the ER won't do anything for you. People think it says "I'm serious" but really it says, "I haven't gotten the right follow-up and I want a quick fix." I know that sounds harsh but it's a reality I see almost every day. Certainly, if you can't contact your doctor or it's the weekend and you're suffering it makes sense to go to the ER but otherwise it's a waste of time and money IMO. Hard as it is when you're miserable, you have to be your own advocate and try to get the help you need. Try as many pain specialists as you can. Call your insurance and see if they can give you a list for your area. Ask someone to help you and make calls for you. I know it sucks and I wish health care in America was better but that's sort of how it is. I'm really sorry you're suffereing with all the pain. Scar tissue is something people don't talk enough about as a risk factor. I really hope you feel better soon! Good luck and I'll be looking for updates and hoping for good news. :)

If the only surgeons you have seen are all in the same practice, maybe its time to try someone outside the practice.  A fresh set of eyes and ears makes a big difference.  By now they all know you and pain is a difficuly thing to deal with for them, too.  Maybe a different practice might see something new.  It's worth a try.

Good luck to you.

You need to talk about this to your pharmacist. You were taking one form of the medication in the hospital that WORKED! So you know there is relief out there. Explain to your pharmacist that the ones he gave you are in casule, and since you have had GBS caps don't always work well for you. Let him know that you didn't get the pain relief that you did from the kind you got in the hospital.(Tablets? ) Or, find out if there is a liquid form.
Just make sure that when you go to your pharmacy, that you are talking to a pharmacist, and not just someone that works the counter.

They can help you find the type of pill that works.

Good luck!

Amanda :)

I have had my share of dealing with Doctors,,i am also a chronic pain patient,and i understand living with the stigma that goes along with living with pain,,but i would keep trying to get ahold of the doctors office and also try different pain doctors as well ,,look them up on the internet for your area,,or try locating the doctor that wrote the script for you in the hospital,,

about the ER,,and i mean no direspect for what Kim posted because she is right,,but on the other hand if you are in pain you go to the ER ,theres no should i or shouldn't i,,if you hurt you hurt,,,it makes no matter how they see you or what they think your there for,,,,they still have to treat you,(if they don't want to get sued),,or if nothing else and at the least refer you to some one who might.

I have been struggling for almost a year and a half with intermittent severe abdominal pain (that has progressively gotten worse and more frequent), so I understand the sense of frustration at not having an answer and having to deal with ongoing pain (except in my case I cannot even get a surgeon to go in surgically to see what is going on).

I'm so sorry that the doctors are not calling you back.  How unprofessional.  The only thing I can think to suggest is to physically go to your surgeon's office in the morning and explain the problem with the pain meds not working and ask for a replacement script.  The oxycodone and acetaminophen capsules are made of starch and gelatin, so should dissolve in water and absorb just like the pill form, but if they are not working for you I cannot imagine why the doctor would not be willing to write a new script that specifies tablets instead.

If you still have some of the capsules, perhaps you could try opening them up and mixing the drug into some pudding or applesauce and taking it that way to see if it works any better.

I wish I could offer more because, as I said, I am in a very similar situation and know how much it stinks.  Hang in there and be the "squeaky wheel"... make a pest of yourself if you need to in order to get a response from the doctors.

Lora