Medication when having operation?

[marduksk8er]

Hi,

I was wondering just what medication people were on when they went for their back/ neck/spine operation?

Were you made to stop any meds prior to the op or not? If so what meds, for how long and for what op?

Were you on any antiflammatories or painkillers before the op?

How did they change after?

Could you stop taking any, or were you expected to stop taking any but couldn't?


This isn't about prescribing it's simply about what everyone has actually experienced please, as I wonder how different doctors/hospitals react and recommend. Some say stop all meds others are more leniant.

I have been given conflicting information and so thought it would be helpful to ask you guys for some first hand information on this Thanks hopefully lol

 

[Mantis]

Hi

I was hoping for some advice regarding this.

I was on naproxen, gabapentin and codrydamol before I had my discectomy 3 months ago. After the op, consultant put me on dihydrocodine, declofenac sodium and paracetamol. I only needed to take them for a 5 to 6 days and the pain was gone.

Last week I started with very bad lower back pain and pain/numbness down leg. I went to gp I said I had been taking 3 dyhdrocodine a day and it wasn't helping. He upped it to 8 a day and prescribed pregabalin. 3 days later and the pain was no better, so he prescribed ( 1 or 2, three times a day) instead of the hydrocodine. Been taking them for a few days and they're doing nothing at all. He did look into tramadol, but i can't take it because of other medication i am on.

I went to physio yesterday and she told me it looked like I had a prolapsed disc again and wants me to take anti inflammatory. So I am now taking 400mg of ibruprofen as well. Just seen on the nefapam box that starting dose is 1 -2, but you can take 3.so had three this morning and it's not helped. Can anyone suggest anything else I could ask the doctor about?

 

[littleme09]

Sorry just realised i deleted


It should have said ..........
so he prescribed nefapam ( 1 or 2, three times a day) instead of the hydrocodine. Been taking them for a few days and they're doing nothing at all. He did look into tramadol, but i can't take it because of other medication i am on.

 

[MovieMama]

Before my discectomy (4 years ago) I had tried, gabapentin, pregabalin, diclofenac, diazepam but mainly took codydramol and ibuprofen 600mg (these last 2 only ever did anything for me), I wasn't told to stop these and they only ever give you paracetamol in hospital (well they did with me, and my Dad, he was at a different hospital) for pain. I now take 1000mg x 2 glucosamine with the odd codydramol and ibuprofen if needed, this is within the last year, the pain is just subsiding.

 

[Lauren Armstrong]

Has anyone been told to stop taking meds before the operation?

 

[Chris Anderson]

No I wasn't told to stop, as mentioned in my previoius post.

 

[Boyoboy0]

Thanks JoJo I did read that, by the way you were very lucky you only needed paracetamol because they have a whole pharmacy of drugs for pain and inflamation that can usually be given after an op

 

[jnjmommy]

Hi Cascara, it wasn't because I only needed them, they told me that's all they give out for pain now, they (different hospital) also told my Dad that too and he had a bowel operation (Cancer). Weird, I wonder why !

 

[kiadealu]

Hi,

Were you made to stop any meds prior to the op or not? If so what meds, for how long and for what op?

Were you on any antiflammatories or painkillers before the op?

How did they change after?

Could you stop taking any, or were you expected to stop taking any but couldn't? quote)




Hiya Cassie, yes, I was told before my (ELFD) at the (SF) that any 'major or seriously powerful drugs' I might have been taken prior to my op were to be stopped about 2 days before. However I was only on large ammounts low level drugs such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, and they were to be stopped 24 hours before. After my op I also used co-codamol and low morphine content based drugs which did not suit me and I have since stopped these and cut down on all tabet volumes at post op.


My father in law, has just had a heart operation in an NHS hospital
and was told to stop 'most of 30 drugs' that he had been taking for 10 years, were to be stopped (including warfrin & some beta blockers)
48 hours before his op,
but only after a full admissinon & consultation with his Cardiac Surgeon!!
He is now only taking around 15 tabets a day and most of the serious heart tablets have been stopped, because the op was successful!!

I think it all depends on drugs and the procedure you will undergo Cassie. However, I would also say that 'I would be very concerned' if went without pain relief and anti-inflamatories for long periods before an operation, becuase of the risk of developing 'reacive spasms' that might render me 'too ill' to be operated on, due to inflamation and spasms!

All the best Cassie.

SPINELF

 

[jbwslogw]

hi, i had L4/L5 done and took all my medication as normal even on day of the op i was told to take it.

 

[Brian Wetter]

There does seem to be conflicting ideas about this. Obviously I am not saying that anyone should or should not stop taking medication but there are some surgeons that want complete stopping of all anti inflammatory medication 14 days before the op (Dr Yeung) and some that don't? (Mr Knight) but both are using similar minimally invasive techniques? I wondered why?

 

[Maja]

Dr. Yeung and Dr. Knight are two leaders in MISS; but their vision and technique is completely different. Their approaches are similar, but things they do are different. Obviously its not all about "Minimally-invasive". Every surgeon has its own policy. In the end, stopping or not stopping taking medications before the spine surgery should have no effect on surgery outcome.

Obviously Dr. Yeung wants clear picture about the patient and his symptoms during spinal probing, discography, other infiltrations and surgery.

 

[tfmnlntj]

You know that is what I thought, so I asked. Turns out that is not the reason, it is because he says anti-inflamatories change the bleeding time and can cause more bleeding and easier bruising.

Makes it even stranger now that all the USA clinics have said the same thing but in the UK they seem to say stop 2-3 days before at the most, but that MK allows them? Maybe it is because this blood change is documented and known and the USA therefore have to react to it or fear being sued?