Post surgery Meds

[cheza]

Hi

I have read some of the topics on here and many of you talk about your meds after surgery, could you answer my question what meds are these, and does everyone need them?

Thanks Cheryl.

[leapyrtwins]

Cheryl -

not everyone needs meds post-op.  The only meds I had was a single dose of steroids immediately after surgery to help my facial muscles - they were a little "saggy"on the AN side.  Everyone's experience is different, though.   

Jan

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

Cheryl,

Many patients are given percocet or Vicodin immediately after surgery- for pain management. Often through IV …then later orally…. to take home.


These meds, if on these too long, can cause havoc in the GI system (I think there is even a past constipation thread on this forum)

I was keen to get off of the percocet ASAP and just onto Tylenol- mainly for the sake for my GI system.


Some patients (not all) may have to take  diuretics to keep the CSF leaks from happening or reoccurring. Diamox is often used and has nasty side effects in some people.

Also some patients take anti-nausea meds…

Some have to take steroids to reduce swelling…


Much will depend on the individual patient and what he or she has for after effects of surgery. I know one recent patient who went in for T/L surgery on Friday… was home on a Monday … and just Tylenol for pain management. I was 10 days in hospital for mild CSF leaks etc – so was dealing with lots of pharmaceutical side effects for a month (plus) after discharge.

Each AN patient is totally different … depends on tumor size, location of tumor, hours of surgery (some AN tumors are stickier than others ranging – typically from 4 – 11+ hours)

Also some doctors are more RX pad prone than others. I am finding the US medical system to be more pharmaceutically driven that the Canadian one… not sure what the approach in England there- is now.

My own attitude was get of “the drugs� as soon as I could. They had there place in my recovery however I am glad to say that I am getting by on just Tylenol.


I found this to be a useful site for information
http://www.rxcarecanada.com/prescription-drugs.htm

Type in the “name of the drug� plus “side effect� in the search engine. I never used it to order anything – but used it to read up on meds.

Hope this is helpful.

Remember in this AN journey – there are lots of great people on this AN forum to support you through.

Best wishes for the 9th. We are rooting for you… Be sure to keep us posted on how you are doing.

Cheers,

4

P.S. I once lived and went to school in England- for 4th grade… fond childhood memories there

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

Correction to my last post on this thread here

Websites for pharmaceuticals

The Canada RX search engine is mediocre

Go to Google and type in

{drug name}+ side effects + Canada RX and it will give you the side effects and adverse drug interactions

Also when I was at Stanford they gave me this website to refer to
 www.crlonline.com/crlsql/leaflets-english/5559.htm

(I just threw the Diamox leaflet in there as an example)

The doctor that prescribed me this- told me to wean off it slowly. The doctor that took me off of this said “no you can just stop taking it and return to fluid intake�

It is often confusing to the patient. I went off this too quickly (as I was told to) and had all sorts of issues…

It is so important for us patients to have access to information so we can monitor what is happening. The bottom line is we are our best advocates …  it is key to be well informed about the drugs prescribed to you. Good for you Cheryl for asking these questions pre-surgery!

4

[HeadCase2]

Hello Cheryl,
  Just to add to the list of potential post surgery meds that have been mentioned, they sometimes give an antibiotic to ward off meningitis.
Regards,
 Rob

[OTO]

Cheza

I had middle fossa surgery in May 07.  Immediately after the surgery in ICU and the regular hospital, I'm 100% sure what the names of all the meds were, but I do know it was: a painkiller, an anti-viral, an anti-inflamatory (maybe it was a steroid) and a stool softener.   When I was discharged they gave me 7 days of of the anti-inflamatory, tylenol with codiene, ambeine (to help sleep if needed) and they told me to take an stool softener.  After 7 days, nothing for me....   I did not use all of the tylenol with codiene nor the ambeine.    OTO

[ConnieJ]

Hi Cheeza,

I had my surgery September 5 2007, I spent 20 days in the hospital. As far as I know they didn't give me steroids but I was on morphine, vicodin and oxy something not oxy-cotton is was another pain relief medicine. The docs and nurses made sure I had no pain. I was off the morphine in about a week and the oxy-whatever after 2 weeks and they gave me a script for vicodin for home. I was also on a stool softener, sodium pills and potassium pills. Both my sodium and potassium where very low. Then I had a CF leak and was on some major antibiotics. It just goes to show that every patient is different and you really have to trust your doctors to take care of you.  Best of luck and take care of yourself. Connie

[OTO]

Cheza

I forgot to add that I had an IV for the entire time I was in the hospital.  I had the surgery on tuesday, and they finally took it out saturday morning and discharged me saturday evening.   I know two other folks had surgery on tuesday, but they had their IV's taken out earlier and were discharged friday afternoon or saturday morning.   I think I stayed in a little bit longer, because I had some heart rate issues.  When they first made me sit up in ICU, my heart rate was going up and down.   

[cheza]

Hi and thank you to all of you for answering my question however I have another question what is a CF leak I have heard this mentioned before on another topic? 

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

CSF leak? 

CSF = Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak

 In medical jargon
http://www.emedicine.com/radio/topic139.htm

In more layman’s terms
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001068.htm

In AN tumor applicable terms
http://uscneurosurgery.com/infonet/surgery/understand/risks/procedure/acoustic%20removal.htm

It is all kind of overwhelming – I know. Happy reading .

4

P.S.
When the medical terminology stumped me I would put into Google “the medical term� + “definition�. They are going to make us into Neurotology experts yet… LOL

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

Hi all,

I am noticing that there have been a few inquiries (posts) from newbie’s about what to expect after surgery… coming from people as far away as Britain and Australia. Ranging from meds, to CSF leaks to facial physical therapy etc..

Here is a good link I found on post-op  hospital discharge expectations put out by the Acoustic Neuroma Association of Canada

http://www.anac.ca/en/dischargeTreatment.shtml

Hope someone out there in our AN family finds this helpful.

Cheers,

4