MANAGING POST-OP PAIN AT HOME

Transcription

1 MANAGING POST-OP PAIN AT HOME Medicines and Self-Care After Surgery

2 Managing Pain at Home Pain is expected after surgery. Know that you have a right to have this pain controlled. Managing pain helps you recover faster. Less pain means you can be active sooner. It also means less stress on the body and mind, which will help your body heal. When you go home after surgery, you will take charge of your pain management. This booklet will help you learn how. Be a Partner in Pain Control To help ensure you get the pain relief you deserve: Know what medicines you will take and how to take them. It may help to have someone with you when your pain control is discussed. Don t be afraid to take pain medicines you are prescribed. They are not addictive when used as directed. If you don t understand something, ask your healthcare provider. Keep asking until you get answers you understand. What to Tell Your Healthcare Provider You ll be asked questions that help form a pain management plan. Answer these questions fully and honestly. Be sure to mention if you: Drink alcohol, use illegal drugs, or abuse pain medicines. Have any chronic illness or health problem, including chronic pain. Take any medicines. Mention prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Also mention vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Have medicine allergies. Have personal or religious beliefs about pain and its control that might affect how your pain is managed. 2

3 Starting Out Right You will be asked to do some things to get your body ready for surgery. You should also prepare your house to help make recovery easier. Prepare Your Body Prepare for surgery as you have been instructed. This helps make a smooth surgery and recovery more likely. Before surgery: Stop any medicines as you have been told to before surgery. Stop eating or drinking before surgery as directed. If you smoke or drink alcohol, talk with your healthcare provider about cutting down or quitting. Prepare Your Home Plan now for after surgery. This will help make pain management after surgery easier. Prepare meals and freeze them ahead of time. You may not feel like cooking, and you ll need to get good nutrition. Arrange for an adult family member or friend to take you home after surgery. Also arrange for an adult to stay with you for your first few days at home. Ask someone to help care for your children or pets until you feel better. If your bedroom is upstairs and stairs will be a problem for a time after surgery, arrange for a bed on the first floor. Give your house a good cleaning and pick up clutter before surgery. This will help make your days after surgery less stressful. 3

4 Understanding Pain The more you learn about pain, the better you ll be able to manage it. Learn why you feel pain, what makes it worse, and how to measure the pain you feel. How You Perceive Pain During surgery, one or more incisions (cuts) are made. Tissues around each incision send pain signals to the brain. Certain medicines and self-care techniques reduce pain by weakening or blocking these pain signals. Other medicines change the way the brain reads pain signals. 1 Pain signals are sent from nerves surrounding the incision. Some medicines numb these nearby nerves. This stops pain signals from being sent. Nerve 2 Pain signals move through nerves and up the spinal cord. Some medicines block these signals before they reach the brain. Brain 3 The brain reads the signals and you feel the sensation of pain. Some medicines change how the brain senses pain. Certain relaxation techniques also help control pain perception. Spinal cord 4

5 Pain Is Real Post-op pain is normal. How much pain you feel depends on the surgery. Your use of pain medicines and your sensitivity to pain are also factors. Each person feels pain differently. So try not to compare your pain with someone else s. Your team will need to know how you are feeling. Be honest. If you are in pain, say so. Describing Your Pain Level A pain scale is a tool used to describe and monitor pain level. Below is an example of a pain scale. If 0 means no pain, and 10 is the worst pain possible, how would you rate your pain? You may be asked to use the scale every few hours to help make sure your pain is controlled. Note that you may feel some pain, even with medicine. Still, speak up if the medicine does not reduce your pain or if pain suddenly gets worse. 5

6 Medicines for Pain Medicines can treat pain, limit swelling, and control related problems. For better relief and fewer side effects, more than one medicine may be prescribed. Fill any prescriptions you are given right away. Ask the pharmacist whether other medicines you may be taking might affect how the pain medicine works. Some possible interactions are listed in the chart on Page 7. What to Know About Herbs Pain Medicine Delivery Methods Pain medicine after surgery can be given in several ways. Which method depends on your surgery, the type of medicine, and the amount of pain expected. Methods include: Injection. Pain medicine may be delivered through your IV or into a muscle. Oral (by mouth). Pain medicine may be in pill, tablet, liquid, or lozenge form. Patches. These deliver pain medicine through the skin. Suppositories. These are put into the rectum. They can be an option if nausea or vomiting make it hard to take medicine by mouth. Herbal remedies are plant-based supplements, oils, and teas meant to help treat health problems. Some herbs can be useful. But herbs are not necessarily safe. Herbs should be used with the same caution as any other medicine. Before surgery, tell your surgeon and other healthcare providers about any products you use. Some herbs, such as ginkgo, garlic, and ginseng, may prolong bleeding after surgery. Others may be harmful when taken with pain medicines. To be safe, talk with your healthcare providers before using herbs. 6

7 Medicines What They Do Side Effects Might Interact With Analgesics Other Medicines Nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Opioids Other analgesics Reduce mild to moderate pain. They also help reduce inflammation and swelling. Reduce moderate to severe pain Reduce mild to severe pain Nausea, stomach and intestinal problems, kidney and liver problems Nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, constipation, slowed or shallow breathing Constipation, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, kidney and liver problems Antiemetics Manage nausea Dizziness, drowsiness, muscle spasms Anticonvulsants Antidepressants Manage nerverelated pain Manage chronic pain Drowsiness, dizziness, liver problems Dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, constipation Other NSAIDs, medicines to prevent blood clots Antidepressants, antihistamines, antianxiety medicines, medicines to prevent blood clots Antidepressants, medicines to prevent blood clots Antihistamines Antihistamines, opioids Antihistamines, opioids This table is a summary. It does not include all possible actions, side effects, or interactions of these medicines. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist or check the professional package insert. 7

8 Controlling Pain at Home Pain control starts before surgery. It continues as you recover in the hospital or surgery center. In most cases, pain medicines will be prescribed for you to take at home. Stay comfortable and safe by taking them as directed. The First 24 Hours Your first hours at home, you may feel groggy or tired from the medicines given during surgery. As pain methods used during surgery wear off, pain may increase. So be sure not to skip a dose of prescribed medicine. In fact, set an alarm or have someone remind you when it s time to take your medicine. During this time, try to rest, even if you feel pretty good. Within the first 24 hours, a nurse or other healthcare provider is likely to call and ask how you re doing. Note for Family and Friends Make sure your loved one takes the right dose of pain medicine at the right time. Ask if you should wake your loved one for scheduled pain medicine. This keeps medicine levels in the body steady. Ask your loved one to rate his or her pain a few times a day. Write down the results. Call the healthcare provider if medicines aren t helping reduce pain. 8

9 Taking Medicine as Directed Take pain medicine on schedule as directed. Take the upcoming dose of pain medicine before the last dose wears off. Don t wait for pain to get bad before taking it. Don t break, crush, or halve long-acting medicines (those taken every 12 hours). This could be harmful. Don t take more medicine than directed. If your pain isn t relieved, call your healthcare provider. Ask your pharmacist if you need to take the medicine with food or milk. Give the medicine time to work. After taking a dose, wait 30 minutes before an activity that might increase pain, such as dressing or walking. Easing Constipation Constipation is a common side effect of pain medicines. Drink plenty of liquids and eat fruits and vegetables. If the problem continues, call your healthcare provider for advice. Using Medicine Safely Don t drink alcohol or use illegal drugs while taking pain medicine. Also be sure your healthcare provider knows about all medicines you re taking. Don t take someone else s pain medicine or share yours with others. Don t drive or use dangerous machines or power tools while taking pain medicine. Call your healthcare provider if the medicines cause bothersome side effects or don t control pain well. Keep the medicine out of reach of children and pets. 9

10 Using Other Pain Control Methods You can use other techniques to help stay comfortable. They help reduce swelling and ease tension. They also help pain medicine be most effective. Even from home, you have the support of your surgeon and other healthcare providers. Call if you have any questions. Using Elevation When you sit or lie down, raise the operated area above the level of your heart if you can. This helps blood and other fluids drain from the area. The result is less swelling and pain. Being Active Using Ice Ice can help reduce swelling and pain after surgery. Use a cold pack or bag of ice cubes wrapped in a thin cloth. Never place ice directly on skin. Use the ice for up to 20 minutes at a time every 3 to 4 hours. After surgery, pain can slow your recovery by limiting your movement. Normal movements, such as walking, bending, and getting up from a chair, may cause more pain. But these movements also aid healing by increasing blood flow. So don t let pain stop you. Take your pain medicine and use ice and elevation. Then, get back to your daily functions. But don t overdo it. Increase your activity slowly, even if you feel pretty good. Since being tired can worsen pain, get plenty of rest. 10

11 Relaxing to Reduce Pain Tension and anxiety make pain feel worse. By easing tension, you can help reduce pain. Try to relax using the techniques below: Distraction helps you focus on something besides pain. Try reading a book, watching a movie, or talking with family. You can also listen to soothing music or audiobooks. Meditation can calm you and relieve stress. Look for a video or book that will help you learn this. Deep breathing helps increase your body s sense of calm and wellbeing. Sit upright or lie down in a comfortable position. Slowly inhale through your nose for 3 counts. Hold for 1 count. Then slowly breathe all the air out through your mouth for at least 3 counts. Repeat. Visualization can help you relax your body. Imagine a calm scene such as an ocean or mountain as you breathe deeply. When to Call Your Surgeon Call your surgeon if you have any of these after surgery: Pain that gets worse or can t be relieved Side effects of pain medicine, including constipation, nausea, blurred vision, dizziness, confusion, or extreme sleepiness Allergic reactions, including breathing problems, fast heart rate, rash, hives, or swelling in the face, mouth, or elsewhere Any other problems as instructed by your healthcare provider 11

12 Follow Up to Feel Your Best Following up with your healthcare provider helps ensure that you re healing well. Go to scheduled follow-up visits. Discuss your pain and your healing. Follow your pain control plan. Be sure you know how and when to stop your pain medicines. And if you have any questions, don t hesitate to ask. Also available in Spanish TAKE OUR PATIENT SURVEY. Help us help other patients. Please visit to provide your feedback on this booklet. This booklet is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Only your doctor can diagnose and treat a medical problem The StayWell Company, LLC All rights reserved. Made in the USA