How long before your chest stopped hurting?

[Arch]

So it's been nearly two weeks since my top surgery. I had the equivalent of double incision (with a couple of minor changes). I stopped taking the prescription pain meds quite some time ago and switched to Tylenol.

I still need the Tylenol. The recommended dose, according to the bottle, is two tablets every four to six hours. Each tablet is 500 milligrams. I take only one tablet, though, usually about four a day in total. It doesn't seem like much, but it makes a big difference to me.

I find that if I don't take a pill before bedtime, I am very uncomfortable and have trouble sleeping. And I hate getting up in the morning. I need a pill first thing because I'm very sore.

I guess some of the pain comes from healing. Nerves waking up, that sort of thing. But I expected to feel better after two weeks.

I have always had a low pain threshold, so I know that I need to take that into consideration. But I'm wondering how long you guys felt sore enough to still need some kind of pain pills. And how long you were consistently sore, period.

[Jay]

I was prescribed pills for 3-5 days after co-codamol and then went on parcetamol. Didn't really need them though. I was fine after a week after the stitches where out I was find. A little pinch here and there but nothing major to report..

Maybe you should check with your surgeon buddy..

Jay

[Arch]

Maybe you should check with your surgeon buddy..

If it looks like I am atypical, I certainly will. I just don't know what to expect.

P.S. Thanks for the PM. I'm glad things are going well for you post-surgery.

[Nero]

I can't say that it ever actually hurt. I seem to remember being in pain directly after the surgery (or at least begging for more drugs while I was already wasted), but really I think it just felt weird immediately out of the operating room or whenever it was I first became conscious. But later that day, I didn't feel a thing. Never felt a thing from then on. except a little soreness, a little achiness on the incisions. I was surprised. I'm extremely pain intolerant.
Maybe it's the minor changes you had. hang in there.

[GnomeKid]

the only distinct pain at all I remember was where the drains when in on the sides, and even that was more of a pinching than a pain like you'd expect from gashes that size.

Took the vics for about a week, and don't remember any other pain during that time or after.

[sneakersjay]

I don't remember taking anything after the first week or so except on occasion.  I had to sleep on my back for about 4 months or so, and only really comfortable on my sides the last month.


Jay

[Mister]

My chest was tender for about 3 weeks.  It was closer to 8 before it was comfortable to sleep on, etc.  It took six months for my chest to feel 100% normal again.

[Arch]

Thanks for the responses, guys.

I've never been able to fall asleep on my back unless I was completely exhausted, and I don't think I ever sleep on my back once I do drop off. So it's quite possible that I've been rolling over onto my side after I fall asleep at night. That would definitely cause some stress on the incisions and could account for my discomfort when I wake up.

I can't wait till I can once again go back to sleeping any way I want.

I'll keep close tabs on myself and my discomfort level for the next couple of days and see what happens. I would appreciate still more feedback, though.

[Camden]

Arch,
I think I only took pain-med the first couple of days. I was in more pain from being bound so tight than I was from the surgery, my back muscles would cramp up and kill me. So I switched to motrin and was pretty good. I had a really hard time sleeping on my back as well. It took a while before I could sleep on my side again. As far as the pain, I don't know, hang in there and pretty soon this will all be a distant memory! You have the worst part done and soon you will get to enjoy the rewards...Hope you are feeling better soon! Camden

[Arch]

Well, the binder is off, and so is the Tylenol. It's been about a day and a half...I seem to have had a dramatic improvement this week.

I'm still tender, of course, still can't raise my arms past a certain point, still have swelling. But this is all normal, I guess.

It's all good. And best of all, I don't have to wear a binder of any kind to Pride.

[J.T.]

I had a hematoma on my left side, complicating things.  It took about 4 months to feel 100% sore free.

Right after surgery i would say 1 month before i was able to do most daily tasks without discomfort.  I used my drugs until they ran out.

The sleep thing took about two months before i could get through a night.

[GnomeKid]

I'm really shocked at the 4 month estimate... I honestly forgot I had surgery after about the first month... really after I got out of my parents house and back to school...

only had to sleep on my back for about 3 weeks after that everything was a-ok

[J.T.]

like i said i had complications, plus i probably got back into the gym too early and aggravated the situation.  It took me awhile to feel 100% again.

[Buddhas Camera]

It's hard to remember.  It was a good 8 weeks of pain, but I had complications that necessitated a second surgery, and really stressed my system badly.

I finally started sleeping a bit better after 8 weeks.
I think it was 4 - 5 months til I really didn't notice it much when sleeping on my chest.

A year later, more integration.
I am now 18 months or so out, and my muscles in my body feel like they are finally letting go more.  (I have narrow ribcage, and had large large ones, so my muscles have a big change to process).

Swimming in a pool, once I could do it, has really helped with the muscles adjusting (this is fairly recent, I live in an apt. complex with a pool now).

Time seemed so slow those first weeks after surgery, with the pain.  I would keep taking what you need to deal, being in pain can keep you from sleep, and sleep really helps.

Good luck.
Joseph

[Kaison]

Hi Guys,

I had a really bad reaction to tramadol.

I was talking the most amount of rubbish, I felt sick and couldn't pee.
It took a while before my then gf worked out it was the pills and not the anesthetic especially when I said to her on day 3 "It's like having a cut on my finger only a bit bigger," 

I didn't take anymore painkillers after I came off the tramadol incident and remained fairly pain free.   

[Mister]

Tramadol can have really nasty side effects for people who are on SSRIs.  IMO, as a 10+ year pain patient, it's a drug that shouldn't be prescribed anymore.  There are other drugs in it's class that are cheaper, have fewer side effects and less impact on the liver.