I've just been diagnosed with a large ovarian endometrioma (a blood filled cyst - hope you're not eating right now!) which needs to be removed... as if I don't have enough to worry about!

I'm really concerned as the recovery is going to be very painful for a few days and most people need a dose or two of morphine, followed by codeine/tramadol etc. However I cannot tolerate any drug like that as it makes my muscles, and most importantly, my diaphragm too weak (it refuses to move very much) and my breathing becomes extremely hard...so I'm going to have to somehow cope with paracetamol/ibuprofen after surgery!

What do people in this situation normally take, medication wise? Are there any options that I don't know of - I am very new to MG after all.

Any advice would be much MUCH appreciated! x

My understanding is that an even bigger concern is the anesthesia. Have you talked to your neurologist about this? I think that anesthesia is very tricky for myasthenics.

Abby

Oh my God, how did I not think of that! Is sedation usually a better solution? My neurologist is on holiday and this cyst needs to be removed in a matter of days

I would suggest you wait and discuss this with your doctor and the anesthesiologist. They will work with you to figure out the best way to proceed. Remember, you will be in a hospital, so if there are problems, they can be dealt with immediately.

If your breathing gets weak, you may need a bipap for a few hours or during the night while in the hospital. But above all else, you mustn't try and "tough it out" because that will ultimately be harder on your body and slow your recovery.

Good Luck!

It is possible to put in a temporary epidural for the immediate post surgical pain. There would be absolutely no pain, and it probably would not be as likely to obstruct respiration.

Do you know if the surgery is going to be laproscopic? I had a softball sized cyst on my ovary and had the ovary removed laproscopically. It was done in the morning and I went home in the early afternoon. No morphine - just prescription painkillers. Comparing that pain to the pain after my transsternal thymectomy, I could have probably just taken ibuprofen/Tylenol. As for the anasthesia, the medications used are altered for the myasthenia, - such as no muscle relaxers. The anasthesiologist told me what he was going to use and was well aware of which drugs to avoid.

Good point. If it is laproscopic, you probably won't have that much pain.