Pain Meds Pre-Surgery? Advice, Please
 

Hi, I have suffered chronic migraine pain for over 15 years. Some days are better than others, so my meds vary.

My problem: I need to have SURGERY in a couple of days for something completely unrelated to migraine. I'll be going under general anesthesia.

My question: Is it okay to take PAIN MEDS prior to general anesthesia? On the morning of surgery, I MAY take 2 Fioricet with Codeine OR 2 Tylenol with Codeine. Maybe the Tylenol with Codeine would be safer, since the Fioricet contains butalbital?

And YES, I have TOLD the doctor and the nurses my ENTIRE health history and medication history. The PROBLEM is that I have seen SEVERAL different nurses at the hospital, and no one seems to communicate with anyone else at this place! It is FRUSTRATING beyond belief.

The pre-surgery nurse told me it would be FINE for me to take 2 Fioricet with Codeine (or 2 Tylenol with Codeine) on the MORNING of surgery. She ALSO told me it would be FINE to take 10 mg. Valium on the MORNING of surgery (for anxiety).

I've had 3 prior surgeries in my life, several years ago. I KNOW I took Valium prior to my other surgeries. I simply cannot remember IF I took Tylenol with Codeine on the MORNING of the other surgeries (this was 15 years ago!).

I KNOW I did NOT take Fioricet with Codeine on the MORNING of the PRIOR surgeries, so I just wanted to ask if it really would be okay to take it. Does anyone know? Or has anyone had to take pain meds on the morning of surgery?

Thanks in advance for any advice. I'm a cautious person, so I just want to make SURE that the info the hospital has given me is CORRECT. It's ALWAYS good to hear "real life experiences", too.

Thanks,
Eva

Hi there Eva, and welcome to NeuroTalk.

Usually it is OK to take pain medications prior to sugery IF you would normally take them at that time, but it's imperative that the Anethetist knows the name of the medication, the dose and the time that you want to take the pain killers....prior to actually taking them.

He may have to alter the amount of the anesthetic that he gives you depending on the dose and name of the medication that you want to take.

You wouldn't want to be over sedated and unable to wake up after the operation, or even under sedated because your body might need more of the anesthetic agent, and maybe wake up before the procedure was finished.

Both those extremes would be highly unlikely, but it's the anethetist rather than the surgeon that you need to get in contact with, and if you don't know the name of the one who'll be doing your operation, then the surgeon (if it's a private hospital) or the hospital operation booking department (for the public scheme) will have those details.

Good luck with your surgery, and welcome again to the site.

Hi Eva and welcome to NeuroTalk!

My mother's name was Eva. I don't hear it too often nowadays but I've always loved it.

Koala gave you excellent advice so I'll just agree with her and tell you that I hope your surgery goes well.