pain of severe migrane v pain of c section wound

[elizaregina]

hello!

I am trying to work out how bad the pain of the operation will be!
Lots of people have been given co codamol or diflonlec etc...
I had these with a migrane and they didnt touch the sides...

Has anyone had a section and had severve - disbabling migranes to give me an indication of the pain levels.

For instance is it more of a sharp - spasm type pain or that englufing migrane type ache.

I am worried that what they may want to give me wont be enough you see....ie co deine type stuff.

many thanks

[NotGeoffVader]

Personally I found the pain of a migraine far worse than C-section scar. I used to have to lie in a darkened room (with a bucket and drink of water on standby) with migraine - no pain relief worked.

I think I had both Cocodamol and dicolfenac (no idea how to spell it) post C-Sec to aid pain and reduce inflammation.
The main thing is to avoid overdoing it. (Something I didn't do). No lifting stuff other than the baby, no long walks, no driving. Really. It put me back weeks because at the time I felt fine - it was days later that I was sore.
So, not only do you need to ensure you have your pain relief on standby, but please take advantage of any offers of help you get.
And if you have time/inclination make some easy to heat meals and keep them on standby, or stock up on ready meals. I can't believe the amount of times I longed for a microwave in those early days! :)

[MaBaya]

I am a migraine sufferer.

I cant say I experienced much pain at all after either of my sections - an emergency and then an elective. They gave me morphje for a few hours after each time, then cocodomol which I took for about a week afterwards.

I felt 'weak' in that area and had to take it very slowly for a few weeks. After the first one I was a bit sore...sort of like a bruised feeling...but I would say a migraine is far far far worse!

[MaBaya]

Morphine, sorry

[hazeyjane]

Totally different sort of pain ime. With migraine I find nothing helps. With my elcs, I was given morphine, which helped a lot. I found the pain more comparable to the pain of chronic back pain, rather than the stabbing your own eyes out with a screwdriver pain of a migraine!

[jellybeans]

Migraine (I have very severe and at times daily) was worse for me than c section pain. But after one of my sections the wind pain was worse than the migraines. I needed morphine for it. Only happened 1/3 times though.

[hazeyjane]

Yes the pain of trapped wind, in my shoulders was awful, morphine couldn't touch it!

[Zoonose]

Another migraine sufferer here who has had two c-sections.

The pain doesn't compare to the sheer awfulness that is migraine - and I can't take diclofenac so relied on codeine etc. The very first day after the op for me the pain on the wound was very sharp on movement, like a sharp pulling (a bit like a thread was too tight or something) when I was trying to get moving. It did hurt but I know that is not the case for everyone (diclofenac as far as I understand is much more effective for that type of pain than codeine) but it was so so much more bearable than the agony of migraine and it was only on movement. I took paracetamol and codeine at regular intervals for a few days and then just paracetamol - probably for about a week in all. I would take it over a migraine any day!

[Primrose123]

I've had both. In my opinion, migraine is far worse. The pain of migraine is absoltely dreadful.

The only painful part of the CS for me was when they inserted the epidural, and that wasn't that bad really, and only lasted a few seconds. I think I was given morphine after the CS, and felt wonderful! The next few days in hospital I had voltarol, and didn't really feel much pain. I felt more achy really, and a bit tender, but definitely no pain. When I went home I had strong painkillers which I stopped using after a few days, and just took over the counter painkillers when needed.

I wouldn't be at all worried if I was having another CS. However, I would advise taking it easy, as someone said above. Good luck and don't worry! The pain, in my experience, does not compare to that of a migraine.

[OpheliasWeepingWillow]

Migraine worse. Percocet did the trick for Csection pain.

[mellen]

I have had both. The pains are of different quality. I found the C-S pain to be initially quite severe initially, but the staff were willing to give me pain relief - they offered morphine, but I was reluctant to take it because my other children were about to visit to meet their new sister, so I wanted to be alert enough for that. After the first few hours though it was manageable with cocodamol and diclofenac.

[elizaregina]

wow


so maybe being a migrane sufferer will actually stand me in good stead for this then.

i got into a horrendous state a while ago when severve food poisoning finsihed off with a migrane and i took co codamol then eneded up with a headache from those too.

i have tramadol now for migrane and i find that really really works.

thanks for all the replies...interesting that most of you think migrane is worse than major op pain. i can def cope with sharp pain on movement.

[Sunshinecurl]

I'm not sure if anyone else had this but the epidural actually gave me a migraine! My anaesthetist said this was quite common and added some migraine relief to my drip which stopped it in its tracks. So, I could say that I've been through both simultaneously...!

[diyqueen]

Yes I agree, no comparison, migraine pain worse definitely! I did have pain from the c-section wound for a while, a mild ache all the time and sharp pain when moving, and it's a weird sensation losing most of your core strength temporarily. I could still function and think of other things easily though - which I can't with a migraine. You'll probably get morphine to start with which is wonderful stuff - I remember wishing I could take a stash home to try for migraines, but it's rather addictive sadly...!