Asked to provide own painkillers!

In-patients self-administering painkillers after major surgery sounds like an overdosing (or lethal interaction) accident waiting to happen...

Dh had a hernia op at the same hospital I had 2 emergency sections in. He was discharged with considerably more pain relief. Although I was lucky and didn't need anything with either section. Found that out because I was in Nicu with dc1 and wasn't offered any drugs for 2 and a half days. Turns out that like food which I also didn't get, you were meant to instinctly know when the drugs rounds were.

After my 2nd section, I left hospital as possible.

I'm wondering if this is a regional NHS thing now rather than a just a departmental thing.

DH surgery was in midlands where he was sent home with pain relief and DS they insisted he take pain meds pre and post op while another poster had to provide their own for similar sounding surgery.

I took my own paracetemol and ibuprofen with me simply because I didn't want to wait for them to come round on the medication round ( which takes forever). They were enough for me but on a wider point I agree with you about the shit standard of care for maternity services and the difference in treatment between childbirth and other services. I was always outraged that women had such difficulty demanding elective c-sections. If that was any other type of medical process where there were 2 options available but only 1 was ever offered then there would be outrage.

I didnt have to provide my own but that was the only pain relief I was offered last May! I told them over and over I was in agony after 24hours in labour, induction and emcs but didn't get any pain meds apart from ibuprofen and paracetamol!

I'm an anaesthetist and prescribe paracetamol, Ibuprofen, dihydrocodeine and morphine for all my post op Caesarean patients (or alternatives if allergic). Whether they actually get them in a timely manner on the ward after is another question...

I had my gallbladder out in Feb this year and was told to stock up on paracetamol/Ibuprofen at home as they wouldn't give me any on discharge. Didn't have to bring my own to hospital, but I was only in for a few hours post op.

ArabellaScott Getting up is a good thing post operatively, helps with easing the wind which can be equally if not more problematic as post-op pain.

Liquid morphine, together with paracetamol ime, is the best combination for most post-section women, stepping down to paracetamol only after 18-24 hours.

Maybe it is a cost cutting exercise (over the counter paracetamol is about 16p.. hospitals will have to pay a lot more)

I'd have thought hospitals would be paying less for paracetamol and otc pain killers than ordinary people buying a packet in a shop.

I had this advice in relation to a private hospital, as the charges for standard painkillers were apparently much higher than OTC, so I was told not to let them discharge me with painkillers but to say I had my own at home.

But an NHS hospital? No idea.

My dh had proper pain relief for surgery, but he was given some paracetamol to go home with from the pharmacy as we forgot to bring it as suggested and then we got a £15.50 private prescription charge letter about a week later. It was an nhs hospital and nhs surgery. We paid because on all liklihood the nurse explained that would happen and my dh didnt listen!
I truly hope you are given proper pain relief whilst in hospital.

I did find paracetomol and ibuprofen was absolutely fine after my planned section. I think the stuff they give you during the op lasts a few hours and after that it wasn't too bad at all.

I thought if I did it again I would bring my own and hide them (was told not to bring any) as the drug rounds were very irregular and taking them on a regular schedule is key to avoiding pain.

On the same lines I'd recommend bringing your own food and bottled water that you can keep within reach, because getting anyone to bring you any is a non-starter. Especially water, it's essential to drink as they need to check you have pee'd a certain amount before you can be allowed to go home. If you are lucky someone will bring you a tiny jug of water but you have to wait for ages each time. No good if you are dehydrated after no water all day or all the previous night before an afternoon surgery.

I was given morphine post crash section and sent home with prescription strength co codomol. I'm very surprised at this.

Liquid morphine?! Feeling a bit like I was robbed, now!. And yes we were made to get up and get our own breakfast the morning after.

I only got offered paracetamol after my emcs. Post op on night 2 I dragged myself out and asked for something stronger they never suggested so I didn't think I could have anything. I was naive, preoccupied and just did what they told me I didn't want to make a fuss My son had 3 hour surgery on his genitals twice and both times we had to bring in pain relief for recovery so it does happen with other departments too.

Also to add the hospital that gave me only paracetamol provided very top class care. Far better than the one that threw hard-core painkillers at me. So medically speaking I feel that they gave me the best choice of drugs. I could be naive!

I had a c-section and I was given morphine the first day but felt woozy so asked that I did not receive it from the second day and got co-comodol instead.

How are you supposed to manage with just OTC painkillers? Trying to sit up or get out of bed is excruciating. A "ladder" helps you to get up out of bed so that all the weight is borne by your arms not the muscles in your abdomen but it still bloody hurts.

Is this the situation in just maternity or elsewhere in hospitals?

@Insertdeadcatsnamehere not standard practice ime. I'd be interested in their rationale (other than the obvious cost efficiencies) for doing so given, in my mind, there are potentially a number of safety issues. Most units prescribe post section women liquid morphine for at least 24 hours unless they intend to give you a large dose intravenously.

DH has just had a kidney removed, by conventional surgery, not keyhole, a 27cm incision. He had an epidural amd morphine imeadiately following the op but after that just paracetamol. It's cheap and easily available so people think "only" but it's actually very effective. It wasn't until he started on the paracetamol they got his pain under control.

They did provide it while he was in hospital though.

There is definitely a really strange attitude to prescribing pain relief. I hate the way any request for pain relief is treated with suspicion. As if you're going to spit the tablets out when no one is looking and then toddle off to the front of the hospital to sell them to a local gang member.

DS (age 4) had tonsils removed 4 years ago and we had to provide his post operative pain relief (Calpol and liquid ibuprofen). They did prescribe oramorph, presumably because we can't buy this ourselves. When DD (age 3) had a hernia repair the year before, Calpol was provided by the hospital pharmacy fir her to take home.

Frankly, on all my surgeries I would rather have been allowed to bring my own painkillers and take them on my schedule than being huffed at if I dared to ask for any. On an orthopedic ward I was told off roundly for causing a fuss after major surgery and made to wait hours for pain killers while screaming in agony. You 'weren't allowed' to go home on tramadol or morphine either, so I had to go straight from hospital to GP to get help as I couldn't think straight

I just had paracetamol after my 2nd section. It was okay, in fact. After the first I was full of v strong painkillers and they were awful, so preferred the paracetamol. Pain was okay, and I don't have a high pain threshold.

But odd you're being asked to bring your own - I have read it costs a fortune for the NHS to provide paracetamol and v cheap to buy, but still seems off.

It was both the hospital and community MW who told mothers to pack over the counter pain relief - and it was all mother's being told - well everyone I spoke to was told. It was a big northern city hospital.

The ward let me go 24 hours with no food despite bf a baby and it was hard enough to get water so maybe there just knew how shit it was.