Asked to provide own painkillers!

[Insertdeadcatsnamehere]

I've got an elective ceasarean booked in a couple of weeks. Have just had the consent form and info through and I've been asked to provide my own painkillers (for on the recovery ward afterwards, I'm still, possibly naively, assuming they'll provide the actual anaesthetic). Absolutely speechless! Just wondering whether anyone has had any comparable (but not female- specific) surgery and has been asked this? Apparently if I forget to bring my paracetamol and ibruprofen I can toddle down to the onsite pharmacy a couple of hours after my major abdominal surgery and purchase some. So that's helpful. No word on whether they'd sell me anything stronger...

I think this is more to do with individual needs not necessarily tallying well with the drug round. My 5yo was taken back into hospital after a tonsillectomy a couple of years ago. The dr forgot to write up ibuprofen for him so he waited some ridiculous number of hours after the paracetamol started to wane to get some brufen. We are talking maybe 3-4 hours of a child crying in pain because it was night time and they couldn’t find a dr to prescribe. So I would actually always take paracetamol and ibuprofen with me, just so I’m not at the mercy of busy people.

Incidentally, it wasn't the doctors who refused pain relief, they were happy to prescribe it. It was the midwives who refused to actually let the patients have it. It was always 'we'll wait an hour and see if you still feel you need it'. Then in an hour 'we'll wait another hour'.

@feelingverylazytoday

Think this happens quite a lot now, presumably as a cost cutting issue. I don't really see what the problem is, or why it's a feminist issue?

Which major abdominal surgeries for men routinely require patients to provide their own analgesia @feelingverylazytoday ?

When I gave birth, baby went to NICU and I missed all the drug rounds. They were horrified I’d been taking paracetamol but only offered codeine.

When I had a much more minor outpatient surgery recently I had fentanyl, oramorph, and was sent home with dihydrocodeine. I also had a proper check up post op, when my post birth checks were woeful and left me with an infected episiotomy (despite following every instruction to the letter).

It is shit to have to provide your own and ridiculous.

If it helps you, my experiences are one EMCS I was fine with only paracetamol and ibuprofen until I got an infection, I had to nag for a dose of oramorph but I did get it and felt fine after the actual infection was dealt with.
With my ELCS I was fine with only paracetamol and ibuprofen after surgery.

Maybe you'll have to provide the scalpel as well...?

@ArabellaScott

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.

Nothing wrong with getting your own breakfast the next day. In fact you should be up and about ASAP. I had my first emcs at 10pm and went home at 10am the next morning! Of course if you've got uncontrolled pain or complications, it's different but getting your own breakfast the day after a Cs is not a bad thing automatically. I was up, showered and wandering around within 3hrs of both of mine.

We provided the pain relief for my Dad's hip replacement last year. Good job as the ward rounds were constantly delayed. They prescribed anything needed on top of OTC medication.

No problems OP - just you tube how to do an epidural . You will be fine. Go down to the local dodgy drug dealer and score yourself some morphine.
You will be fine looking after this new tiny human being and yourself.
Sorry to be fascicious but that is ridiculous!
💐

@Whatsnewpussyhat

In the supermarket a paracetamol tablet is about 1p per tablet. On the NHS it's 3p per tablet

Why can't the NHS get them as cheap as supermarkets?

I got told off by the hospital midwife for taking my own paracetamol post birth because they needed to keep notes of any meds taken incase anything happened and they unknowingly exceded dosages.

Not sure 🤷🏻‍♀️

In fact you should be up and about ASAP.

Definitely, but refusing pain relief is part of what stops people being up and about, so it doesn't even make sense from a safety point of view.

I'm pretty shocked by this. Had DS almost two years ago (also in a large northern hospital) and was discharged with 10 days worth of dihydrocodeine after my EMCS. I definitely needed them for the first few days too, no way paracetamol or ibuprofen would have been enough.

This happened to me after an emergency section - DH kicked up a fuss otherwise I was somehow supposed to get an appointment at my GP, get there and ask for a prescription all whilst recovering and with a newborn. Bet it doesn’t happen to men after abdominal surgery.

I had spinal surgery and actually took my own paracetamol/ibuprofen after what I've read on here!! have been on here too long and read stuff about pain relief in hospital so made sure I had it with me
Wasn't given anything else, had a couple of my own paracetamol

@EatTheHamTina and @Whatsnewpussyhat it's the prescribing and dispensing which adds the cost to providing paracetamol to a patient either whilst as an in-patient or as a take home medication (TTO). It can also hold up discharge thus why women are asked to get in their own supply of paracetamol or ibuprofen (which can be sourced very cheaply) for discharge.

@Insertdeadcatsnamehere

I've got an elective ceasarean booked in a couple of weeks. Have just had the consent form and info through and I've been asked to provide my own painkillers (for on the recovery ward afterwards, I'm still, possibly naively, assuming they'll provide the actual anaesthetic). Absolutely speechless! Just wondering whether anyone has had any comparable (but not female- specific) surgery and has been asked this? Apparently if I forget to bring my paracetamol and ibruprofen I can toddle down to the onsite pharmacy a couple of hours after my major abdominal surgery and purchase some. So that's helpful. No word on whether they'd sell me anything stronger...

It changed when they changed the prescription rules so you couldn’t get paracetamol, ibuprofen, and a couple of other things on prescription anymore.

I took the leaflet to boots and they gave me the higher dose stuff and more than is usually allowed. It cost less than £5.

I don’t get why you’re enraged?

I always get my meds swiped in hospital they tried not to give them back to me last time until I pointed out they were mine I bought them in not theirs from there stocks

That's awful. I've always been given the painkillers after c sections, I've also had morphine in various forms when I've asked for it.

How bizarre!

I got told off for taking my own and not the ones provided! I took some before I realised they did the rounds!

@Insertdeadcatsnamehere

This is also a big northern city hospital...

I’m guessing Leeds, that’s where I was 2 years ago. It’s not a new policy.

FYI I didn’t need anymore than over the counter stuff. You may not either. Paracetamol works on a cumulative effect so don’t miss a dose!

I've always been told to take any medications I take regularly in with me, they should be locked up in the cupboard next to the bed. Your supposed to take your own stash but lets be honest, the nurses don't have time. They get locked up to prevent theft of meds.

I've had gynae and none gynae surgery where no otc pain meds weren't given after surgery.

On discharge for the last couple of years, they've never been prescribed and told to buy my own.

The cost goes up for the nhs because of the prescription and the costs associated with this. So that 1p pill end up costing the nhs 5p or whatever.

Also, DH had abdominal surgery last week (thankfully one of the last cases before they started cancelling due to Covid). He was absolutely advised to bring his own over the counter pain killers. We also had a child in hospital in the summer, again told to bring own otc meds. It’s not just women that are asked to do this in the hospital we were at.

What the fuck?

This is outrageous on medical grounds. I had a week in hospital last year and everything - all drugs I was taking including the HRT I brought from home - had to be logged, locked away safely and put on the drugs round so that each dose could be recorded.

After my ELCS while I still had the epidural in overnight (strong opiates) I was away with the fairies, completely out of it. It would have been incredibly easy for someone in my state to overdose on paracetamol.

Paracetamol is actually one of the best drugs for pain relief post surgery, literally the best there is so I don't know why so many people are going on about needing something stronger.

I had EMCS 17 years ago, was given lots of lovely pain relief post op and felt really good despite 24+ hour labour and having endometriosis with scar tissue that doesn't like contractions. Breast fed no problem.

Had Ds2 by ELCS in Leeds 14 years ago, their pain relief was totally shit, so much so I discharged myself early to be able to get home and have access to pain relief. They had reduced it down on day 2 without telling me. I was in absolute agony. I believe they sent me home with paracetamol and ibuprofen, just OTC doses not anything stronger. Dh went to a chemist on the way home and asked for advice on what I could have and when, they were appalled at major abdominal surgery pain relief offered in hospital. It still upsets me to this day how they treat pain relief.

"Insertdeadcatsnamehere
This is also a big northern city hospital..."*
I’m guessing Leeds, that’s where I was 2 years ago. It’s not a new policy.

FYI I didn’t need anymore than over the counter stuff. You may not either. Paracetamol works on a cumulative effect so don’t miss a dose!*

I was just coming on to say I bet this is Leeds. Happened to me in both my c sections in the last 3 years.

First section was emcs, awful incision. I was still being sick from the anaesthetic and the pain after 24 hours and all they gave me was paracetamol which took hours to come on the drugs round.

Second section I took my own pain relief in and started it once the suppository wore off. Good job as they never offered me any pain relief!