Earlier quoted context omitted.
I assure you there are just as many of us with a complete aversion to taking anything at all.
No doubt. But I think you are in the minority.
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After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
61–70 of 421 posts
Re: After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
Anecdotally, it's fairly prevalent in Europe as well. Living in Europe, I know just as many Europeans who pop ibuprofen like candy compared to Americans.
Can you buy Ibuprofen in stores or do you need a prescription? In the US most stores have a big aisle with painkillers.
In Germany you can buy it at a pharmacy, you generally can't obtain medicine at a normal store.
Direct consumer advertisement of drugs is also illegal in Germany. (I think there's only 3 or 4 countries on the planet where this isn't the case)
Re: After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
#63I always get in a arguments with my EU acquaintances over pain management topics. The idea that is a "good" to suffer with pain instead of taking pain killers is abhorrent to me.
Some temporary pain won't kill you, but opioids might.
I have a non-addictive personality, and have taken opiods 3 different times in my life, never killed me nor did I have an issue stopping.
Opioids are only 30-40% addictive, meaning the vast majority of people taking them never develop an addiction. 30-40% is high no doubt, the highest of all pain killers, but the idea we should disallow people in pain from taking them simply because some people go on to abuse them is not rational IMO
Re: After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
#64I always get in a arguments with my EU acquaintances over pain management topics. The idea that is a "good" to suffer with pain instead of taking pain killers is abhorrent to me.
Not sure how you manage to come up with such a comment after reading this particular article. Clearly she did not have the pain she feared she would have. She said she took two Ibuprofen - that she did not need!
So why would you think she would have been better off taking drugs against pain that she didn't have?
Real pain is treated here in Germany - of course!
But taking pills for mere fear of pain that isn't even there?
I had had four wisdom teeth removed all at once, that's when I got and took a few (a few!) Ibuprofen during the following week. Only because I actually lived and worked in the US at the time (but had the surgery done during a vacation in Germany), and had to go back to work, doing IT training for a few days. Otherwise I would have taken even less.
Later I had jaw surgery, lower jaw extension by 4 mm (no metal left inside me, by the way, it was a z-cut followed by the shift and half of a bone could reattach to the other half, just shifted lengthwise a bit), so a complete cut through the lower jaw. I did not need a single pain pill.
Re: After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
#65There was a study at Mass General Hospital studying if pre-surgery carb loading reduced the need for post-op narcotics. (Not sure what the outcome was.)
Aren't they worried about the patient vomiting and choking? I had a dental implant done at the end of last year and I wasn't supposed to eat anything before surgery.
When I had surgery recently, carb loading was done with a mix that dissolved in water.
Re: After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Anecdotally, it's fairly prevalent in Europe as well. Living in Europe, I know just as many Europeans who pop ibuprofen like candy compared to Americans.
Can you buy Ibuprofen in stores or do you need a prescription? In the US most stores have a big aisle with painkillers.
You don't need a prescription for it in Germany (up to 400 mg AFAIK), but it may only be sold in pharmacies.
Re: After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
#67This passage feels like it is premise of the article; the author eventually comes to terms with her tea-sipping and resting as recovery, and this doctor explains the reasoning behind the medical decision-making which is very clear (and mindful/thoughtful) I think.
“To paraphrase him [German anesthesiologist], he said: ‘Pain is a part of life. We cannot eliminate it nor do we want to. The pain will guide you. You will know when to rest more; you will know when you are healing. If I give you Vicodin, you will no longer feel the pain, yes, but you will no longer know what your body is telling you. You might overexert yourself because you are no longer feeling the pain signals. All you need is rest. And please be careful with ibuprofen. It’s not good for your kidneys. Only take it if you must. Your body will heal itself with rest.”’
Re: After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is why my individualism, and Self Ownership come it to play as I feel that should be my choice if I want to take the risk, it should be up to me if the pain is server enough to warrant opioids or not as I am the one experiencing the pain. Every person reacts differently to procedures and to pain, some people having their wisdom teeth removed may not be painful, others it might be terrible pain. It should be up t…
If you're paying for it, I agree with you. But that's not the case in Germany, as they have a single payer healthcare system. That "easy solution" costs other people money.
Which is why I also oppose single payer, but that is a whole other topic. The fact that Single Payer is used to make those justifications is one of my primary reasons to oppose it
Re: After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
Anecdotally, it's fairly prevalent in Europe as well. Living in Europe, I know just as many Europeans who pop ibuprofen like candy compared to Americans.
Can you buy Ibuprofen in stores or do you need a prescription? In the US most stores have a big aisle with painkillers.
In the UK, ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol are sold freely everywhere (but only in small packs). Painkillers containing codeine are available over the counter, after talking to a pharmacist. Anything stronger requires a prescription.
Re: After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
#70There have been times I needed opiate painkillers, I melted all the skin off my right hand in an accident, needed a major skin graft. I did become physically addicted but the experience was so harsh any time anyone offered me opiates outside a medical context I was like hell no. I don't consider that pushing opiates because the level of pain when growing back nerve endings is off the charts.