Should I tell my surgeon about a past addiction?

[GlandMan]

I am a recovering addict to painkillers and I'm looking into having surgery early next year.

I plan on telling my surgeon of my past addiction and asking he makes a note not to refill the percocet prescription no matter what. This is purely as a precaution, I don't expect a relapse but I just want to play it safe.

My concern is that he might just tell me to take common OTC relievers and not prescribe me anything. I've read that this particular surgery can be virtually painless or very painful for a few days after.

Would I be better off not mentioning it?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

You should mention it to your surgeon and have a frank discussion about it.  In my experience, most guys who have shaken the addition do not want to chance taking any narcotic.  This surgery is not extremely painful -- but it depends on the surgeon's technique as well as the patient's pain threshold (which can vary greatly).

I have generally recommended 1000 mg of Tylenol for these patients -- and most have done quite well.  Just my two cents.

Dr Jacobs

[Chronotoker]

I had become addicted to opiates after my brain surgeries - since I had such a long standing relationship with my surgeon, I told him and he came up with an alternative pain management regimen.

Tylenol or NSAIDs work extremely well depending on the type of pain.

To expand on this slightly, Hopkins put me in icu for recovery from my brain surgeries. I explained to him I didn't go seek opiates, but if I left the hospital with a bottle  of pain killers I would abuse them until gone. So he was able to give me iv pain killers when I first came out, but I left the hospital with non- opiates and the option to come back and be provided a dose of opiate based pain killers if my pain was  unbearable.

I only say all this because they are humans and want to help -  he really made every option available to me to manage my pain but without me putting myself in danger.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Sounds like a great doctor.  Even better, hope your recovery from brain surgery went well.

Dr Jacobs