headache pain after craniotomy--tips for pain?
I am almost at two weeks post-op (tomorrow). I had my staples out yesterday. My aneurysm was found on an mri that was scheduled in conjunction with getting worked up for migraines. We haven't really controlled my migraines yet, but it was advised to have the aneurysm clipped bc of the location and size. My doctors and stuff I found online made the recovery seem like it wasn't going to be that bad, but I have a pretty bad headache like all the time now
My neurosurgeon told me that they would give me oxycodone, which they did, but they only gave me 20 and they are gone and they are not trying to give me more. I have my migraine meds (been taking a triptan almost everyday, which they don't rally like), I have some muscle relaxants that aren't very sedating. THey want me to take tylenol, I can start with nsaids today she said so I am going to add some aleve, I remember years ago my doctor told me that aleve and tylenol have a synergistic effect, so I'm hoping that helps. She told me to take benadryl to sleep, which I think is kind of ill-advised to do in general.
Wondering what other people were given or did for post-operative pain or to sleep? My husband can't believe that they won't renew the oxys, I just want to know what worked for people so I can ask the neurosurgeon or my pcp. I really did not expect this level of headache pain from everything I read. I mean, when I got my wisdom teeth out in the 90s they gave me tylenol 3. It does seem a little crazy that they cut a chunk of your skull out, cut through a muscle, and then expect you to just take tylenol! I really don't know what to do.
Any advice or suggestions welcome, thank you