Re: RE : Help with Pain ATTN

[Guest guest]

Hi Max

This letter is maybe to old now but have you tried Panocod. I like them but they

are not the strongest one. Otherwise I have tried Dexofen but that is really

strong; my doctor wouldn't prescribe that in first place. Pancod can be mixed

with Panodil.

Max wrote:-

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I've been lurking in the shadows and reading up on everyone's

experiences for a couple of weeks now. Now it's time to ask for some

advice.

I'm 53 with a lifetime of ear infections and tubes. Finally, the

last infection left so much scar tissue around the bones, the ENT

said it was time to do something.

My surgery was last Thursday (1/8) -- he did a mastoidectomy (much

infection hiding there), cleaned the bones, removed a tiny c-toma,

and repaired a hold in the ear drum. His prognosis was excellent --

said that the bones were so bound up that would hardly move -- it was

a wonder I heard anything at all. And if my self-test (scratching

the sideburn in front of each ear) is right, I will have better

hearing in the repaired ear than the " good " one! When he removes the

packing, we'll know more.

My main problem right now is pain. I still have throbbing with

occasional " twinges " . Tylenol 3 did nothing. Hydrocodone dulled it

a bit, but made me ill and constipated. Does anyone have any

suggestions? I'm not sleeping worth a darn and I think it's

affecting my recovery. (I had really hoped -- regardless of what he

told me -- to hop up from the table and return to work -- ha! I'm

sure age has nothing to do with it.)

Also, my right ear (the one operated on) now sticks out significantly

more than the left. Is this just swelling, or is this permanent?

THANK YOU for any advice.

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Hi Max,

I too am a bit of a lurker, and coincidentally I'm as near your own age

as makes no difference and I also have a similar history, so let me help

where I can.

I can't help much with the pain I'm afraid, because apart from a bit of

soreness around the scar I had none to speak of. I won't talk brand

names because the names used for British drugs may not mean very much

where you are - however the Hospital gave me some pills which were

basically a combination of paracetamol and codeine, while I have always

found the most effective over-the-counter painkillers to be those

containing ibuprofen. Whether either of these are stong enough for the

problem you have been having, only you can really say.

As for the ear sticking out, mine did that too - nearly at right angles

to start with. It was just the swelling in my case, within about 10

days that all subsided and my ear was more or less back where it should

be. If I look very, very closely then maybe my left (c-toma) ear sticks

out a fraction more than the right, but I am the only one who notices.

To be honest, my hearing-aid makes it stick out more than the surgery

ever did !

Glad to hear that your surgeon seems to have improved your hearing in

the process, my own reconstruction didn't achieve very much. Mind you,

I haven't exactly helped myself, I started smoking again three years

after I quit. I haven't told my ENT this because he hasn't asked !

As you didn't mention it, I guess you have no tinnitus as a result of

the surgery, that's also good ! My worst problem was the variety of

cacophonous noises that kept up for several weeks after my first

surgery. But what the hell, I'd still rather be healthy than the

alternative.

Regards,

,

Milton Keynes, UK