Withdrawal Symptoms Suck

I am trying to wean myself off of Dilaudid, mostly because I don't really have much pain, only some muscles that keep wanting to tense up from my right shoulder blade, to my right shoulder, down my right arm, forearm, and hand, ending with tingling and numbness in the right hand.

The left surgical side hardly has any pain. So time to get off the Dilaudid. The nurse at Dr. F's (the local surgeon) feels that maybe I'm trying to do too much right now and maybe I shouldn't go off Dilaudid just yet. But I think it's time.

Since I started going to Dilaudid every 10-12 hours, I've had a headache. I also had a leg cramp in my lower right calf early Friday morning. I get hot flashes and woke up from one my cat naps last night sweating. I also got felt sick to my stomach after lunch - like right after it. We drove home from Portland and I felt sick the whole way. I came home and napped off and on for about an hour.

All but the headache are official symptoms of withdrawal, according to websites. But the plastic surgeon in Portland and the regular surgeon felt the headaches were Dilaudid withdrawal symptoms.

Dr. F's nurse suggested Valium to help with the right shoulder blade/shoulder pain. Then, a friend in Australia, V., also said Valium was used to help her wean from a pain medicine. So, I asked Dr. F and received a prescription for Valium last night. I just took the second dose. We'll see if it helps with the headache. It's okay if I don't move my head too fast. I am going to try to stay with Dilaudid every 12 hours for a day or two and then try to decrease it again.

In the meantime, I will make an appointment locally with my physical therapist about the lymphedema in the left arm. Dr. F wants to wait and see what happens with the lump on the breast bone for another couple of weeks, but if treatment doesn't shrink it, I will be looking at another surgery soon. Also, Dr. F will take out the catheter/port in my right arm since I don't really need it.

Dr. T at OHSU felt that the wound might have skin over it in another two weeks. The hypergranaulation, which occurs in several spots in the area, is causing the healing to go slower, but it's going. It even looks less red to me. I see the wound care nurse again this afternoon.

Today, I've got class and I will also meet with a candidate - right after lunch and for dinner. But I might have to skip dinner depending on how I feel.

Have a good day everyone.