Author: exorphin
Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:57 am
| QuittingOpiatesSweden wrote: |
| Hi I am having gall bladder removal in just a month, I have just started suboxone treatment a few days ago. I was going to have had the operation last week but I was too ill for them to operate on at that point.
I didn’t realize there could be an issue about suboxone in relation to gall bladder surgery. In my country (Sweden) you don’t get any painkiller except over the counter acetaminophen/paracetamol after such minor surgery anyway. Is there any other reason that one would need to change the suboxone? Something about the anesthetic they use to put you under during surgery? |
Hello, "QuittingOpiatesSweden"! 
To answer your question- I would say that it really would probably depend upon your doctors-
meaniong the surgeon and the doctor who is prescribing your Suboxone… If you can do so-
I think that it would be a good idea to TRY to get these two doctors to talk about your post-op
pain management- if possible… (I did- and am so glad I did.)
Also- you could print out the paper titled "Acute Pain Management for Patients Receiving Maintenance
Methadone or Buprenorphine Therapy", too- and present both doctors with this paper. (I failed to do
this- but, at my post-op visit, I did present this paper to my surgeon- and he was open-minded about
it- and was very open to learning new things…but- all doctors are different, of course.
Lastly, I will add this: my anesthetist for my recent gall bladder surgery told me that he had to
forgo the Versed- a benzodiazepine that is used in some surgical procedures- because (he told me)
that the Versed would have "interacted" with the Suboxone. However, I’ve never heard of this before.
It really depends A LOT on your anesthesiologist, though- and, I would ask him/her if they have had
any experience with Suboxone patients- and have a conversation with them about your immediate
post-op pain management.
Well- I really hope that this helps you… And- I feel A LOT better, since having had my gall bladder
removed, too- FWIW. So, Good Luck with your surgery!
-ex-
