Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management (RAPM)

Patient Information

Side effects
Most people can tolerate morphine and other pain medicine, especially if they have pain after their operation. However, some patients may have side effects like nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, confusion, itch, constipation, and difficulty urinating. All of these side effects can be taken of. Your nurse or doctor can help deal with these side effects if they occur.

What if I get sick to my stomach (nauseated) after surgery?
If you get sick to your stomach easily after operations, let your anesthesiologist know before your surgery. If you get sick after your operation medication can be given to help you. Sometimes trying a different medication can help. You can also help by resting in bed immediately after taking pain medicine, and moving around slowly. If you do get sick, tell your nurse or doctor immediately so they can help you.

What if I get constipated after surgery?
You should drink plenty of fluids after your operation. We can also give you medications to help with bowel motility (e.g. Senna) and stool softeners. If these don’t work we can try laxatives like lactulose and Dulcolax®. Some patients may need suppositories or enemas.

What if I am allergic to morphine?
Allergy to morphine is rare. If you do develop a rash, swelling and other signs of allergy from morphine you should also avoid codeine. Codeine is converted to morphine in your body. We can use other medications if you are allergic to morphine and/or codeine.

I have trouble sleeping at night. What can you do to help me when I am in the hospital?
If you have trouble sleeping because of pain, your doctor or the Acute Pain Service should be able to adjust your pain control. If you cannot sleep because of the environment (noise, light, etc.) we might give you sleeping medicine to help you get a good night’s rest.

Can I get addicted to my pain medicine?
The chance of getting addicted to your pain medicine is very small. Much less than 1% of patients get addicted to strong pain medicine when they are taking it for a painful condition. You should use as much pain medicine as you need to keep your pain under control.

Addiction occurs when people use morphine-like opioid medicine in increasing doses for reasons other than pain control. Addiction is a serious disease and is often a lifelong condition.

If you do not suffer from addiction to alcohol or other drugs before your operation it is very unlikely that you will get addicted to your pain medicine.

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