Hey guys I just had my surgery on May 5 Cinco de Mayo and they have young medication‘s to control the pain but it doesn’t do anything my ear feels like somebody’s taking a screwdriver and pushing it into my face and everything hurts way past what my meds are doing for me
They have me on 5 Mg oxycodone I don’t think it’s doing anything for my pain
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Im so sorry to hear about the discomfort you are experiencing! I have heard a lot of folks mention icing and how helpful it is. Have you been able for to try that? I’m hoping some of the others that are better versed will be able to chime in. Aside from that how are you doing? Your incision looks great! How big was your styloid? What were your previous symptoms? Who did your surgery? Sorry for all the questions you don’t have to answer them all. Truly hoping that from this day forward it’s smooth sailing for you!
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Definitely ice.
Narcotics- from what little I know - do 2 things:
- Make things easier so you don’t mind the pain, although you still feel it
- Potentiate the effect of ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Maybe let them know what kind of pain you are feeling using really descriptive words - because pain is just an information point. They can maybe make you feel better, but ultimately it’s a symptom.
Good luck! I’m so sorry this is happening to you.
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Sounds like you weren’t Rxed any Prednisone to help deal w/ post op swelling. Please contact your surgeon or whoever is on call ASAP to request a course of Prednisone. It will help a lot. I don’t understand why ES surgeons don’t routinely Rx it.
As noted above, ICE ICE ICE - 15 min on & 45 min off as often as you feel like it. Use gel ice packs if you have them & put a thin towel or washcloth between your skin & the ice. If you have no gel packs, you can use ice cubes in a small ziplock or frozen corn or peas in their bags.
If you haven’t gotten a wedge pillow to help you sleep w/ your head elevated (30° is recommended) then collect all the bed pillows you have to create head elevation whenever you lie down. Make sure it’s graduated elevation so you have shoulder & upper back support as you don’t want to strain your neck.
Also make sure you have something to keep you fr getting constipated fr the Percocet.
Your incision does look really good. You had an exceedingly long styloid. No wonder you’re in such pain. The first week post op is the worst. By the end of week two you’ll feel better. Healing is a process that can take some months so be patient with your body. Take it easy this week & next & gradually increase activity as you feel better. 
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Hi @Wgrannells,
I’m very sorry to read that you are in so much pain. As it looks you had surgery on both sides done. Thats very tough! Had two times surgery on both sides and without getting any steroids too.
5 mg Oxycodon for you sounds a bit too less to me. Even when you are having that much pain, you can definitely ask your MD for more. I had 10 mg Oxycodon as a slow releasing depot pills every 10-12 hours. Here in Germany it is named Targin (Oxycodon + Naloxon (against constipation)). Found that a litte better digestable than percocet which i also had after surgery in US (5mg for one operated side already).
Tylenol (acetaminophen) - which is already contained in percocet - was also good pain killer and can be combined with Oxycodon, if you haven’t you should ask your MD for that too. I took 3000mg per day (maximum allowed) when it was worse.
Steroids should definitely help. That was such a big difference after my surgery in CA when I got prednisone directly. Had so much less swelling and pain then. Definitely ask your MD for that.
Ice like the others already said is also one of my favorite pain killers. I recommend it from the inside aswell: I had a lot of ice popsicles, which was really releasing. Cold icetea or water (from the fridge) was also pleasant to drink.
Hope that helps you over the next few days, which are usually the worst after surgery. Sending you positive thoughts that you may stay strong and wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery with a lot of improvements. 
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My Styloid it was a little bit over 8 cm
Oh my word! No wonder you were and are feeling this way! It’s definitely going to take some time to heal but I feel very positive that you will be feeling like a new person in time!!!
I think you sent a message about the glue maybe to me ? Maybe not? Sorry if you didn’t I’m still getting used to this Website however I haven’t yet had the surgery but need to……I had to have a different surgery recently so am recovering from that 
Edited because my phone likes to change words ! Lol
So sorry that you’re feeling rough; it can be tough having one side done, having both done is doubling it…I agree with the others about icing, sleeping semi upright & seeing if you can get steroids. It sounds as if the surgery has maybe set off nerve pain, so it might be worth trying medications for that if you haven’t already- like Gabapentin, Amitriptyline etc. Time is a great healer, so nerves will settle, it’s very early days yet…
Take it easy & hope that the pain does ease soon, will keep praying for you…
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- Keep clean. And no playing
- Your either crazy or hard ass to get both done, faced with the choice I like to think I would but …
All pain in one go may be the way to do it - Dexamethasone , I have been unable to work due to inflammation, fatigue and all my old injuries seem to be playing up, I had my first single dose yesterday, made a big difference to inflammation around left S/p, left eye stopped watering straight away
After my surgeries
if/ when/ even at all I will be asking for them
They helped after 57 staples in right femur
Only down sides are can be hard on stomach so no drinking JB and insomnia, which we all know about anyway
Hope you get back to playing ditty soon as
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Were both your styloids over 8 cm or just one side? How are you feeling now?
Folks, why do you assume double styloidectomy was done?.. it’s clearly only the R side was done…
I hope swelling is subsiding and getting better @Wgrannells …
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Oh sorry! Now I see that too. 3 pics were mirrored. 
- Luckily that does not change my recommendations. If you don’t notice the Oxycodon it is probably not enough for the state of pain.
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I’m a truck mechanic, not ES specialist or GP I see a head ,neck and two scars, very similar in position , looks like to a layman bilateral surgery , but my apologies for getting it wrong
He still a hard ass, looks real sore
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I’m laughing so hard because I forgot that I had that hat on and then my boyfriend said something to me about it after so I’m still laughing hysterically to myself even as I write this
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hadn’t noticed it was mirrored!
@Wgrannells , hope that you’re having a better day today…
Trickery… is an illusion… Come on it was pre coffee and doughnuts, mirror mirror on the wall
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Just one styloid right side
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They are going to try Toradol tomorrow at my Dr’s appointment tomorrow after my stitches come out.
Brother I feel for you!
@Wgrannells - I thought that’s what you’d said initially - one 8 cm styloid, but I was also deceived by the mirrored images & was surprised since I thought it was a unilateral surgery! Silly me. 
I hope the Toradol REALLY helps!