Exparel and Constipation: What Users Say

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2021

For Pain "Given as a nerve block for breast reconstruction. Administration was very painful. After surgery, it caused insomnia. I haven’t slept in 2 days! I have severe constipation. So far, MOM, Miralax, Colace, and a suppository have not worked. No BM over 2 days! Arms and legs are shaky. I have had 5 previous surgeries and never was nauseous post-op. I’ve been nauseous for 2 days. I am retaining water. I weigh 8 lbs more than normal. My pulse is 20 bpm faster than normal, it takes a long time for me to urinate, itching, and crying for no reason. This med did not help with the pain at all. I’ve had to take hydrocodone for the pain. I’m angry that the anesthesiologist did not tell me the side effects first. This med has only made my post-op experience miserable. I would have been better off without it and its nasty side effects. I should have just taken hydrocodone post-op as I had in the past."

• MZa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2021

For Pain "Was given Exparel for shoulder surgery along with another block. I was told it would last up to 96 hours. Following surgery, when I woke up, I experienced breakthrough pain and was given Fentanyl before leaving the surgery center. I was home by 11:00 and still experiencing pain, so I took my prescribed Dilaudid. Less than 11 hours after surgery, the block had completely worn off. I experienced significant pain (10/10) that night and the next morning. The surgery center called, and after speaking with me about my pain, suggested I call my doctor, who then prescribed morphine sulfate (immediate release), which is now helping. Haven’t had a BM since Sunday (and this is Wednesday). Worked no better for me than my normal block (I’ve had 9 wrist/hand surgeries, and this is my 10th surgery in my torso area). 1/10. Not a good experience."

• HG-...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2022

For Pain "I have post laminectomy single level with wires and pain stimulator removed. This non-opioid drug did nothing for my postoperative pain. I experienced the following symptoms: extreme pain lasting over 24 hours, rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, constipation, dark stool, pain on my right side in the area of my gallbladder, hepatic duct, common bile duct, and pancreas."