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3 months post R ankle ORIF! Nerve damage

Posted , 11 users are following.

cynthia47607
cynthia47607

Great forum. Has been a great help to me on this journey! 

Now I am hopeful someone can help me deal with nerve pain!

I am 62 yrs old and fell in loose gravel 23/1   Right leg buckled under me and felt my ankle stretch and pins and needles go through it as it dislocated and broke tib, fib and medial malleoulus.  Excruitiating pain waiting for ambulance and an hour trip to hospital.  Dislocation put back in about 5 hours later but too much swelling meant I had to wait 6 days in hospital in backslab for the ORIF to be performed.  

From the time of the injury until 7 days post op when I was discharged from hospital I was in uncontrolled severe pain.  Despite large doses of opioids that I was forced to reduce because of the side effects I was still in constant pain.  Having never broken a bone before I haven't known what pain was normal.  While the bone pain has slowly resolved I realised that I am left now with nerve pain.

The rest of my recovery seems fairly routine.  Cam boot from 2 weeks post op then gradual weight bearing from 6 weeks on crutches and am now weight bearing fully in the house and with 1 or 2 crutches outside. 

Has as anyone else suffered this horrific relentless nerve pain?  The whole of the top of my foot including my toes are numb, hot, tingly, and burning almost constantly and definitely worse at night.  

I last saw my physiotherapist a few weeks ago as I was under medicating the nerve pain and it was stopping my progress.  The physio told me that there is nothing I can do except take the nerve medication and wait.  Nerves regenerate at the rate of an inch a month??  At that rate it won't resolve for another 6 months at least!

Can an anyone tell me if they have experienced pain like this and how they have dealt with it?    

 

0 likes, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • linda66990
    linda66990 cynthia47607

    Posted

    I had burning nerve pain post op.  I am 7 months post op and it has totally gone away.  I had trouble having anything touching it, sheets, socks, cast, shoes. It was bad for several months, but gradually went away.  Mine was over my incision.  I was told to rub the incision back and forth with my fingers.  I also was prescribed gabapentin (I didn't take it, but I understand it helps many) and I also used xylocaine patches.  They were helpful to pad the nerve pain from things touching it.  My skin was red, thin and shiny, but it's looking normal now.  I told the doctor and they wouldn't answer me or discuss it.  Hope this gives you hope that it will resolve itself.  Best of luck! 
  • Freds76
    Freds76 cynthia47607

    Posted

    Hi all, I know this is an older post but I wonder if I can get some feedback.

    I am 50 and 4 months ago I had trimaluar fracture in my ankle (bent ankle sideways) and 5 days later ORIF Surgery. Prior to the surgery I had moderate pain and just took Iboprufen.

    Before the surgery they gave me nerve bloc in the back of my knee which lasted 36 hours. But after that I had excruciating nerve pain mainly on the bottom of my foot and big toe. After 4 weeks of brutal pain I was put on a combination of Tramadol and Gabapentin which worked like a magic (neither worked alone). My foot sole is still numb and get nerve pain attacks if I miss my medication. I had a nerve test and they saw abnormalities which may have been caused by the nerve bloc. My doctor wants me to wait another 3 months before considering another surgery to relive tarsal tunnel and remove the hardware in hopes of treating the nerve pain. I am hoping by then I am in a better shape. I am in PT and walk on my own with some pain and stiffness as well swelling on top of my foot and both sides of my ankle. Any feedback would be great.

    • indieMan00852
      indieMan00852 Freds76

      Posted

      Hi Fred - can I check whether your nerve pain has assuaged? I am 5 weeks post surgery and i am experiencing sharp glass shard like type of pain. I am taking 75mg Lyrica and its working however i am experiencing so many side effects. Just wanted to check if it got better without surgical intervention?

  • kisakoenig
    kisakoenig cynthia47607

    Edited

    hi cynthia

    i was writing to ask how things went after your last post. i am dealing with very similar post ORIF symptoms and damaged superficial peroneal nerve leasing to immense nerve pain on the top of my foot and medial side of my big toe. i have no idea if i need to see a nerve specialist, a different ortho or what. i hope you are doing much better 4 years later!

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