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Chronic pain after hip replacement, advise please??

Posted , 5 users are following.

SM268
SM268

This is a bit of a long, tricky story..

My gran had her right hip replaced just shy of 4 years ago. She has never been stable without a stick but this wasn't much of a problem until about 2 years ago when she felt her left hip was also starting to deteriorate. She had been for an x Ray and told by the surgeon they wanted to put it off for as long as possible. The pain is now excruciating for her in her right leg (on the hip that's been replaced). This pain is down the back of her thigh and causing her knee to give way and buckle. It's so bad that she cannot stand for longer than 30 seconds and cannot lie down either as this causes too much pain. Her GP has told her it doesn't sound that serious and should ease off but currently she is on 6 tramadol a day with paracetamol in between and still in pain. She also has to sleep in a chair because she cannot lie in her bed and is requiring round the clock care for meals etc. does anyone have any advice on what this may be/ any pain relief ideas? I hate to see her in pain but seems like the GP is not willing to help.

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 SM268

    Posted

    If the pain is running down her leg and also that same leg giving way she may have spinal athritis as well, I do, and had simiiar issues. One specilaist I visited said somewhere in the future I will probably need a spinal fusion, but not to have it until it gets really really bad, as success rates are not high.

    What Gran does have to watch for if she has a pinched nerve, and it sounds like it, is loss of bladder and bowel control, and numbness in bottom, pelvic floor, that is an emergency and needs to be dealt with immediatly.

    has gran had a recent x-ray for her hips, if not change of Dr's might be an idea, thats what i had to resort to orginally before my first hip replacement, Dr I had trusted for 14 years sent a very wishy washy letter to the hosptial saying i needed a hip replacement, when the specialist saw me he told me to get rid of my GP, I should have been seen 5 years previous, tryed to admit me the day of my outpatient appt, and they couldn't find me a bed.

     

  • Loral
    Loral SM268

    Posted

    My left knee would give out too, I thought it was my back and it turned out to be my hip. I had a THR in May and know that no longer happens..I think she should see a differant Orthopedic Dr.
  • Hailea
    Hailea SM268

    Posted

    Hi SM268

    if you know the name of the surgeon that did her hip 4 years ago. May I suggest you get back in touch with him through his secretary?  Once you have had a hip replacement you are under that surgeon for life. Maybe you could write him a letter and send it  first class recorded so you know he has received it. You may as well try for a check up saying you think something is wrong. Worth a try. 

  • renee01952
    renee01952 SM268

    Posted

    Hi SM, 

    Warm welcome to our forum ... 

    My first reaction is to either go to urgent care or change GP - Nobody should be in such pain and nothing being arranged for them -

    Is it possible to get a second-third opinion?  May I ask how old she is ? It should not matter, but unfortunately we know that it does ...

    So I am with Lyn1951 .... 

    Sweet of you to take such good care of her -

    big warm hug and angel blessings

    renee

    • SM268
      SM268 renee01952

      Posted

      Hello,

      Thank you all so much for your help.

      She is 80, the GP was out last week and said she seems to be in great health barring her hips but all the GP did was too her up with tramadol.

      She got an x-Ray back in April 2015 and the surgeon that she met with said that her hip was bad however they wanted to hold off as long as possible.

      I think it wouldn't be as bad if the pain was manageable but watching her suffer is awful. I'm going to try the GP once more on call and if no success I will try directly with the surgeon and switching GP.

      Thank you all so much for your help!

  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 SM268

    Posted

    if she is in good health generally, the sooner the better for surgery.

    You should be asking questions why her right hip (the one that's been replaced) she should not be in the pain she is, once the hip is replaced and healed up the pain from the joint goes away, she has to try and identify exactly where the pain is, doesn't sound normal.

    See previous posting about pain coming from her spine, but you feel it in your leg, does she have any difference in feeling between left leg and right leg, touch sensation, or feeling of numbness in some places, even down to toes.

    I have pain in my upper thigh, a numbness that seems to shift to different places in my lower leg and foot. dropped a teaspoon on my big toe, and felt as though I had dropped a ton weight on my big toe, physio tells me it is a pinched nerve giving me false nerve responses.

    Otherwise the pain is really going to start affecting her health, and that is the last thing she needs.

    Make sure she takes Max dose of tramadol, as prescribed, specialist told me you need to build up the level in your blood stream for them to be effective, even when she not in pain she needs to take them.

     

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