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I had a knee replacement op 10 days ago.

Posted , 143 users are following.

ann02425
ann02425

I have a continual, deep pain/ache in practically the whole of my leg. I use ice on it (frozen peas!) a great deal of the time and I take my pain killers. At night I cannot sleep because there is nowhere New I can put my leg which does not become become equally painful within a few seconds. Anybody else have this problem? Also, I had to stop taking Diclofenac a few days before the op. How long before I can take it again?

15 likes, 331 replies

331 Replies

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  • mayday35
    mayday35 ann02425

    Posted

    ann  Diclofenac is an NSAID. Why don't you ask about FENTANYL PATCHES? They might just do the trick. You stick the patches on the upper body and the pain is alleviated for up to 72 hours before you replace it.  I had to ask my specialist for this medicament as also had to stop taking NSAID'S. GOOD LUCK!
    • CazDesmond
      CazDesmond mayday35

      Posted

      Hi, I had Buprenorphine patches behind my shoulder. Each one lasts one week, the relief they give is continuous. I certainly missed it when it was gone.

      I still have pain and I have Buprenorphine tablets that melt under your tongue for the really bad times.

      Good luck, we'll all be dancing soon

  • mayday35
    mayday35 ann02425

    Posted

    Well I have much enjoyed all the posts on here and they have certainly reinforced my own decision to never have my knee operated on!  I had lunch today and a young waited was just 50 yesterday. He said he already has a lot of pain in his hips and knees through his work but is never going to have an operation and prefers to wait until he has no choice than a wheelchair. I feel the same. So many specialists seem to just recommend an operation and ignore that afterward you must face untold pain again and even worse than before, during lengthy rehabilitation. As my uncle used to say: I arrived with this lot and intend taking it with me when I pop off.
    • juliatnr
      juliatnr mayday35

      Posted

      I will never have this done again...i would prefer life in a scooter over this operation.  The pain and rehabilitation is not worth it.  So I agree with you now that I'm sitting here wracked with pain and lack of sleep!
  • rick1951
    rick1951 ann02425

    Posted

    HI Ann ,I had both knees done at same time uncompartmental patello femoral replacement.I Was in hospital for 5 days due to the pain etc after the operation.The

    Whole of My left leg from my groin was totally numb for nearly 2 days so this put

    me back for my physio which should have started the morning after my operation.

    Hence I was in 5 days eventually getting 90 degrees in both knees painfully though .

    It

    is now 27 days since my operation and I to am not sleeping through the night ,I

    wake at least 3 times averaging at least 1 hour or more each time because of the

    Pain.I am taking co_CODAMOL 30/500 mg 4 times a day for the Pain which is

    mainly in my right leg .Pain seems to stem from my knee,all the way up my thigh

    muscle to my hip ,my left knee doesn't seem so bad .I was given ice packs from

    The hospital which do seem to ease the pain,I use them roughly every 3 hours

    They told me I would be able to drive roughly after 6 weeks does anybody know

    If this is about right .

    • carol45436
      carol45436 rick1951

      Posted

      Hi Rick, you have been through it. One is bad enough but two at a time must be  awful . At your stage pain and lack of sleep was all I could think of. I couldn't imagine a future without it. However at 7 weeks I sleep nearly through the night. For instance last night I must have turned badly and woke up with a severe pain. This often happens but the difference now is that I go straight back to sleep. I started driving at five weeks but wasn.t given the go ahead. I found out that there is no legal requirement to inform the DVLA after a tkr so as soon as I felt well enough I started driving again. However there were compelling reasons.and if I had any alternative I would have lelft it another week at least. If it had been my left knee I couldn't have coped with clutch control so I think you will have more challenges than most. Also no one should drive if they are taking opiate based medication. That would really be illegal at any time. Good luck.
    • carol45436
      carol45436 rick1951

      Posted

      Hi Rick, you have been through it. One is bad enough but two at a time must be  awful . At your stage pain and lack of sleep was all I could think of. I couldn't imagine a future without it. However at 7 weeks I sleep nearly through the night. For instance last night I must have turned badly and woke up with a severe pain. This often happens but the difference now is that I go straight back to sleep. I started driving at five weeks but wasn.t given the go ahead. I found out that there is no legal requirement to inform the DVLA after a tkr so as soon as I felt well enough I started driving again. However there were compelling reasons.and if I had any alternative I would have lelft it another week at least. If it had been my left knee I couldn't have coped with clutch control so I think you will have more challenges than most. Also no one should drive if they are taking opiate based medication. That would really be illegal at any time. Good luck.
    • carol45436
      carol45436

      Posted

      Sorry about the duplicate. When it says erroe sending message I thought it hadn't gone.
    • rick1951
      rick1951 carol45436

      Posted

      HI Carol thanks for your comments ,looks like I've got a few more weeks

      Left of pain and lack of sleep then .Did you use exercise bicycle I did for a couple of days and think it made my calf muscles in both legs very

      painful so stopped using it and pain in calfs now gone.Skin feels really

      tight around both knees which also seems to make it harder to get some

      Good bend above 90 degrees did you find this and when did it feel easier

      For you.

    • carol45436
      carol45436 rick1951

      Posted

      Hi Rick, I was dreading the bike at physio but found I could actually do a full circle for the first time in years so that really motivated me. I bought my own small 'wheely' on line and have used it ever since. It hurt at full bend but I graduallt found I could position itcloser to meand the bend got better. I had a marvellous surgeon who forced my bend fully two days after the op. I hated him then but now realise that he did me a big favour as I reached 115 after four weeks. It does really hurt when you push it, I shed many tears but it has been worth it compared to before the op.The stiffnes and pain in the knee itself is still there when I walk. It feels like abelt around it but I know from others on here that this is normal.I do feel as if I've hit a wall now and nothing is getting any better. I only take pain killers when I've over done it or if I know I'm going to do a lot more than normal. Looking back a couple of weeks that is an improvement. I'm going swimming today. I was given the go ahead for that two weeks ago but have been too busy moving house until now. I'm hoping that this will help me to loosen up. Will let you know. One of our tkr.s on here kept a diary and posted it as a blog. It helped me a lot as it coincided with my op. If he's still reading this a big Thank You. You will keep going forward so stay positive.
    • rego
      rego rick1951

      Posted

      Hello Rick,

      recovery from a TKR does seem to be a bit of a lottery. Compared with others I have been in touch with, I seem to have got a short straw. However nearing 5 months after the operation things are definitely improving. Even if slowly. I do not need pain killers any more, but walking without a stick is decidedly awkward.

      I was slow at getting a knee bend to and beyond 90 degrees. The breakthrough with that came when I found I could pedal a bike. I started off with the exercise bike in the physio gym, but that was rubbish as the saddle could only be adjusted in 1" steps. I started to use a folding bike with a low step through and the saddle at a height where I could pedal with just a slight jerk at top dead centre. I gradually lowered the saddle over about a three week period and can now get 130+deg bend.

      My leg does still feel odd though, sort of hangs down from my hip with this numb bit in the middle.

      Never the less, I was driving ok after about 6 weeks. Perseverance is the answer, and not looking too closely at how others are doing. I dont think there are any hard and fast rules on recovery rate.

  • juliatnr
    juliatnr ann02425

    Posted

    I have severe shin bone pain.  My surgery was 21 days ago.  I was told to reduce my pain meds but Ive had to increase them again due to this horrible leg pain.  I cannot sleep or relax or do anything except think about this pain.  I have resorted to taking my 325 mg of hydrocodone and then taking it again as needed.  I cant make it every six hrs.  The pain is too intense.  Beside the pain meds, try wrapping ice in a beach towel just below your knee when you are ready to sleep. Then prop your leg with pillows so your foot doesnt hang.  Ive gotten a couple hrs sleep that way.
    • jean95756
      jean95756 juliatnr

      Posted

      Hello

      i'm 10 weeks post TKR and still in terrible pain at night ...I  only take my meds at night to see if they will  help me sleep ( they don't) 

      i maybe sleep for a couple of hours 

      i always sleep with my leg on Pillows

      but after reading your post about the pillows so that your foot doesn't hang   

      I put pillows under the whole of my leg and it definitely eases the pain when the foot isn't hanging 

      thanks that helped a lot 

      tonight should be a better night after your good advice 

      Jean 

    • juliatnr
      juliatnr jean95756

      Posted

      I just went to the doc. and he said the shin bone pain is from swelling in the leg.  He gave me a prescription for Mobic, an anti-inflammatory.  Today I also went to the massuesse and chiropractor.  She gave me a light version of a shin splint massage.  Then the chiropractor put me on the tens unit for ten minutes on the outside calf muscle.  Doc also told me to keep wearing the compression socks.  I feel like a new person.  The anti-inflammatory is working and I know the massage and tens also worked.  I know I'm gonna sleep tonight more than I have since my surgery.  Give it a try!
    • CazDesmond
      CazDesmond juliatnr

      Posted

      I used to have bad pains in my shins, at night especially. Then someone told me to drink a small glass of tonic water before bed. It works for me, you could give it a try. Caz
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