shoulder replacement(hemi cap installed) 6 weeks ago. SLEEP DEPRIVED. HELP!!
Posted , 5 users are following.
before my mri the pain kept me from sleeping. now after the 1st (of 2) shoulder replacement surgery i'm 6 weeks post op, but still can only sleep for 2-4 hours then the pain wakes me up. i feel like i'm about to go crazy. i've stop taking the pain meds weeks ago. unless i'm in a lot of pain i won't take any. even when i do take a pill i still wake up in pain whether i'm in bed or a recliner so what's the point. at this point there's no way i'm having the other one done. my pt is going great. i have great rom except for going outwards (dr. didn't reattach the long head muscle) and i can't remember the name of the other major muscle he did cut thru which is the reason i still can't move my arm outwards (sub scapula i think ). any help at all would be fantastic. thanks in advance !
0 likes, 6 replies
arj50436 robert31487
Posted
You are only 6 weeks post-op after a shoulder replacement. I am 8 months post-op for rotator cuff surgery and almost pain free and barely have full rom. I don't expect to be completely pain free for another few months.
You might want to try a topical anti-inflammatory but may have to wait another few weeks before you can use it. There is evidence that anti-inflammatories slow healing. Take vitamin-C. Sleep when you can and give yourself time to heal.
robert31487 arj50436
Posted
thank you so much for the advice. i will absolutely try the vitamin c. also i've been old rotator cuff surgery takes a lot longer to recover from, although my the doctor is telling me 6-8 months per shoulder for a recovery time. sounds like you're on the road to recovery. good luck and thanks again for your input / help.
wanda16503 robert31487
Posted
100 percent lavender oil. put on pillow or cloth. it worked for me.
robert31487 wanda16503
Posted
i will try that as well. it can't hurt ! anything is worth trying at this point. thank you !
hjgold robert31487
Posted
Hi Robert
I had rotator cuff surgery almost 5 months ago now and I've stopped taking co-codamol now but still take 20mg of amitriptyline. This has been the most helpful. At 6 weeks I would definately have been taking medication really regularly. Seems very early to have stopped your pain relief after a surgery which sounds more serious than mine! I have also found something called Melatonin which I rarely use now but just keeps you asleep a little longer. The combo of this and Amitriptyline helped me survive the pre op pain also - which was always at night and excruciating at times! You obviously don't want to take meds - but seriously - at 6 weeks you probably need to.
All the best.
robert31487 hjgold
Posted
yes my surgery sounds more serious, but it's really not. my understanding is that it takes longer to recover from rotator cuff surgery and rom takes a lot longer to obtain. my doctor has prescribed 3 bottles thus far of oxycodone (5mg), but i'm afraid of the addiction factor. i keep hearing horror stories about how quickly a person can become addicted to these pills,( i still have 2 1/2 bottles remaining). if i'm in a lot of non stop pain, i have no choice but to take them.
also it's kind of wierd after my surgery i ended up with tinnitus in my left ear (same side my shoulder was replaced). anyway, thank you so much for your help and the melatonin i've been taking for a few weeks now,but no change. my son is a nurse practitioner in an icu, he says you really only need 1 mg of melatonin,but you know us americans (bigger or more is better). they do sell them in 2mg and up to 20mg doses. again thank you for your time and good luck with your recovery process.