total knee replacement

Are you still in hospital? If so.speak to.the nurses or you consultant.

Use plenty of ice packs.

It does get easier (that's. No help to you now) , unfortunately it is a long road. I am 5 weeks post op with my second knee in 5 months I still have pain but it is getting better

I wish you all the best, speak to the nurses

The staff should keep you comfortable while your in hospital and send you home with at least 7/10 days worth of drugs to see you through before you can get to see the Gp for more of what you need. Please don’t suffer it’s hard enough as it is. Plenty of rest and ice packs will help aswell. Keep looking and posting in here. You will get excellent advice and support 

Good luck with your recovery 😊

Excellent responses already, it's vital your pain is controlled well.

Ice is very important...

Elevating your knee too helps reduce swelling.

Are you taking medications and if so what?

Are you in UK?

It does get better.

Are you taking all the pain medications prescribed by your hospital?

The first two weeks are the hardest, but you will need patience!

Try and think positively about the experience of pain, not easy, I know, but it will help...

Hand in hand with taking the pain relief you need. No point suffering needlessly.

On the positive side...

The pain has a kind of sense and logic to it, and what is more it comes with a lovely resurfaced knee! It doesn't feel lovely at the moment, but it will in time, and you will reap the benefits, you need to choose to keep thinking this.

This surgery is major, and hopefully you were warned it would be painful afterwards.

It is not a wild, crazy, untreated, tyrant of a pain. A pain which is screaming out from deformed bone, and annoyed surrounding tissues, who are being thoroughly irritated by the whole state of affairs. Or from a leg struggling to cope with uncomfortable alterations in the way it has to deal with the forces placed upon it. Unable to move as freely as it was designed to move.

Surgical pain is not nice, but it is at least a pain which moves in the right direction.

Thinking positive will help with bearing a degree of pain, but it can become overwhelming and depressing is not reasonably under control.

Icing makes a real difference, are you doing that, and how often? Same with elevating... elevate while you are lying flat with your knee above your heart is most effective.

Good wishes for your recovery!

Take a look at my profile by clicking on the image and it will take you to the address for my own knee story. Lots of information I gleaned from my experience to be found there too, including pain relief in the early weeks...you need to skim backwards to the immediate post op entries!

Everyone has their own story and experience, and this forum can be a good tool too, with so much personal experience, ideas and understanding based on personal experiences.It may be worth jotting down your own from day to day too...it's a great help in appreciating progress over time and helpful to look back on when time seems to drag its feet and in times of discouragement.

I guess Clubber Lang said it best in Rocky III...

Interviewer: What's your prediction for the fight?

Clubber Lang: My prediction?

Interviewer: Yes, your prediction.

[Clubber looks into camera]

Clubber Lang: Pain!

The truth?  For virtually all of us, it's a journey to hell and back for the first few weeks...then it gets better.  The main thing to remember is to MANAGE THE PAIN!!!  That means the right meds, at the right dosage at the right number of times a day.  You MUST adhere to the drug schedule. 

All meds have a half-life...the number of hours until only half of the original dose remains in your system.  Delay the next dose and you get into a roller coaster cycle of pain/no pain/pain/no pain/etc.  The whole point is to take the meds on time so they overlap the half-life and you maintain a constant level of the drug in your bloodstream.  That is a BIG KEY to managing your pain.

The other is med and dose.  Expect to feel feel some pain (else you'd be in a coma) but it should not be excruciating.  If the pain level is unbearable, you need to talk to your doc about different meds and/or doages.  Typically, people are on the heavy duty opioids for maybe up to 2-3 months...especially during PT and the ROM work.  These include hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco), oxycodone (Percocet, Oxycontin) and Co-Codomol (Codeine...UK).  All are combined with acetaminophen (Tylenol),  Infrequently, we hear of people on Morphine or hydromorphone (Dilaudid)...but those are extreme cases.

After a few months, you'll titrate off (reduce) the BIG stuff and switch to Tramadol (Ultram) before you rely on plain OTC ibuprofen.  This whole thing takes many months so be patient.  Just don't be in terrible pain.  If you are, talk to your doc.  He may also add a muscle relaxer like Flexeril which can make a world of difference.  PS: There are no addiction worries as these meds are short-term use only.

Everyone is completely different...it's all trial and error until you find the right formula that works for you.