TKR Loosening of implant.

Hi, It's Calgirl again. With my TKR before I discovered that Gabapentin helped with the nerve pain, I applied a LIDOCAINE 4% Pain Relieving Gel-Patch that you can buy at the drug store, no prescription needed. It may get you through until you go on vacation. Good luck.
 
I’m actually taking 600 mgs of Gabapentin now, but only one daily. I see my doctor Wednesday and will ask for a higher dose because I’m just in pain, especially when I bend my knee a certain way —I guess it presses on the nerves and then it’s extremely painful! I don’t have a neurologist.
 
I had no idea that I can buy Lidocaine patches over the counter! I was prescribed some, but it was waaay to expensive, so I didn’t fill the prescription. Thanks for letting me know.
 
I’m now taking Lyrica. I take 75 mgs each night. I’m supposed to take it at night, in the morning and at lunchtime, but it makes me too drowsy. When school ends on May 22nd, I’ll try taking two does of Lyrica instead of one dose. The Lyrica is finally making a difference in my horrific nerve pain.
Now, my question is this: On May 13th, it will be five months since I had my total knee replacement. I still cannot walk down stairs because it’s just too painful—not nerve pain (which is on the outside of my knee). The pain I experience going down any type of incline is coming from right below my knee cap—where one usually gets “runner’s or jumper’s knee. It’s very painful. I don’t think this is normal. I’m very discouraged about this. Do you think a cortisone injection would alleviate the pain?
 
I’m glad the lyrica is helping.

Many of us still struggle going downstairs at 5 months, I did. The same with downward inclines. Your knee is not quite even halfway healed yet.

I hope when school is out that you will be able to give your new knee a real good rest. You’ve had to ask quite a bit of it all along.

I also think with this amount of pain you should check with your surgeon again.
 
I see my surgeon on June 11th. He said he won’t do anything sooner. That will be my 6 month mark. The weird thing is that the pain under my kneecap wasn’t even that bad a couple months ago. It seems to be growing worse.
 
@bookread With as much as you and your poor knee have been through I hope that when school ends (and it's getting close) that maybe you can take at least 3-4 weeks and ice and elevate with out doing much of anything else and let your knee have some of the recovery time you weren't able to give it before.
 
Is it normal to not be able to go down stairs at five and half months?
 
Definitely normal. Many of us were like that, and to be honest, my drama queen Patellofemoral replacement still doesn’t like it, and it’s been 2 years for me. But I had a partial, not a total replacement.
 
I could do it, but somewhat gingerly at 5 months.
 
So it’S normal for it to be too painful to go down stairs? Then what is the point of getting a replacement? I couldn’t walk down steps before my replacement and now I still can’t.
 
It’s a temporary normal at 5 months post op, as you heal, going downstairs will get better.

You are still early enough in this year long recovery to have lots of improvement as you continue to heal.
 
When I had my PKR done I found I could very gingerly go downstairs leg over leg at 5 months at home, holding on tight to handrail. My home stairs were slightly taller than the 'mock stairs at the PT facility that I could manage at14 weeks. I guess it all depends on how steep the steps are.
 
I guess it all depends on how steep the steps are.
That’s very true, step height does make a difference when we are first able to navigate them.
 
So it’S normal for it to be too painful to go down stairs? Then what is the point of getting a replacement? I couldn’t walk down steps before my replacement and now I still can’t.
You'll get there. Just keep practicing a little at a time.
 
Thank you for your encouragement. I’m just really down right now. My left knee still feels quite warm to the touch compared to my right knee. Is this warmth normal after 5 1/2 months?
 
Yes. Your knee could still feel warmer than the other knee for several months yet.
It's a sign that healing is still going on beneath the surface.
 
Really? Wow. I thought warmth meant my knee is inflamed. I just as a bit worried.
 
I haven’t posted in a while. Here’s an update:
My orthopedic doctor has determined that my lateral pain is not nerve pain. I have a CT scan on Monday, of my left knee. Maybe the scan will show something. This pain is just so excruciating when I bend my knee a certain way. It’s just been horrible. It is strange because I can jump up and down, walk forward and walk backwards, and bend my knee well, when I am sitting on a flat surface (like my bed or the floor). However, when I’m sitting on a chair, bend my knee and lift it up in the air, then the pain is so bad, I almost can’t take it. This pain is not a normal stiffness, it is a very localized pain on the lateral side of my knee. It’s so hard to explain what I am experiencing.

My doctor may have to go back in (arthroscopically) and see what’s up. All I know is that something is amiss. Has anyone else had excruciating pain and then arthoscopic surgery and did it alleviate the pain? I am not sure if it’s soft tissue impingement or maybe a bone chip or a piece of cement that got lodged in there, I just don’t know.
 
I’m glad he is taking you seriously and is looking for a cause. I hope you get an answer. :console2:
This pain is just so excruciating when I bend my knee a certain way. It’s just been horrible. It is strange because I can jump up and down, walk forward and walk backwards, and bend my knee well, when I am sitting on a flat surface (like my bed or the floor). However, when I’m sitting on a chair, bend my knee and lift it up in the air, then the pain is so bad, I almost can’t take it. This pain is not a normal stiffness, it is a very localized pain on the lateral side of my knee. It’s so hard to explain what I am experiencing.
I’ll ask @Josephine to come talk to you.
 
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