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13 weeks on would you expect - -

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kipper

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Just want to check out what you think about my knee STILL being very sore after 13 weeks! My foot is also very swollen. Im on Warfarin so not too worried about my DVT any more.

Does anyone else experience stiffness and pain during the night? I wake and cant move for ages.

i thought by now it would be all fine and pain free but sometimes its as sore as the day I came home from surgery.

Sorry to moan! If I hear from one person saying they also are sore after 13 weeks I will feel a lot more settled!

kipper :-(
 
How sore? On the usual scale of 1-10?

If you read around the old threads, you'll find it was not unusual to still have swelling and pain/discomfort after some months. Different people have different journeys and that scenario can last months.

Now my usual question - what meds are you taking and how often? My guess is that you feel you 'ought' to be off them at this stage just as you feel you 'ought' to be all fine and dandy. You don't have to take anything too heavy duty, maybe co-codomol or ibuprofen. Even both if you need it. You sound like you definitely need something late evening to cover you for the night.

Be kind to yourself. This can last a while.
 
Dear Jo thank you for your very helpful reply x

on a scale of 1 - 10 - it varies. Usually very stiff at first. I go for a walk and I can do that. It is when I stop walking then it is very painful Id say on the scale - a 5. By late evening when I have finished for the day it is swollen and sore - a 6. My foot and lower leg is always swollen.

I was taken off painkillers. Your advice re painkillers Jo is spot on! i feel I DO need them - When I was put on Warfarin for DVT the Dr said no more painkillers except Paracetamol. They dont help me so I stopped taking them. Maybe I should take them again. I was taking Tramadol which really helped but they contra indicate Warfarin. (Everything seems to!)

As long as it is normal to have this pain even after 3 months Im OK with it!

Thanks!

kipper :)
 
Kipper, I had pain and swelling at the point where you are and beyond. And....I took my pain meds AND Warfarin (which I have to take for an irregular heart beat). It can be done, so maybe you need to readdress this with your doctor or go to your GP and discuss it. As long as you take the pain meds on a consistent schedule, it worked fine for me to be on Warfarin. I agree with Jo that you probably need something for the pain and inflammation (swelling).
 
Don't take NSAIDs if you're on Warfarin. Bad combination! And nearly all analgesics are a form of NSAIDs in a way. Aspirin and paracetamol are.

Who took you of the painkillers? Your GP? Go back and tell him/her to think again! I think it's iniquitous of doctors to decide when we do/don't need them. It should be a collaborative thing, not a dictate. What about codeine phosphate? That's a pretty good pain killer and shouldn't conflict with Warfarin.
 
Jo....I take Aleve periodically with my Coumadin (Warfarin) and before my knee surgery I took Celebrex for about a year with it. I went for INR tests at least once each month and had liver functions tests every 3 months. There were no problems and all my doctors together agreed this was okay. I don't understand the problem. I'm still taking Aleve now and then with the Coumadin.
 
Not about liver damage, Jamie. It's about getting gastric bleeds. By far the biggest side effect from NSAIDs is gastric bleeds. Thus anti-thrombotic and NSAIDs is a bad combination.

Some years ago, when things like ibuprofen first came out, we used to get huge numbers of emergency surgeries for gastric bleeds. Linda and Pat Finch could probably confirm that. Then a surgeon in the West County in the UK started to do some research and found that a startling number of patients who had had bleeds with surgery or even fatalities, were on NSAIDs. Was a seminal moment in surgery, I can tell you.
 
Hmmmmm.....wonder why that's never been any concern to ANY of my doctors and the pharmacy that gives me the two together? Although I did take the Celebrex for a year with the Coumadin, my NSAID use now is just one Aleve every 7-14 days. If you think even that is a problem, do you have any information supporting that I could take to my doctors? I'll Google it too and see what I can find.
 
This is so interesting what you both are saying! Drs seem to tell you wrong advice then! I was told after my DVD that I could take Paracetamol only. I do need to go back to the Drs - and get this sorted out. I will print off the list on this page and ask about these painkillers.

Thank you so much. I do feel a lot easier now about my knee - its a time and patience thing - and I want pain killers!
 
I'm glad about that, kipper.

Jamie, it says as much on the insert in every packet of NSAIDs. Here are two examples ...

A: Ibuprofen is generally well-tolerated and most people do not experience any side effects. The most common side effects are related to stomach irritation and include abdominal pain, indigestion and nausea. These can mainly be avoided by taking the ibuprofen with food. Rarely, serious side effects such as ulceration or bleeding in the stomach or intestines may occur. These are more likely with high doses and in elderly people. If you experience any sign of bleeding from the stomach or bowels after taking this medicine, for example vomiting blood and/or passing black/tarry/bloodstained stools, you should stop taking this medicine and consult your doctor immediately.


B: Side-effects
You are unlikely to get side-effects from taking ibuprofen occasionally for pain relief.
If you have to take the prescription-only NSAIDs regularly, you may get some of the following side-effects, especially if you are over 65. These include:
  • indigestion
  • heartburn
  • feeling sick or vomiting
  • diarrhoea
  • bleeding and ulceration in the stomach
 
I've read that and I watch for any of the symptoms (as my Coumadin nurse tells me to). But no one has ever told me NOT to take the Aleve....just to watch and let them know when I take it. I do that. Guess the danger is like so many other things....maybe.
 
Jamie I am only taking one coated aspirin a day as an anti-clotting medication ( my surgeon had me on 2 aspirin for the first 2 weeks and said many doctors have switched to aspirin with very good results from the heavy duty stuff like Coumadin etc. But then I have no health issues beyond my knee itself. Here's what I'm getting at. When the nurse practitioner told me to keep taking one aspirin a day for 3 months -- she also strongly discouraged me from taking any additional NSAIDS like Advil. Because of the extra blood thinning and possible uncontrolled bleeding effect. As for Celebrex - which my surgeon gave me for the first 2 weeks also -- if I remember correctly it is NOT an NSAID but a Cox 2 inhibitor. Which does not cause bleeding in the stomach. So it's given to people who can't tolerate NSAIDS for arthritis etc. So logically then Celebrex would NOT interact with Coumadin.
 
Backbay....if you Google NSAIDS, you will find that Celebrex is an NSAID, but it is a special type called Cox 2 inhibitor which is supposed to be less of a risk for the stomach problems. So you're correct that it would be less of a risk to use with Coumadin. But since Jo was talking about all NSAIDS, I included my use of it. It is all pretty confusing to me when multiple things are being treated. I have asked my heart doctor if I could get off the Coumadin and he doesn't want to do that unless I get close to my optimum weight. I can understand that - even though my other risk factors (blood pressure and cholesterol are within normal limits). That's why I keep working with the weight issue....trying to get to a point where he will agree to let me try life without blood thinners other than aspirin (which is what I was on before I had my rapid heartbeat attacks).

Kipper, I'm sorry we got off on this blood thinner tangent. This is not the subject of your thread and we'll get back on now. Forgive me.....I got it started!
 
Hi Kipper....yup, you're normal! I had to travel from the west coast to the east coast at about 14 weeks and still had swelling and pain. It wasn't fun travel and my roomie said I moaned in my sleep--and I was taking regular pain meds to keep things to a dull roar.

I think the hardest thing we all deal with on this surgery is how incredibly LOOONNNGGGGG the recovery is, and how impatient we all are!

Weezy
 
Right on, Weezy. You know, I never realized how impatient all of us could be until I joined this forum. It seems to be a universal trait!! I guess it's just a factor of our fast paced lifestyles these days. Sometimes we all just need to sloooooooow down!!!
 
LOL, Sue....but just look at you NOW!!!
 
I know Jamie!! Just as well as we are having our grandaughter Chayanne over tomorrow and she is staying overnight, she is three and a half and always on the go. We have a wonderful time with her, but after she goes home we are both exhausted but smiling for a week :)
 
Hey Kipper just wondering how you were doing. Are you getting ny relief at all. I hope so. How is the DVT. How do you know if that went away. Anyway just checking in. I hope you feel better !!!!!!!! Kim
 
Hi Kim and many thanks for saying Hello! I think I should be further on - some days I am, others not so much! I hope that Bowen Therapy is helping me - at least the therapist gave me new exercises that I like and can do and they don't hurt me.
I am now 6 months after surgery. Some people seem to get over this very quickly - others take a year or so. Have to do the exercises and keep happy!

Your post about doing the bike really inspired me to do it so I got going and I can do it - gently though! its good to get right around the pedal with the knee isnt i! So - thanks for that!

Cheers Kim and all you lovely souls out there

kipper x
 
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