TKR Can lost ROM be regained

[CATSMUM]

@Majic It really does, thankfully the GP l ended up seeing, after having many infections, knew exactly what it was. He prescribed nitrofuratin and l had to take 2 tablets twice a day for about a week and then a a day for a week , then one every other day until finally l was down to taking one every day as a maintenance dose for about 3 months. The dose was only 50mg per pill. See how you go with the treatment but you may end up on long term treatment to get rid of it completely. Such a debilitating thing to experience, especially when you're recovering from a tkr.

 

[Josephine]

I was prescribed codeine 30 mg, 2 4 x day.
usually only 1 codeine 3 x day and 2 at night
Is it possible to take some of my daytime codeine then or does it have to be 4 doses only?

So you're prescribed 8 tablets a day or per 24hrs, yes? But you're only taking 5 per 24hrs.
So according to my calculations you have a spare 3 tablets each 24hrs to take whenever you need it.

but wake in the early hours in a lot of pain

Also, if you are taking them at, say, 8am, 2pm and 8pm, that means you are going from 8pm to 8am with no pain meds at all. So little wonder you are waking during the night in pain! What ever doses you take, you need to span them out over the 24hrs, meaning every 6hrs, in order to get the best effect.

 

[Josephine]

or just as @Josephine said

And @Majic - since I get around 10-15 alerts every day, please don't tag me in the course of conversation like this. But it's perfectly okay if you really need me to answer a question, of course.

 

[Julie-Ann]

c sounds like you're having a rough time. I've turned the corner as of Saturday just really struggling with pain in the bum (literally). It's not sciatica it just is in the bum - I think it's the piriformis that's tight and pinching a nerve.

With your meds, if it helps any, I take mine religiously at 6 hours. My codeine I take at 6am, noon, 6pm and midnight. If I wake late at say 830 (assuming I've got sleep lol) I take it then, have a glass of milk and the 2 pills by the bed ready. That way I never go all night without the pain relief. I figure better to lose an hour or two of sleep and be pain free when it's time to get up and move about than to catch a bit more sleep. But that's me.

Hopefully you'll be feeling better soon. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

 

[Braunzie]

Happy Birthday, @Majic !!

 

[CATSMUM]

Happy Birthday.

 

[Raffs]

 

[Majic]

Thank you all for your birthday good wishes. Not a bad birthday all things considered, though not one to be especially celebrated. I am just celebrating having another new knee, even if the rest of me is older than I would like, at least my knees are youngsters?.

 

[Slainte]

Happy Birthday! Your present was a decent night's sleep. Wonderful!

 

[Majic]

@Josephine I wonder if you could set my mind at rest, or explain to me what has happened.

I am having a much easier time with this knee than with the last one, probably because I didn't discover bonesmart in time for my first knee. This time I was ready and have followed all the advice to the letter.

However one thing is worrying me a lot. One night in hospital, the third I think, I suddenly had a stabbing pain behind my knee. I rang for a nurse, who sent for a doctor. I felt down my leg to show him where the pain was, and realised that the inside of my leg from knee to ankle, and shin to mid point on the back had gone numb.

I told him, but he seemed unconcerned, elevated the leg and put two I've packs on it. The following morning, the OS had the nurses put a very tight crepe bandage around the leg, which was on for 24hours.

I saw a nurse when I had it redressed, who also seemed unconcerned.

When I had bladder problems and a sore throat, my GP who in another life was an OS, showed me were the skin is cut, and where the nerves run, and said affecting a nerve was fairly common, and with time the feeling would return.

Last week I saw my physiotherapist and my OS, both seemed equally unconcerned. and the OS also explained that nerves run in slightly different places in different legs, and sometimes they are caught during the operation, but with time, the feeling should return.

What is worrying me is that although it is numb, it is also fairly painful if I press it hard, and I am noticing it this morning as the weather has changed and for the first time since the operation I need shoes and pop socks. The band on the socks is annoying me a little.

I had nothing like this with my other knee, and last week when my physio tried to massage it, it was too painful for her to do it, even though I could hardly feel her hand. The OS said that this is because different nerves are involved.

All this means very little to me, although you will no doubt understand. By the way your answer about cystitis was very useful, and those sachets from the chemist seem to have calmed my bladder down, and I haven't needed any more antibiotics. If only I didn't need codeine, but at three weeks I know it will be a while yet.

I haven't been able to find any posts at all about numb legs, so I do hope I am not a one and only case of it, and that everything will right itself eventually.

Please help

 

[jbrooklyn]

@Majic, I don't have answers but also contending with post-operative numbness. I awoke from surgery with a numb right heel and sole, and have not regained sensation.

In case any of this is relevant to your situation: My doc put me on a short steroid course called a "Dosepack," of prednisone. It helped the tiniest bit--like really maybe 2% or maybe it was my hopeful imagination.

Since that did not alleviate it, my OS is sending me for a spine MRI. He thinks that getting the spinal nerve block may gave moved around spinal fluid just enough to make a previously asymptomatic spine condition start causing trouble. He needs to see the MRI to understand what's up, but perhaps some arthritis in the spine is compressing a nerve. He believes the feeling will likely return over time, but I guess the MRI will give lots of good info to work with.

Sending good wishes your way.

 

[Josephine]

What is worrying me is that although it is numb, it is also fairly painful if I press it hard

Well yes it will be! Just because the superficial nerves have been severed, doesn't mean the deep sensory nerves aren't still function well. All it normal here. don't worry about a thing. However, these nerve things can take a year or even two, or more even more to settle down and recover. Read this Numb area after TKR: how long will it last?.

However, just as an example, today I wanted to retrieve something that had fallen down behind the settee and without thinking, knelt on my RIGHT knee (the one that was done in 2009!) which was okay for about 40 seconds and then I let out a loud yelp as my knee started to hurt ! Even after 6½ years, I just cannot kneel on it!

The band on the socks is annoying me a little.

You need to get loose top socks. I always have. Can't bear the feel of tight tops around my lower calf.

 

[kate23]

Hello, I have just been reading your thread. I am sorry you are having such a lot of issues. I can tell you about the numbness I had with my tkr. It is on the inside of my ankle and goes up a few inches. It is still there for my tkr last November. What is good though is that the pain I had around that area has gone but if I press on a certain area firmly it still hurts. I have no answer as to why this is but the good thing is that it has improved over time and does not affect anything else in the leg.
My knee still gives me trouble, low level pain every day, but I am now able to walk distances. Going up and downstairs is still a bit of a mission but all in all I am doing well. Progress is definitely there just slow.
I hope your new knee keeps improving.

 

[Majic]

@jbrooklyn Thanks for your comments, maybe I can help with your foot. 5 years ago I noticed that my left big toe was tingling and numb. Gradually the numbness spread across the sole of my foot, and my GP sent me to a Neurologist, and he sent me for nerve conductivity tests.these were negative. I had an MRI on my spine which showed nothing, my epilepsy drugs were suspected but ruled out.
I put up with a numb foot for the years, and it moved around the sole, sometimes ball of foot, sometimes heel, sometimes everywhere. I was given the diagnosis of mild neuropathy which was a bit scary, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Last November I had a a LTKR, and wondered if it would be better after that. It wasn't however, and I got used to the strange feeling of only feeling one foot properly if I walked bare foot, especially on carpet.

I recently had a RTKR, and as I got into the second week, realised that although I was going everywhere bare foot, my left foot was no longer numb underneath. Somehow the feeling has come back of its own accord, or maybe because of the op. I think the moral is don't worry about it, it may move around but eventually it may disappear as mine did.

I thought my left leg was probably connected to the op. And so it seems, so given time, it may disappear completely. There is nothing else to do but hope.

 

[Majic]

@kate23 lovely to hear from you, my numb part is exactly where yours is but goes up to just above mid calf, and starts at my shin and goes around the back of my leg as well. I expect yours was more extensive and has shrunk, as my knee is only 3weeks last Thursday.

I wouldn't say that my knee I had done on the day you had yours is totally better, but certainly on the way too it. Are you off all painkillers now? I haven't been able to come off them because of my right knee, but I am certainly looking forward to that day.

Sorry to hear you still have trouble with the stairs, I hope that improves too in the near future.

 

[kate23]

Yes, the numb part has shrunk, so don't worry about yours. I didn't get any answers immediately after surgery as to why this had happened and later on I was more concerned about the pain in my knee. I occasionally have to take painkillers but most of the time I am fine managing the low level pain on my own. Do you still have pain in your left knee? I hope you have a good night tonight.

 

[Majic]

@kate23 I have never had chance to see if my left knee is pain-free of not, as I needed the painkillers for the right one which was agony. As I come off them this time, I shall be able to tell. Here's hoping!!!

 

[kate23]

I hope so too. Sending you lots of good vibes

 

[Majic]

@Josephine I wonder if you could give me some advice on cutting down and finally eliminating codeine from my drug regime.

I was prescribed 60mg 4 x daily.

With my other knee I dutifully followed this until due to extreme constipation, my GP stopped it and put me on Naproxen instead. I then suffered 10 days and nights of the most horrific withdrawal effects, which left me a sleepless wreck, and I lost 8 pounds weight as I barely ate either.

I do not want this to happen again, so I have only taken 30mg at 8am, 12noon, and 5pm with 60 mg at10pm.

Last Saturday I cut the 12noon and 5pm doses to 15mg. I had a little trembling yesterday evening, but today I am OK.

I need some advice now on where to go next. I know I shall have to cut down slowly but have no idea how many days is best between each reduction, and which dose to reduce next. My GP has given me a good supply of 15mg tablets, and then suggested using cocodemol to cut further bearing in mind they also contain paracetamol, and to reduce the Paracetamol accordingly.

As with this knee I have also been given Naproxen I don't think the pain will be much different without the codeine and I shall be glad to get off it. Please Josephine, can you help me.

 

[Josephine]

If you'd looked in the Library, you would have found this Weaning off pain medication