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THR I made it over the hurdle.

Kim, if the magnesium helps you with the twitching, then use it for the next month or so. Beyond that, do your own research and decide if you want to take it longer term. As you can see from Poppet's article, it's an important mineral.

Sharon
 
@Josephine. Thank you for the suggestion of tramadol at night and co-codamol by day. To make sure I'm totally clear on this, I can't do the staggered overlap thing with co-codamol and paracetamol, that you can do with tramadol and paracetamol. As in 8am tramadol, 10.30am paracetamol, 11am tramadol, 1.30pm paracetamol, etc. That was what I asked daughter and future son in law, so it's correct that I can't do that with co-codamol and tramadol? But... I can take them within the same day so long as there's no overlap? They didn't expand to to tell me that. Kids eh.

The only thing is, if I take co-codamol by day, I can't do the staggered overlap with co-codamol and paracetamol can I, because I don't have plain codeine tablets, only the Co version. I was trying to eek out the 4 doses across a wider part of the 24 hours than if I used a strict 4 hour regime.

So can you tell me if this is OK, 4 doses of co-codamol over 16 hours, and one dose of tramadol at bedtime, topped up with paracetamol after 2 or so hours if I happen to wake up? I'm not sure if that's OK, because although tramadol is a more synthetic opiate (opioid?), that would mean 5 opiate/opioid meds in 24 hours. And if I did add the paracetamol in the night that definitely takes me past 4000mg per 24 hours. Goodness, my poor liver. I don't even drink much alcohol, it's either thinking this is one great party, or wondering why I'm putting it through this horrendous assault ha ha . Still, needs must.

Sorry for getting into so much detail, I don't want to get it wrong and give myself other problems, but the last few days have definitely proved that good pain management is key to feeling well enough to moving around enough to enable a good recovery. Living it is different to reading it isn't it. I've also gone back and read all the articles about pain and recovery times etc, thank you, now I'm here, they mean so much more. I also realised the pain management info sheet from the hospital is very good. It's in my hip pack, but I read if and put it back and promptly forgot it is there. Naughty me.

Oh, final thing, daughter says research has shown that there is no evidence that 30mg codeine, is no more effective than 60mg. Now that is book wisdom but what about real life situations with genuine higher levels on pain? Saying "there is no evidence" doesn't mean there isn't in all situations. What's your view @Josephine?

Thanks for all your input and help. That's what makes this place so special, not only is there general advice that suits everyone, there are also people willing and able to tailor it to individuals.

May I ask how this website is funded? Can we donate? I'm thinking that a charity walk might be very appropriate when I'm fully recovered :-). See, I'm thinking positively to the future.

Thanks again everyone. I cannot express my gratitude enough.

Kim


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@hoppynanny, thinking about it, you could be right. Teenagers spend so much time trying to be cool/sick or whatever the latest term is, that they probably don't know how to handle real emotions, and even if they do, in their world, showing genuine concern for a parent definitely isn't cool or sick. Thanks for the insight. Makes me feel less annoyed about her attitude that day. She's certainly kept her distance since arrived home, compared to how she was 3 years ago after my Arthroscopy. She was brilliant that time. Luckily her 25 yr old twin sisters are here over the weekend and they are anticipating my every need. One could get used to this ;-)

Kim

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It's funny actually, when they were about 2 to 2 1/2 I used to push that double buggy up the steep hill to the primary school twice a day. That was some weight. I used to joke that I'd get my own back one day, they'd have to push me up a hill in a wheel chair or something. In your late 20's you have no concept of what that means. Never in a million years would I have guessed that within about 23 years I'd be needing this much care from them. Still, it's all good. I did it early enough to avoid the really bad disability that would be inevitable if you just sit on it through fear.

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Hi Kim I hope your pain is now under control and I must say that at this early post op stage ice is brilliant for pain relief as well as the pain killers of course.Your youngest sounds like a typical teenager.Unfortunately they are so self absorbed at this age.I bet you were really cheesed off when you discovered that here were no chocolate fingers left.Enjoy the extra attention from your twins and let them spoil you for now.You deserve it.The fainting thing is so common after a spinal and is often linked to low blood pressure.I was in a 6 bedder ward and at one point we all fainted in the same afternoon.I also vomited which was unfortunate as the other ladies were having lunch ! You are going through the worst period at the moment but as the others have said it soon gets better.

Kim 22
 
@Gum168 Oh that's so good your twins are helping you... How lovely! Do make the most of it. Hope you've got better pain relief now. I'm one of a twin and so love having an identical twin sister....it's a lovely relationship. Hope you enjoy the rest of your pampering...Cheers Chrissie xxx


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Gum168 said:
As in 8am Tramadol, 10.30am paracetamol, 11am Tramadol, 1.30pm paracetamol, etc. That was what I asked daughter and future son in law, so it's correct that I can't do that with co-codamol and Tramadol?
Click to expand...
Yes you could but I was thinking more of reserving the Tramadol for last thing at night to help you get a good night's sleep and first thing in the morning when you would probably be in more pain. There's absolutely no reason you can't 'mix and match' as long as you stay within the limits per 24hrs. Codeine limit would be 240mg and Tramadol would be 400mgs per 24hrs if you were taking each on their own. But since you wouldn't be, then you should halve that. And Tylenol to make sure you add that in the co-codamol to anything you take on it's own (meaning with the Tramadol).

However, doing it this way is all a bit muddly and it would actually be much better if you could get either Tramadol or codeine on it's own so you can take a decent dose and not the mini-doses that are in co-codamol. You should have a chat with your GP about that as soon as you can.
Gum168 said:
Oh, final thing, daughter says research has shown that there is no evidence that 30mg codeine is no more effective than 60mg.
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That's an odd way to put it. Are you sure they didn't mean that 60mg is not more effective than 30mg? Anyway, it's news to me for having taken codeine for various maladies myself I can attest to the fact that it is definitely NOT true!
Gum168 said:
May I ask how this website is funded? Can we donate?
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Principally by sponsor manufacturers as you can see by the banner across the top of the page. But you can also donate if you wish. There is a donate button on the website which you can get to by clicking on this link.
 
Thanks @Josephine. Oops yes, I got the 30mg and 60mg round the wrong way. My error.

I have co-codamol in 500/30 tablets. That's not tiny doses. Before the op I mostly took 2 of those at night and depending on how much walking and/or sitting then standing then sitting was involved in just a long car journey (we had 4 weddings to attend in the summer, one was our older daughter), I'd take 1 with 1 paracetamol or 2 before we went out. Mostly pottering around at home by day I took nothing most times.

I have been icing but maybe I should do it more.

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Sorry, forgot to say I have to call the surgery for more tablets tomorrow morning so I'm going to ask if I can have codeine on its own, to make it easier to mix and match. They kept offering me ibuprofen to overlap with in hospital but I had to turn it down, having had an inflammatory polyp in the oesophagus a few years ago. What with the anticoagulant, it seems sensible to avoid that right now. I haven't used it since then anyway.

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More icing might help.

As for the codeine, yes, that is a working dose but 30mgs is roughly equivalent to 50mgs of Tramadol. In which case you can just treat them as direct swaps. Takes the :what: out of it anyway! So there is no reason why you cannot choose when you take 2 co-codamol or 1 or 2 Tramadol+2 paracetamol at any appropriate time.
 
Right. That sounds like a plan. Thanks Josephine. Much appreciated. I am getting the hang of very regular medication. I have been trying to eek out the tramadol I have but given in today and just used cocodamol regularly and kept the full dose of tramadol for bedtime. Twice I took just 1 x 500/30 with 1 X paracetamol to allow for 2 X 50mg tramadol at bedtime. I think I calculated that right.

Kim

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@Kim22. I'm curious, how did you find the THR recovery as compared to the HA. My HA surgeon told me he would refuse me THR within the first 12 months because in some cases it can take that long to know if it genuinely did or didn't work. I see yours was done faster.

And thanks for the support re teens etc. I almost feel we could have a little place on here to all moan about our selfish teenagers when going through all this. ;-). She is a lovely girl, but it does feel like she was abducted by aliens at about age 14 and they replaced her with this person that looks the same but who only cares about herself. I eagerly await her return :-)

Kim

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Sorry, hip Arthroscopy.

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Some people say scope I suppose, but people I know in the UK tend to use HA.

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Hi Kim,
My HA did not help me at all.The X-ray I had at my first post appointment afterwards showed that I was bone on bone compared to the pre arthroscopy one which had shown early stage arthritis only.The OS had also seen areas of bare bone during the scope so he told me after the op that it was unlikely that I would benefit.When I saw him in the clinic, he told me that the only thing he could now offer me was a THR and with tears of joy I accepted.So I never really recovered from the HA and the pain just got worse and worse whilst I waited the three months for the hip replacement.

The recovery from the THR was better because the pre op pain was gone and the surgical pain did ease with time and a good programme of pain relief.When I think back to the early days the worse two things were the constipation from the pain killers and the Clexane injections for 30 days.The recovery is certainly a roller coaster ride I can't stress enough how important it is to take things slowly don't do too much too quickly even when you start to feel so much better at about 6-8 weeks.The BS mantra of this process being "a marathon not a sprint"is so true.Although I have tendinitis ( caused by doing too much early on ) and the left side is showing signs of arthritis I am so much better than I was before the THR.I can walk most of the time without pain and without needing a seat to rest on every few minutes.Christmas shopping this year was a real pleasure as we spent over 4 hours in town shopping with only one rest for lunch.Last year I tried but was in agony so I had to give up.

My kids are now 31 and 29 but I can still remember those tricky teenager days.My youngest a son was a nightmare when he was the same age as your daughter.My daughter is married and we are now grandparents to Baby Jack who at 13 months is showing signs of the terrible twos !
 
Gum168 said:
but people I know in the UK tend to use HA.
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Well I'm in the UK (in case you hadn't noticed!) been in this business "man and boy" for over 50 years and have never heard it called just HA. HA is actually an acronym for Hip Arthroplasty.
Gum168 said:
12 months because in some cases it can take that long to know if it genuinely did or didn't work
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Yes that is the norm but some surgeons (very few) have more compassion!
 
10 days out now. Off to get my stitch taken out in an hour. Surgeon very kindly gave me one of those super neat single thread from one end to the other seams. As a keen sewer, I approve. Hopefully will be a minimal scar.

All is well, I made myself a pain medication schedule and set alarms on my phone to remind me, to keep on top of it, and that has worked much better than either waiting to feel it, or relying on just memory to take at the right times. Obviously there is still some pain, but over all its easing. I hate nights though, I'm a side sleeper so this laying on your back thing isn't easy to adjust to. I found a great way to cradle the bad leg in the right toes to heaven position while raising it slightly. We have one of those memory foam neck pillows, the one with a dip in the middle from side to side. It's a bit higher on one side that the other. I lay my lower leg on that, with the higher side to the centre, and my toes are no longer dropping inwards. Result! And the knee swelling reduces nicely over night also.

Talking of which, who is the fat woman who stole my knee and replaced it with hers? I jolly well hope she's enjoying it, because the bigger hers gets, the more it hurts. I've never seen such a huge knee on my leg before :-(. And where did my kneecap go? It must be in there somewhere swimming in fluid. So I'm on my back packed with ice more than in a chair, but hey ho, it would be silly to complain about having such a great excuse to lay down all day. ;-)

Hope everyone else from December is doing as well.

Kim

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