Is it normal to be in a lot of pain week 1?

[Katherine]

I had THR a week ago today, four hours away by car. I was on bloodthinners but started a GI bleed and my pain management in the hosp was not very swift for the first 24 hours. I have a lot of pain in the joint and throughout my leg. I take an oxycodone 10 mg in the morning and one at noon and another at night as well as imovane (at night) and tylenol. Its very sore. The xray was apparently fine. Is this normal?

Please, help if you can, although Canada is supposed to have this marvelous medical system I live in the sticks and we practically have to extract our own teeth out here.

 

[Katherine]

Well, guess excruciating pain for a week IS normal.

 

[hipsearching]

I think, from what I have read and from the people that I have spoken to, that there is great pain variation from person to person. I had the more traditional THR 9 weeks ago. I never needed pain killer after the operation. But I did have a lot of pain when I moved. I just figured that was okay and I could monitor my progress over time. The first week, of course, there was the most pain when I moved. My leg was very swollen and shiny. I needed to keep it elevated above my heart. Over two days of doing this and 90% of the swelling subsided and I lost around 8 lbs of water weight. Leg raises up and to the side hurt a lot at the beginning too. But within the first couple of weeks the pain (again, when moving, not at rest) has subsided. I have spoken to some people where I go to ongoing PT that had a lot more pain, and pain at rest, and needed painkiller. They are progressing too, in their movement and strength---and their pain is diminishing. So keep doing your exercises.

By the way, I thought the people in the sticks had no teeth. Now, from your note, I know how they got that way. Just kidding.

 

[Kentdougal]

Hi Katherine
I don't think it is normal although people vary, I had my left hip done 20/12/06 2 1/2 days in hospital and had no pain whatsoever either in hospital or after and took no pain killers. In fact I had a holiday to the Maldives booked paid for to depart exactly 8 weeks after the op which I did without problems. Did you have a local anaesthetic (epidural) this makes things much better and leads to a quicker recovery I believe
Regards
Doug

 

[Katherine]

Thanks for both your replies. I learned that because of the deformities in my leg (my toes pointed up, they dont any more, and the legs are now the same length), I had a tremendous amount of muscle pain throughout in the first week, and this is now easting off somewhat. I am going to have a longer recovery than some people. Hipsearching, if you had my doctor you would have been in pain as he insisted in serious movement and exercise from day one. Good luck everyone. Maldives, he? You a diver?

Thanks

Kat

 

[Kentdougal]

Hi Kat
You obviously had extra difficulties and I'm of the opinion a lot of your pain is due to the muscles etc having to realign and adjust to their new positions. The heavy routine from your Doctor will pay off (no gain without pain eh?) mine would'nt hear of the use of crutches only two walking sticks.
Not a diver just an enthusiastic snorkeller who loves the Maldives.
All the best
Doug

 

[dixieodoodles]

Katherine,

I had my surgery on April 16 and have been home for a week now. I, too, had a lot of pain the first week and quite a bit the second week. And I'm on way more pain killers than you are.

I have a feeling that the cause of the pain was similar to yours. Mine was never a case of bone on bone. I had what they call a 'high valgus' which caused the leg to be twisted. Over time the bone rubbed on my ligament to the point that it was badly damaged. I'm sure there was other damage, also.

That first week most of the pain was around my shin and above my knee. I have a feeling that the muscles were re-aligning themselves from years of abuse. The incision was only mildly painful.

At this point all the pain has toned down, but I am still on 45 mg morphine 3x day (time release) and 40 mg oxycodone spread over the day at 5 mg per dose. I was taking almost as much before the surgery but was still in serious pain. So, I see this as progress.

I'm impatient, and anxious to get off all the pain killers. But I have to keep reminding myself that the damage developed over 10 years. It's going to take time to rebuild and get used to the new alignment.

I see the surgeon for the first time tomorrow so I'll find out more info.

Linda

 

[Annemarie]

Hello Katherine. The first week post op can be rather painful, for most patients. A lenghty car journey cannot be good either right after the op because of the bodies position in the car, also climbing in and out of the car for the ride home after the operation is certainly pain inducing, we can all attest to that. Talk to your doctor, he knows best, but from what I have heard excessive post op pain is not something one should expect to last too long. Hope you feel better soon. Annemarie

 

[pt109]

I am one week from surgery and I have no pain when sitting. If I stand and move, then the joint and muscles are sore and they let me know. I am doing the exercises, which do get slowly easier to do. I started to feel a bit better on the 7th day after surgery. Up until then, I had no appetitie and it was so painful to move, that I did so as little as possible. But I am making progress. I got in and out of bed by myself last night, and I am walking about1,000 feet a day. I am starting to see progress. My advice at this point - don't expect too much too soon. It takes time.

 

[Annemarie]

Hello pt109. Great to hear that your operation is behind you. Certainly there is pain, either from those awful metal staples used to close the wound, which feel like fish hooks in your flesh, or pain from the actual trauma of a freshly severed major bone and muscle. Uncemented bones can also be more painful. Depending on how twisted or bent you may have walked prior to your operation, you could now also be experiencing groin / back pain from muscles seeking to adjust to your pre pain gait. Just take it easy, no twisting, bendind or stretching. Getting in and out of the car is painful also, but even that is getting better with each passing day. I had both my hips done last year, April and August, and although I was more fearful of the second procedure, everything has healed well, even the scars have faded. All is well now.

 

[Lolly]

Hi Katherine,
I can relate to the pain you are feeling. I got off the painkillers right after I was discharged from the hospital (4 wks after surgery) to avoid other organs of my body suffering the brunt. Up to the 5th month, the groin pain persisted depending on how intense my activities have been (physio intervention or hydrotherapy). I walked the day after the surgery using a 4wheeled walking aide and doing my toilet visits on the day after surgery. On day 3 post surgery, I returned to my pair of crutches walking around the hospital for exercise. Physio exercises started on day 3 to prepare me for going home, including going up and down the stairs. Be very patient, each of us have different tolerance levels and therefore recovery time will somewhat be different. You need to focus on yourself as you cannot afford to do further damage. Dont forget that you have to be very careful that you do not get any cuts on you to avoid any infection; at this stage of recovery you should not suffer from any types of infection as it can still be harmful to the op site. Just use heat pad when you feel any swelling or pain, rather than being too dependent on painkillers.

Lolly from Australia