TKR Is Meloxicam needed?

Kyrea2

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Two weeks out of surgery for knee 2 and today got my staples out. Also had the waterproof 14 inch bandage on it. But what I thought would bring relief, is now worry if the wound is healed enough to withstand the bending. Not confident everything will hold and not pulling in like I did before staples out. I guess the staples and bandage was giving me comfort. Also doctor said not to cover incision now staples and bandage gone. They have that tape on it that comes off on its own in a few days, but now I feel really exposed and vulnerable. How get confidence back that it won’t just open up when bending? Thanks for your ideas.
 
Hi and Welcome!

The best thing to do is keep your bends very gentle, you don't need to bend as far as you possible can, just little bends will give your knee all the mobility it needs to heal. Some PTs tend to push our knee way too far, which actually can damage the incision, so don’t don’t let anyone do that.
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Just keep in mind all people are different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary

2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
If you want to use something to help heal the incision,
BoneSmart recommends hypochlorous solution. Members in the US can purchase ACTIVE Antimicrobial Hydrogel through BoneSmart at a discount. Similar products should be available in the UK and other countries.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access to these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
Regaining our ROM does not require forceful bending or painful exercises.
Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.
 
Please give us your surgery date and we’ll make a signature for you. :flwrysmile:
 
Steri-strips worked for me. Maybe that’s what you mean by tape that comes off on its own.
 
The steri- strips are like a tape that pull the edges of your incision closed and help prevent scarring. After showering just pat dry. One or two might fall off but I found after 2-weeks I had to remove mine. They are pretty strong. At 2 weeks I really wasn't bending my knee all that much. Your knee probably is still pretty swollen and stiff. I continued trying to do the heel slides (a few inches!) and I found walking with my walker helpful.
 
I’m starting week three and have been on Meloxicam a few days and was wondering if it’s really needed. I luckily don’t have huge swelling and ice four times a day and elevate. Meloxicam comes with so many warnings about heart and kidney, I’m not sure if I want to stay on it. I’m at zero and 110 flex just don’t want to lose those numbers if I stop Meloxicam. Any ideas?
 
I’m at zero and 110 flex just don’t want to lose those numbers if I stop Meloxicam. Any ideas?
I didn’t take it after my surgery and my ROM came back fine. Your numbers are great for so early in recovery. Throughout this recovery you don’t “lose ROM” but instead it will vary, depending on your swelling, which is dependent on your activity.

Please give us your surgery date, and which knee it is, so we can make a signature for you. I see that you also have a thread for the TKR in 2014. Please give us that date, and which knee, also. We like to see the dates in your signature so that it’s visible in every post, which helps us advice you better. :flwrysmile:

By the way, I merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread, as we prefer that members in recovery have only one thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?

Best wishes on your continuing recovery! :flwrysmile:
 
If you are off your blood thinner, try Ibuprofen. Your PCP can give you the right dose to take. I was on Celebrex which is similar to Meloxicam and it made me nauseous with diarrhea. I stopped it on week 1. As I decreased my narcotic the ibuprofen really helped with the discomfort of the knee stiffness. I usually took it with a meal or with a snack. You are doing very well. The only way your ROM would decrease is if you overworked your knee.
 
Thanks for the advice. My first knee was June 2014. My second was Feb 1st 2023. Forgot what it was like. This thing is challenging! I had remembered I wrote on this forum, but could not remember which thread I had. Thanks for linking. I don’t like taking meds, but if they really help I will. But I don’t like reading all the side effects. Hope everyone is doing well with their new “parts”. I know it takes time for things to calm down.
 
Just in case you’d like to read your thread from 2014, here it is:
 
I was taking meloxicam 1x day with no side effects. Doc increased to 2x day and OMGosh!
I was violently ill.....stomach pain made me cry, diarrhea, vomiting. It only lasted 3-4 hrs, but wow! I was okay with 1x day, but stopped it completely. That was about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I haven't replaced it with anything. My ROM is really good and will only get better without meloxicam.
 
Thanks for all your advice. I just hit week 3 today. I’ve been on Aspirin 325mg per day for 21 days now to help stop blood clots. My doctor says I need to keep taking it for another week or two. How long were most of you on a blood thinner for? I thought chance of blood clots goes way down after three weeks. I want to take a couple Advil at night to help with swelling and pain since I don’t have any other pain killer, but not sure if I can take that with the aspirin. Thanks for the ideas.
 
I think different doctors have different times for taking the low-dose aspirin. I suggest you call or message him and ask if you can take the Advil.
 
Ok, need some advice, I’m at 3 1/2 weeks out and I’m out of OxyContin and can’t take Advil yet because I’m still on aspirin till Tuesday. Doctor does not want me on anymore opiates, so my only choice is Tylenol which looks at my knee and runs away. Doesn’t really help at all. The knee is really stiff and sore now probably because I’m feeling it for real for the first time on no pain killers. I’m icing every four hours 20 on 20 off and elevation of course. Been doing light stretching and walking, but I just feel I’ve gone backwards for the first time. I need my cane again, have trouble sleeping the past two nights and can’t get that ROM I had before. Any ideas how to get thorough this transition? Thanks for the help. I know this is tough on everyone and it helps to know we are in this together with this forum.
 
You'll get through this, just at this time your baby knee isn't happy. You need to increase the time you are icing to 45 minutes on each time you ice. You said you were elevating which is excellent. More icing might help you over this hump.

Did your surgeon not offer you any other pain relief medications? I know you voiced you don't like to take them, but sometimes its simply necessary. If your surgeon won't prescribe anything for your pain - which should happen - reach out to your PCP. Explain the situation and many times they will prescribe a pain medication.

I like your description of Tylenol looking at your knee and running the other way! I can so relate to that. There is nothing wrong with needing or using your cane or walker at any point during recovery. It is much better to use them and not have a fall than to have a fall, or just keep walking incorrectly which causes more issues. Ice longer do less and see if you can't get some type of pain medication to help you through this rough patch.
 
Thanks for the advice. More ice, elevation and time. No, they don’t want to give any opioids at this time. Funny how times have changed. On my first knee, almost nine years ago, I was on hydrocodone for eight weeks. Only one per day the last four weeks, but they gave the refills when needed. Now, three weeks and you are done. I can understand because of the problems it created, but give me something that would work just a little while. They said Advil after a week to finish aspirin first. That’s it. Thanks again.
 
so my only choice is Tylenol which looks at my knee and runs away. Doesn’t really help at all.
The most effective way to take Tylenol is 2 x 500 mg tablets every 6 hours, to a total of 4,000 mg (4 doses) in 24 hours. You need to take it regularly, to keep up the levels in your bloodstream. If you just take the odd dose now and then, it's far less effective.

Check all other medications you're taking, to make sure there is no Tylenol/Acetaminophen/Paracetamol in them. If there is, scale back one or two of your regular Tylenol doses, so you stay within that safe 24 hour limit of 4,000 mg.
The knee is really stiff and sore now probably because I’m feeling it for real for the first time on no pain killers
I need my cane again, have trouble sleeping the past two nights and can’t get that ROM I had before.
Hopefully taking the Tylenol as directed above will help this, as long as Tylenol agrees with you. Without the previous medication your swelling has increased which has affected your ROM.
I’m icing every four hours 20 on 20 off
As @eaglemom said, this is not enough for post op pain.


 
You can also cut back on your activities and that will help reduce, or at least not increase, your pain level. I’m sure you must have a list of exercises to do, but they are not essential, especially in the early weeks, and too often, doing them as directed just ups your pain level. Movement is good for the healing knee, but it doesn’t need a lot. Gentle bends and short walks are all you need right now.

Regaining our ROM does not require forceful bending or painful exercises.
Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.
 

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