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Miss Muffet wishes to ditch her tuffet and get mobile

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Post-op at home I was prescribed:
  • once a day blood thinner (Xarelto) for 30 days
  • every 4-6 hours 2x500mg paracetamol
  • as needed, but up to every 4-6 hours 1x30mg codeine
I was also taking an antiflammatory twice a day for my other hip. I didn't find it that hard to keep track of and slept through the night without having to take anything most of the time. If I hadn't had hip#2 bothering me I think I would have been down to the Xarelto and paracetamol by the third week.

If you have other medication as well then I can see it might get a bit problematic!
 
Hi @shirleyH - I don't know how many meds and times a day to expect either.
But Cindy (@Cynthia777) reckons from her personal experience a 4-compartment one per day would probably be adequate.
So I've ordered this one from Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Meta-U-Compartment-Weekly-Plastic-Dispenser/dp/B010P4U4S8?tag=ate362da-21

Don't panic - I've simply done what you just mentioned. Got a small notebook and jotted down what I want to take to hospital and a list of questions to ask at my preOp appointment. Do you want me to inbox you with what I've noted so far - would that help?
 
Zelda said:
Post-op at home I was prescribed:
  • once a day blood thinner (Xarelto) for 30 days
  • every 4-6 hours 2x500mg paracetamol
  • as needed, but up to every 4-6 hours 1x30mg codeine
I was also taking an antiflammatory twice a day for my other hip. I didn't find it that hard to keep track of and slept through the night without having to take anything most of the time. If I hadn't had hip#2 bothering me I think I would have been down to the Xarelto and paracetamol by the third week.

If you have other medication as well then I can see it might get a bit problematic
Click to expand...

Hi @Zelda - Thanks that's very helpful - and quite surprising. You've done well.
Out of interest how many codeine have you been averaging, ie was it closer to 4 hourly than 6?
I did wonder about anti-inflams - couldn't quite work out how I'd cope with the other hip pain.
 
Although I only took aspirin and Percocet, my experience was pretty much the same as @Zelda's. Once home I could skip the middle of the night Percocet and if not for my other hip, would have been off the pain meds very early in my recovery.
 
I started off at about 8am, 2pm and 8pm for the codeine and then dropped to round about 11am and 7pm.

Before I started increasing my walking at the beginning of last week I wasn't even taking that because I would forget to take the morning one sometimes.

Pre-op and yesterday I was taking 60/1000 cocodamol three times a day which should give you a measure of the difference I've had before and after.
 
@shirleyH I have had both knees replaced so have been through the pain control meds before. It all depends on you and your OS what you end up taking but at the beginning it's usually a combo of an opiate and an inflammatory med. Mine were on different time schedules so you have to keep on top of it and keep on track. I found it was when I was transitioning off the opiate to acetaminophen (A) that I really had to keep really good track of what I was doing. Some opiates include A so I had to watch that I didn't exceed the total amount of A allowed each day. Then you add in the regular meds to the mix .......:umm:
@Miss Muffet No date yet --see OS on April 19--but am hoping for early July. I have Amazon Prime and read on a Kindle so I'm a frequent shopper. :wave:
 
Morning everyone, phew, thank you, there seemed to be lots of names of meds I didn't know. I am taking codeine 30mg twice a day at the moment, though my prescription review has reduced this a little so some days I try not to take all 4 15mg tablets, so if i have a bad day i can binge a bit! (only a little bit i hasten to add). I take them with paracetamol and occasionally at night I take ibuprofen when i have stiffened up and get achy from sitting watching tv. Having just googled acetaminophen @Chihuahuan, its a relief to know that over here that is known as paracetamol and @Cynthia777 percocet is also paracetamol. so i now understand a lot more. So basically my meds post op will be similar to what I am taking now, with a gradual progression off the codeine. Just goes to show how muddled up one can get with the names across the countries. @Miss Muffett, yes that would be great thanks. @Zelda thanks for the info, it all helps a great deal to know these things and be prepared. My mantra - if it helps the pain, take it. :thankyou:
 
Good mantra to have! The Bonesmart articles about pain have really helped me. In the past I would wait for the pain before taking anything and now I know that's not the way to do it!
 
@shirleyH just a correction - Percocet is actually a combination of Oxycodone and paracetamol. But it is important that you monitor your daily dose of paracetamol (Tylenol) and not exceed the doses prescribed.
 
OK so I'm back in the thorny topic of constipation .....

Prunes and prune juice are now in the store cupboard

I've also purchased a couple of boxes of Fybogel in readiness for what may be inevitable (and am actually finding that my current meds can cause but things to be a little 'slow' - or is that just anxiety?)
Reading the instructions though it states that it is not to be taken with any medicines which may cause constipation (eg codeine or morphine) @Jaycey - did you mention that you used Fybogel? I'm wondering why they don't recommend it ..

What about Milk of Magnesia? Any advice please?
 
I didn't use Fybogel and would not recommend using any laxative as it may only cause more cramping. They will probably give you stool softeners in the hospital. But I would not worry about this as many people have no issues with constipation.
 
Ah sorry @Jaycey - I misremembered. Have just done a search and it was actually Josephine who said she'd used it. Was wondering how using it sat with the meds she was on, and why they aren't recommended?
@Josephine can you advise please?

I think what is confusing me a bit is that it isn't described as a laxative but a bulking agent as it is increases the fibre in the diet. I'm definitely not a fan of laxatives which is why I thought this might be helpful.
(PS I am aware of the importance of keeping water intake up with bulking agents)

So what exactly are stool softeners and are they available over the counter postOp?
 
Yes, Fybogel is a bulking agent/stool softener and therefore doesn't cause cramps - well not in my experience anyway!
Laxatives are things like Senna and Dulcolax which WILL cause severe cramps
 
@Josephine - thank you. What concerned me about Fybogel was that the instructions say it is "not to be taken with any medicines which may cause constipation (eg codeine or morphine)"

I had a couple of boxes put by in case needed postOp but now I wonder if I shouldn't use it?
 
O-er! I never noticed that and I took them through two TKR recoveries! Plus, they prescribed them for me in hospital! :whistle: :shrug:
 
This is a weird one. Someone told me today that they had spinal and sedation and wasn't aware or bothered by noise but the smell bothered him. He wished he had taken a nose clip. Anyone got any experience of this? :what:
 
When you have a discussion with the anaesthetist tell them you do not want to see, hear or smell anything. Sometimes patients need a bit more sedation than what is given. I am one of those patients who actually woke up during my LTHR. I was a bit bothered but never in pain.

Before my RTHR I made it very clear I wanted to be totally out. The anaesthetist said he would closely monitor me and sure enough - I didn't wake up until I was being taken to the recovery area.
 
Are you hanging in there missy? Not long now. You're going to be the most well informed patient your OS has ever seen! You may be a bit intimidating! :heehee:
 
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