PKR My Drama Queen Patellofemoral Knee
- Thread starter Jockette
- Start date
United States
I think it is a valid concern. You can always ask your new OS about the Q pump. I plan to. Just a few weeks of pain pills after a knee replacement is unforgivable. I wish everyone who is behind this awful restriction would have to have a knee replacement! They need to see what we go through. We aren't drug addicts, we're in pain! Would they keep insulin from a diabetic? How about antibiotics from a person with an infection? There is no difference. I person in pain needs pain meds! OK, I'm off my soapbox!
OP
OP
I stopped them last time in less than 2 weeks, and managed, (barely) but it may not go like that next time.
But then, the pain could be less next time, right?
But then, the pain could be less next time, right?
You are so right, especially if it's put in correctly!
beachy
supremo
Pain management was my biggest fear. I never had a problem getting my pain meds refilled or changed. The PA always refilled no questions asked. They never told me to start weaning off until now. Even now if I need something OS told me it would be tramadol. I have plenty of ocycodone left over and take 1 if I need it.
I guess it all depends on the doc. And I discussed that with him well before surgery.
I guess it all depends on the doc. And I discussed that with him well before surgery.
OP
OP
I’m glad that went well for you. But things are changing in the pain prescription world, and he may not have that liberty in the future. That is my fear.
Pain management will be one of the first things that I'll ask about. From what I've read, the CDC is realizing that surgical patients are not the abusers, it's the illegal partakers. I pray that the regulations will be changed in our favor.
Cementless
Insider
I'm still taking my Tramadol 50 mg with 2 ES Tylenol every 8-12 hrs (esp. at night) plus a Robaxin 750 mg if I need it (really helps)! My Robaxin prescription is from my PCP prescribed last March for a pinched nerve. My original OS included Robaxin with the pain management protocol where my revision OS does not. I still have some leftover Norco 7.5 mg. ; 100 tablets of Tramadol 50 mg from my original surgery. This OS only prescribed 40 Tramadol 50 mg.
@Jockette, I had to give you a "funny" reply because I don't like pain or discomfort and you must have a very high tolerance for pain. :santa hug:
@Jockette, I had to give you a "funny" reply because I don't like pain or discomfort and you must have a very high tolerance for pain. :santa hug:
OP
OP
@Cementless Actually I don’t have a high tolerance for pain. I stopped my narcotics so early because I thought it was the cause of my vision change. I was still in a fair amount of pain. I was also dealing with acute tendinitis in my shoulder from a PT incident several days earlier.
I took the extra strength Tylenol, 1000 mg, 4 times a day, for months. It got me through.
I worry about pain relief for those early days when Tylenol won’t do the job.
I asked my PT if a muscle relaxer would help and he said no. That was back when I believed what the PTs told me.
I took the extra strength Tylenol, 1000 mg, 4 times a day, for months. It got me through.
I worry about pain relief for those early days when Tylenol won’t do the job.
I asked my PT if a muscle relaxer would help and he said no. That was back when I believed what the PTs told me.
Txmomgmom3
senior
I totally get your pain medication concerns. My OS was really good about giving me refills for the 1st tkr. This time around it's the same but I'm having issues with BCBS . His office had to send in a letter stating why I needed percoset. It took 3 weeks for them to approve it and only until the 29th of December. Of course that was before the mua today but I am thinking of adding for tramadol after the 29th. So ridiculous what a few bad apples do to ruin it for people who really need it.
I'm hoping you can get some much needed relief that you deserve. Your so supportive of all of us and I am very grateful for all your advice you've given me.
I'm hoping you can get some much needed relief that you deserve. Your so supportive of all of us and I am very grateful for all your advice you've given me.
traceys
graduate
OP
OP
@Jamie Do you think there is any chance that my knee issue is due to an allergy?
The only issue I’ve had with jewelry is that some cheap earrings leave a green mark on my ear. I had one pair of earrings my daughter bought me while she was in South Africa that did make my ears itch, I don’t know what they are made of. I only wore them a few times.
I’m pretty sure my surgeon told me my implant is titanium, so several months ago I bought a titanium ring as a first, inexpensive test. I had no problem on my finger from the ring.
Just wondering.
Probably not. My discomfort has consistently been on the lower lateral part of my knee and my Patellofemoral implant is in the center. Still, it is a very small area inside the knee.
Would an allergy cause doing stairs and leaning forward to be painful/uncomfortable? That’s where most of my problems are.
The only issue I’ve had with jewelry is that some cheap earrings leave a green mark on my ear. I had one pair of earrings my daughter bought me while she was in South Africa that did make my ears itch, I don’t know what they are made of. I only wore them a few times.
I’m pretty sure my surgeon told me my implant is titanium, so several months ago I bought a titanium ring as a first, inexpensive test. I had no problem on my finger from the ring.
Just wondering.
Probably not. My discomfort has consistently been on the lower lateral part of my knee and my Patellofemoral implant is in the center. Still, it is a very small area inside the knee.
Would an allergy cause doing stairs and leaning forward to be painful/uncomfortable? That’s where most of my problems are.
traceys
graduate
@Jockette
I’m interested to see what comes back about your concern as in the back of my mind I keep wondering if some of my sensations and issues are allergy too
This is horrible what you are going through. And right at the holidays. If I could only take it on for you to give you a break.
Sending you good vibes to start your week
And thinking @robert johnson posted in wrong thread maybe?
I’m interested to see what comes back about your concern as in the back of my mind I keep wondering if some of my sensations and issues are allergy too
This is horrible what you are going through. And right at the holidays. If I could only take it on for you to give you a break.
Sending you good vibes to start your week
And thinking @robert johnson posted in wrong thread maybe?
OP
OP
That is so sweet of you.
Thankfully, for your sake, you can’t. You have enough of your own issues to deal with.
I’m not in actual pain, unless I try steps foot over foot. The lower lateral thing is just extremely annoying, but if I’m busy with an activity I am able to put it in the back of my mind for a while. It’s still way better than the early days of recovery, which is one reason I’m procrastinating on another opinion. I don’t want to redo those early days again.
OP
OP
Well, that sharp arthritic pain is gone, but that was only “cause and effect” pain, when I sat down, got up, or did stairs. I didn’t have it any other time.
The discomfort I have now happens any and every time I am weight bearing, so in that sense, it is way worse than before. I can go up stairs foot over foot IF it’s a short step, but it feels weird. I can’t do a regular height step. I can’t go down on the operated leg at all. Before surgery it hurt to do steps, but not every time, and I could do them even with the pain.
So, in short, I am worse since the surgery.
I also find that I get off balance occasionally. Not as bad as early on, though. I never had that problem before surgery.
If only I could go back in time....
Jockette, it would be difficult to say for sure that any pain is the result of a metal allergy without doing the test. The problem is that so many things can cause the type of pain you're experiencing. That's why it's sometimes a good idea to get an allergy test if a person has had pain pretty steadily since their surgery. It's an effort to rule out one option without having to do anything invasive.
In your case, though, I'm inclined to think the problem is just that the partial was not a good choice for your knee problems. You cannot really make a correlation between an allergic reaction to jewelry and one that might occur with an implant. People who have had no problems with jewelry can have reactions that show up in the blood test. It's a lot of money out of pocket, though, and each person must decide for themselves whether it's worth it or not to be able to rule metal allergies out as a potential problem.
When you're ready to start talking with revision surgeons, this is something you should bring up as a question.
In your case, though, I'm inclined to think the problem is just that the partial was not a good choice for your knee problems. You cannot really make a correlation between an allergic reaction to jewelry and one that might occur with an implant. People who have had no problems with jewelry can have reactions that show up in the blood test. It's a lot of money out of pocket, though, and each person must decide for themselves whether it's worth it or not to be able to rule metal allergies out as a potential problem.
When you're ready to start talking with revision surgeons, this is something you should bring up as a question.
I agree with Jamie. If and when I have another tkr or revision, I will insist on an allergy test. But, first I have to make sure a doctor orders it! I already learned that lesson!
OP
OP
I agree. I read about allergies to implants and just wonder, especially with the constant discomfort.
I really think the implant is loose. If the next opinion just looks at my X-ray, taken at my one year check up, and says it’s not loose, what can I ask for if nothing is offered? Shouldn’t a second opinion surgeon take a new X-ray? The surgeon I saw last June did not. He said it was not loose solely on the X-ray that was 3 months old. And we all know loose implants don’t always show up on an X-ray.
No good surgeon would depend on an xray that was taken months before. If that's what's offered to you, ask for a new xray or find another surgeon or both.
