Revision THR New Pain After Hip Revision and Psoas Release

[Marge75]

Ok. I know I'm vulnerable right now and it feels like I have a new issue every day, but I have a serious new concern. My fingers on my right hand feel still and my right arm and wrist are very weak. I posted that I thought this might be from the crutches, but my finger pain--thumb and pointer--and stiffness is getting worse.

Does anyone know anything about Lyrica causing carpul tunnel? I've only taken 125mg over the course of 2 days (25mg twice today), and I imagine that isn't a large enough dosage to cause any side effects yet. But man, my fingers feel like they are jammed. And my arm feels dead.

@Josephine, have you heard about or noticed these side effects? There is a lot of info posted online about Lyrica causing cts, but who knows?

Ugh.

 

[Marge75]

typing with my left hand b/c the numbness (feels cold actually) and weakness in my right arm/wrist/fingers.

I'm basically dead armed in the right arm. numbness throughout the arm, shaking fingers, pain in wrist.

I'm not going to take any more lyrica. But I'm also concerned that this pain and weakness is a side effect of acupuncture. my outer thigh pain is actually a little less severe today, but this numbness and weakness in my right arm/wrist is unbearable and really very scary.

any insight? i'm really going down the rabbit hole of regret here.

 

[Jaycey]

Your meds do not cause carpal tunnel. You may be having issues due to using crutches. Have you tried a cane (canes)?

 

[Marge75]

Hi @Jaycey-

I'm using one crutch or a cane on my left side at this point, so I don' think it can be from the crutches--unless it's only acting up now after using crutches bilaterally for a week.

It's bizarre. It's not just a little weakness. I can barely lift my right arm and forget about the wrist and fingers. Also my fingers shake when I try to do anything, even type or text. I've been resting my arm since 11:00 am and no relief.

I went to bed around 11 last night with pain and numbness. Woke up around 9:30 feeling much better. Took my meds around 10, then my arm just started feeling like it was falling asleep. Now it's dead---Weak and shaky from the shoulder down to the fingers.

I'm beside myself. I got this surgery--my 3rd in 2.5 years--and I've had nothing but side effects. Meralgia paresthetica from the surgery itself, and now this.

At acupunture she put a needle in my right shoulder--which she always does as my right shoulder is always tight--and one in my right hand. She does the same of the left hand.

Lyrica and acupuncture are the only things I have done in the past couple of days. This weakness, pain, and shaking is downright terrifying.

 

[Jaycey]

unless it's only acting up now after using crutches bilaterally for a week.

If you go back and read the article that Jo left you about using crutches you will see this is exactly what it warns. Can you get elbow crutches?

 

[Marge75]

@Jaycey--I hope that's the case and not some side effect of acupuncture. I haven't used my right crutch in days, so it's somewhat of a delayed reaction, and my left feels just fine.

I was in a real panic yesterday. Got some good sleep so my spirits are better, but my right arm is weak/numb as ever and my wrist is weak and hard to hold up. My GP told me to come in today, so my hope is he'll have some insight.

Thanks for the support. I've been very anxious these last few days. Trying to keep calm and have a more positive outlook today.

 

[Jaycey]

Glad you are seeing your GP. Please update when you can.

 

[Marge75]

So here's an update @Jaycey and @Josephine--

My GP says it's Neurapraxia--a mild peripheral nerve injury--and he does think it it's from the crutches. And guess what? He says he would put me on Lyrica for it. So I'll go back to taking 50mg/day and see how that goes. Interestingly, he says exercise (like a ball or grip strengthener) is better than rest.

Also, lidoderm patches seem to be helping the meralgia. My hip has had a better day than my wrist/hand/arm!

And today was my last day of home PT. So I'm going to take some time off before I got to outpatient, which I will need to do to help get the strength back in my right leg, as I'm quite weak after the psoas release.

I hope I'm past the worst of it. These last two weeks were rough.

Thanks as usual for the support!

 

[Josephine]

My GP says it's Neurapraxia--a mild peripheral nerve injury--and he does think it it's from the crutches.

So does Josephine know what she's talking about or doesn't she? You're leaning too hard on your crutch that side. Give it a rest and while you're resting, give that arm a gentle massage.

 

[Marge75]

@Josephine--yup, she really does know what she's talking about...

I'm graduating to a cane this weekend, so I'm hoping to say goodbye to the crutches. I'm also going to my family beach house for the week where it's just much easier to get around than it is here in NYC. Of course, my whole family will also be there, so relaxing might be a little challenging!

 

[Jaycey]

Sounds like you are back on track @Marge75 ! The beach house also sounds ideal - a great place to heal! Enjoy!

 

[Marge75]

Reading several recovery threads over the last few days, and it's uncanny how no two recoveries are at all the same. And comparisons are deadly. 2.5 week post-op, I'm still needing the oxy/tylenol/lyrica/celebrex cocktail daily. And I ice several hours a day. I do light Pt and tons of stretching. Though I love walking, I tend to overdo it, so I'm being a little conservative these day--max of 10 or so city blocks. Working on keeping calm and listening to my own body.

Three small issues/questions:
I think it's normal, but I'm having some pretty consistent pain in my right knee? Is that expected, as your body is learning to adjust to recruiting new muscles?

I also have a kind of catching, sort of snapping feeling every once in a while in my operated hip, anterior groin. Not very painful, just irritating. Can I assume thats' normal post-op healing?

And the lyrica is causing some swelling and stiffness in my hands. I do think it's helping with the nerve pain in my hips, so I'm going to keep taking it. It's helped my arm pain as well, but man, my right shoulder--middle trap--is practically at my ear it's so tight. I think it's from the crutches as well, though I have not used my right crutch in days. Tiger balm, heat, tens machine, tennis ball massage. I'm really hoping it will relax soon. It's a chronic irritation that I just don't need right now!

I'm also posting my scar to the Hippies Scar thread. I think it looks pretty great!

Positive, healing thoughts to all.
Meg

PS: I have updated my procedures on my personal details page, but I can't see a full list after my posts. Anyone know how to fix that?

 

[DesertHorses]

Hi @Marge75. sounds like you've been through a lot!
At two weeks I was pretty much still using a walker for a lot of activity; at three weeks even though I didn't "need" it I still used it when tired and for doing some balance,or stretch exercises. I would imagine using crutches would be uncomfortable compared to a walker (and a walker doesn't have the "armpit" factor).
It's now folded up against the wall but I was thinking of pulling it out again as I can do the best back stretch (like @Josephine 's cat stretch ) with the walker when I get up from my computer chair.
My other favorite stretch is laying on my back, grasping the headboard and gradually Inching everything downward - first my toes, then my calves, then butt and hips, back and ribs. If my "bad" shoulder is too tight to reach up, I'll just reach to the side as much as I can. I'll bet I'm an inch taller doing this - till I stand up again and everything settles back into place. Since my surgery, I think of this as my "no fear" stretch as there's no pulling or tugging - if something won't stretch by itself it isn't going to be forced and no worries about pulling something out of place.
I found the best use of my cane was for the sympathy factor - opening doors, lifting heavy stuff, etc.- as I tended to lean to one side and limp when using it.

 

[Josephine]

like @Josephine 's cat stretch

Delighted as I am to hear you are finding the cat stretch helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't tag me in the course of conversation! I average around 15-20 tags a day and it's very irritating to get here and find it's just a passing comment! Thanks everso!

 

[Marge75]

Hi-

I was away with my family last week, so there wan't much time to post.

I don't know what's going on, but my hip is in as much pain today and for the last 3 days as it was the day I came home from the hospital. I was down to one oxy every 6 hours and am now back to needing 2 oxy at night to sleep. The pain in the anterior groin is agonizing. It like a deep slow stabbing pain. And the posterior pain (in my butt) feels like there's something pulling on it. I feel weaker now than I did two weeks ago.

I had a post-op appointment on Monday, but I didn't see my OS, I saw his PA--which is apparently the norm in that office. She didn't do any range of motion testing or even ask me to describe my pain. She said that I'm only 3.5 weeks out of surgery (now I'm 1 month) and pain and weakness is expected. She gave me a scrip for more oxy and zofran and said "see you in two months." When I went to schedule my next appointment, they told me I would be seeing the PA again. I said I want to see the doctor and I want to see him sooner, so I am seeing him on four weeks.

I'm one month out. I don't want more pills. The scopolomine patch blurs my vision, the oxy makes me spacey, one of the meds gives me headaches, and obviously they all constipate me. The lyrica is helping for my nerve pain, but I think it's the culprit for headaches and dry mouth, I wake up feeling like I have a hangover every morning.

I want to be more self-sufficient, and then I end up paying for it later in the day when I can't even walk. My partner of 10 years, Rob, is also struggling, as he ends up doing everything for me--which is taking its toll on him.

I cannot find info online about the pain/recovery of a psoas tendon release that's not arthroscopic, as my OS went in to do a partial revision through my anterior incision.

I'm starting outpatient PT tomorrow, and the protocol is for range of motion stretching and massage--with strength training worked in later. With the psoas tendon gone, my right leg is alarmingly weak, but the muscles are so tight, so we need to start there.

I know the trajectory of recovery isn't a straight line up, but I feel like I've taken a nose-dive in the last 3-4 days.

Any words of advice or insight will be so appreciated. This recovery is more challenging than my THR!

Thanks.
Meg

 

[Jaycey]

I was away with my family last week

How active were you while you were away?

 

[Marge75]

Hi @Jaycey.

My activity was sort of a mix. I was driven everywhere, so that was helpful. I walked on sand every day at the beach with my crutch, probably the equivalent of one city block each day. My OS knew I would be doing this. I felt up for it at the time. While at the beach, I did very little--reading in a chaise generally, ice packs in the cooler to use on and off on my hip. In the late afternoons, some light shopping at the grocery store, always with one crutch, as I'm still not stable enough on a cane outside my home. Then on Sunday, I helped clean up after our week there, so light house work.

We had a 4 hour drive home Sunday night (terrible summer traffic), so that aggravated my leg a lot. I had a doc appointment Monday that I took a cab to, and b/c of city traffic I took the subway home, so one flight of steps up and down. I did get a seat on the train. Four-five blocks of walking with a crutch in total on Monday. I realize the subway is not ideal at all, but I'm one month out of surgery. I figured I could try it. I went VERY slowly--much to the horror of my fellow New Yorkers in mid-town.

By Monday night, I quite literally felt like it was my first day post-op in terms of leg pain and weakness. My leg felt like it was made of led. The groin pain was utterly excruciating.

I have been resting for the last two days. No PT, no walking outside. And I still feel wretched.

I know I need to manage the pain, but the meds are really taking a toll. I would like to wean myself off of them, as I am so sick of being stoned and tired.

 

[nochoice]

I'm sorry you are having so much pain @Marge75 . As someone who has had pain every day since my surgery, I'm totally empathic. Since my OS thinks I should have a cortisone shot In the hip for"bursitis" I've been interested in your similar post op difficulties. We learn from each other. I am determined to get better on my own (right now anyway) so have gone back to increased rest and ice. Most days this works and I'm hopeful I won't even have to see my OS later this month. I hope your partner can be patient, this healing doesn't happen overnight. Only do minimums at home. Set your goals lower, so healing can occur. I wish I had a magic answer but only the mantra. (which I didn't know about till too late) rest, ice, meds regularly before pain. Hugs to you .

 

[Jaycey]

Sounds like you certainly over did the activity levels and your hip is complaining. Unfortunately you can't go from a routine to more activity and not expect this. And no, it is not time to wean off your meds. You need them to get more mobile. Ice, elevate and rest - and see if this resolves. I am betting it will.

 

[Marge75]

@Jaycey and @nochoice-

I know you are both right about taking it easy. I fell into the trap of feeling better and then rushing to move around and prove (to myself, to my family) how well I'm progressing. And though I should know better, it really is a trap of sorts. I do feel up to the activity at the time. (Also, a side note about being around my family: my father is in very poor health and needs a lot of help himself, so that takes its toll on my whole family. It's very difficult to appear like I need help around them.)

Today is day 2 of very little activity, and after icing on and off all afternoon, I am in less pain. I'm really looking forward to starting PT tomorrow, esp b/c the protocol is for stretching and massage.

Thanks for the support.