Revision THR New Pain After Hip Revision and Psoas Release

[Tweefishy]

I just caught up in your thread and I wanted to let you know I had similar problems with numbs eas in my arms and hands from using crutches. I was k crutches for 2 mos leading up to my surgery. Some days the numbness in my fingers would be so bad that I couldn't type at work. My chiropractor showed me acupressure points to relieve this and showed me how to massage the arms. One major reason for my numbness was how strong my lower arms had become from using crutches and he muscles were squeezing out the pour veins and nerves. Once I switched to a walker my arms got better ( not roth away since it'd been goi g on a while) but it did get better. I've noticed there's quite a large pattern of post op anxiety that goes on with many on here, including myself. Maybe some clonazopam, ads an, or herbal remedy would help (kava kava, Valerian, lobelia, etc). Hope things get easier for you soon


RTHR, posterior, 15JUN2015

 

[Marge75]

@Tweefishy. Hello! I'm so sorry I didn't read this post last week. Thanks for taking the time to write.

Oddly, my right hand (index finger and wrist) are still killing me! But only when I type, which makes me think something else is up. My PT knows about this, so my hope is he'll help me manage it. Otherwise, back to my GP who diagnosed me with neuropraxia a couple of weeks ago.

I've had a rough recovery so far, and I was besides myself for a few weeks there (as you can tell from many of my posts). The anxiety comes from being in pain for so long (in my case, acute pain for 3 years; sheer agony the last year; and terrible weakness, pain, and side effects since my 7/9 surgery) and taking the major step to have surgery (in my case 3 surgeries in 2.5 years) and feeling terrified to still be in pain.

I spoke to my OS about my anxiety last week. He's talked about weaning me off the Oxy and starting me on Zoloft. I cut my dose of Oxy in half last week and tried to push it to every 8 hours this past weekend. I just can't do it yet.

I'm also wary of coming off the scopolomine patch, as I've had one behind my ear since 7/9, changing it every 3 days. I've read horror stories about the withdrawal symptoms, so I'm going to ask my doc tomorrow how to go about getting off the patch.

So many of us on here have been through major physical trauma. Of course there's bound to be emotional trauma--anxiety, fear, confusion, and frustration--as well. For me, right now I'm trying to keep things in perspective and be more patient with myself. Not easy. But a useful exercise.

 

[nochoice]

Hi @Marge75. I can certainly empathize with being in pain every day. I've not been in it nearly as long as you have but I have since 4/23/15 which is plenty long enough for me. I've begun taking amitriptolene (sp?) 20 mg/day which is a tricyclic antidepressant for the past month, primarily for increased neuropathy in my legs but have certainly noticed it helps with my tolerance for my other physical symptoms. Just an idea for symptom management as you try to change your meds. Good luck!

 

[Marge75]

Hi-

Having a couple of tough days. The Lyrica side effect of dry mouth and difficulty swallowing in became intolerable, so I stopped taking it two days ago. While the dry mouth got somewhat better, I have a terrible sore throat and the nerve pain in back and just as bad as it was before the Lyrica. I'm not sure which pain is more intolerable.

But I also wanted to ask about a strange reaction. I've iced my hip/thigh every single day since 7/9. And for some reason, last night I got this terrible reaction. After icing for about 30 min with an ice pack directly on my leg (it's a cloth one, not a big plastic one), I noticed red, raised splotches on part of my leg where I was icing. This is so weird b/c I've been using these ice packs for weeks, sometimes for longer durations. I literally did nothing different yesterday. My PT used a laser on my incision for a few minutes to help break up scar tissue, but that is not where the redness and swelling are. I thought it would go away or get better overnight, but it's actually worse. It's raised, even darker red, and hot to the touch, though it hasn't spread at all. I'm uploading a picture. I hope that's appropriate.

Between feeling miserable from the Lyrica--both on and off it--having this wicked sore throat, regular old post-op pain, and now having what I assume is some sort of burn, I'm pretty down.

I hope it's ok @Jaycey that I'm tagging you.

Anyone else have this happen to them?

Thanks so much!

 

[nochoice]

@Marge75 I had this reaction to icing once and started using a thicker cloth cloth between ice and skin. Solved it for me.

 

[Jaycey]

I am not a medical expert but this looks like a burn from the ice pack in direct contact with your skin. Even if your ice pack is cloth you should always put a towel between it and your skin. I'll tag @Josephine for the expert opinion.

 

[Josephine]

After icing for about 30 min with an ice pack directly on my leg. It's raised, even darker red, and hot to the touch. This is so weird b/c I've been using these ice packs for weeks, sometimes for longer durations.

Well, your skin has obviously just had enough of it! It's clearly freezer burn which is a risky thing to have, especially when you have neuropathy anyway. Make sure you use a good layer of tea-towel or cloth between you and a fresh ice-pack. Tut tut!

My PT used a laser on my incision for a few minutes to help break up scar tissue,

What is it with these PT's and their compulsion to 'break up scar tissue'? If it did exist, you surely wouldn't want it to be broken up else your wound would just fall open! Them's just fairy stories!

 

[Elsie Foust]

@Marge75 i had bilateral THR July 3rd, 2014. About 4 weeks after the surgery I had an awful stabbing pain on my thigh, felt literally like someone jabbing me with an ice pick. My OS prescribe a compounded cream made up of a pain killer, antianflamatory, gabupentin and an analgesic. He said it was nerve pain due to stretching (can't remember the name of it) the nerve during the anterior approach for the thr.
I also have Iliopsoas tendonitis. Three months after the surgery I got a popping in my right hip. I have four ultrasound guided cortisone injections (2 in each groin) but no relief from the pain. Just so you know someone these unfortunate issues as well. I will put off the surgery to release the tendon as long as I can!!
I wonder if your nerve pain would benefit from the cream I had. Good luck!!! It