Pain Meds?

[RickB]

YO! Gang,

OK here is another question, how long have you all be takeing pain meds? Is it one (1) month after your TKR , two (2), etc; Thanks!

God Bless,
Rick

 

[JudyS]

Hey Rick

I have not had knee experience yet. After my hip replacement I took percocet twice daily for over 2 months. Then I was prescribed percocet once again by my spine surgeon. June 6th was hip replacement and now only this last week some days I can skip it or take only 1. Again that is for back and neck pain.
Judy

 

[Josephine]

Could be anything from 6 weeks to 6 months - it all depends!

 

[Rowdy66]

How would over 25 years sound? Seriously. Rowdy

 

[Josephine]

Sounds just like my sister, poor gal!

 

[Doug]

I took the oxycodone for the better part of four months post surgery. After that, I've taken them three times.
It you need them take them..All these worries about addiction just didn't pan out.

 

[edk]

I took oxycodenone for about a month continuously. Then when I started driving
I stopped taking them during the day and only before bed. The one except was that
I would drive myself to PT, drop one when I was half way through my session, then I
could drive home, set up the ice machine and lay down leg elevated before I got
too loopy to function. After about 2 months it was occasional (like when low fronts
came through or I overdid). And after about 3 months they were gathering dust.

 

[schoust]

Seven weeks out and I am still taking them before and after the torture sessions! I mean PT. I am considering going back to work part time and more than likely will need to take them after work. Don't be in any hurry to say you don't need the med.s unless you are sure. I'm not sure at all hence the continued use. I'll no for sure when I'm ready to say enough is enough and so will you.

 

[Laurie]

Hi,
After reading this thread, am convinced that what most say is true--knee replacement is harder and more painful than hip. I stopped taking all but tylenol extra strength 4 days after RTHR. Was given a percoset prescription to take home from hospital rehab but never filled it as this drug and others after surgery made me sicker than the operation. However,I have kept that prescription if I am desparately in need after returning to work in three weeks.
The difference for me is that what I feel now is more achy and tolerable than the sharp deep pain before HR. Anybody know why tylenol is "prescribed" instead of ibuprofen?

Laurie

 

[JudyS]

You are lucky Laurie
Four days after my hip replacement I was still in the hospital and in lots of pain getting my 1,000 pound leg off the bed.

Judy

 

[missyc]

Hi, I'm 2 days shy of being 6 weeks post op. I came home from rehab (12 days post-op) on 30 mg of oxycontin plus oxycodone as needed. Over the past couple weeks I've been weaning off the oxycontin and switched to percocet (taking 3-4 a day). This weekend I finally finished weaning and ended the oxycontin for good (did not like how it affected me mood or brain-wise). But today my pain is much more significant! So I might go up to 5 percocet for a little while. I can't imagine I'll be off of everything for a while yet.

Melissa

 

[Laurie]

Judy, I have been fortunate re: my recovery but I do remember feeling the heavy weight of the right leg now that you mention it. The challenge I have now is stengthening the muscle that runs down my groin to below knee. Continues to hurt when I do pt exercises and walk alot.

Wish I had easy access to a pool like you do.

Laurie

 

[RickB]

YO! Gang,

Thanks so very much for your inputs. I have been trying to reduce my intake of Hydrocodone. I have reduced it so I am only taking one before bed and one before PT. I still have pain the other times ( 3-5 on the 10 scale) and just wanted to know if I should take more and worry about taking to much later on. My BTKR-RTKR Aug 23, LTKR Sep 4.

God Bless,
Rick

 

[JenniferG]

I took something to some extent for about 2.5 to 3 months. Percs & tramadol to start (2knees) then vicodin & tramadol, then just tramadol. The usual not if driving and revolving around PT. Ibuprophen straight through, but I have other aches & pains. Then magically one day that only dose at bedtime became no longer necessary.

 

[Linda2]

You are lucky Laurie
Four days after my hip replacement I was still in the hospital and in lots of pain getting my 1,000 pound leg off the bed.

Judy

Now that was my laugh for today. It's the same thing for knees--that leg is HEAVY!!

 

[edk]

Hi,
After reading this thread, am convinced that what most say is true--knee replacement is harder and more painful than hip. Laurie

Yeah theres a lot more hard and connective tissue damage in knee replacement than
in hip so it hurts more. On the flip side on the day after surgery you don't really have
to worry about damaging your knee. Hips are a lot more picky and if you're not a good
boy/girl you can end up with dislocations etc.

 

[Josephine]

YO! Gang,

Thanks so very much for your inputs. I have been trying to reduce my intake of Hydrocodone. I have reduced it so I am only taking one before bed and one before PT. I still have pain the other times ( 3-5 on the 10 scale) and just wanted to know if I should take more and worry about taking to much later on. My BTKR-RTKR Aug 23, LTKR Sep 4.

God Bless,
Rick

Short answer - YES! Your last surgery was not even 4 weeks ago. You must have adequate pain control in order to help your body to heal.

The longer answer is that it goes like this:
- pain causes your body to increase the produce of adrenaline and corticosteroids.
- increased adrenaline and c/steroids diminishes your immune system and healing processes
- a subdues immune system also affects the healing process
- pain consumes energy which is needed for healing and makes you overly tired and feeling exhausted
- lack of energy also diminishes the body's ability to heal
- diminished healing makes you vulnerable to infection
- finally, pain prevents you from getting the most out of your PT and general activities

So you get the picture - you want to heal and rehab well, control the pain!

 

[Linda2]

Short answer - YES! Your last surgery was not even 4 weeks ago. You must have adequate pain control in order to help your body to heal.

The longer answer is that it goes like this:

- pain consumes energy which is needed for healing and makes you overly tired and feeling exhausted
- lack of energy also diminishes the body's ability to heal
- diminished healing makes you vulnerable to infection
- finally, pain prevents you from getting the most out of your PT and general activities

So you get the picture - you want to heal and rehab well, control the pain!

No wonder I'm feeling so darned tired and useless!

 

[JackieS]

I guess I lucked out with my OS as I really didn't talk to him about meds pre-surgery. I'm now almost five months out and I get pains and aches when I overdo things. It's nowhere near like it was pre-surgery. I'm so glad I had it done! But, I had the complication of a blood clot and I'm on Coumadin which limits my over the counter favorites such as Aleve or Advil. I've been told I can take Tylenol but know there are limits with it.

I saw my OS (routine follow-up) last week after not asking for any pain medication for about a month and a half, maybe two months. I asked him if I could possibly have something as I really want to limit the Tylenol in my system. One Vicodin ES has about half the acetaminophen than two Arthritis Extra Strength Tylenol have. And one Vicodin really seems to do a better job than two Tylenol.

To my shock and gratitude, he didn't bat an eye. Of course, when he asked what he had been giving me ... "Was I giving you Oxycontin?" -- I had to laugh and remind him he never gave me any of the really heavy duty, it was Vicodin ES. But I walked out with a prescription in hand and he told me that until I'm off the Coumadin, just give his office a call if I need something.

I'm so happy I chose him to do this -- he did a fine job with my knee, is very understanding about pain issues, seems to be personally happy for me and how well my knee is doing, and he's even got a good personality.

Now if I could find a boss like that.
;-)

--Jackie
LTKR 5/14/08