TKR 8 months after TKR

Hello again, @rmc1021

Once again, we've had to merge two of your threads together. This is the third time .

Please don't keep starting new threads. There's no need for it and it makes extra work for the staff.

We like people to have just one recovery thread.
This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you.

So please keep all your questions and updates on this thread.
Don't worry that we won't see your question because, between us, the staff read all new posts every day.

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.

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I am 4 weeks and 3 days since my tkr surgery, I am.still on pain meds which I try to not take only before therapy and at night, I was told I should be off them by now, I still have pain and still feel I need them , it's the issue with addiction down here in Florida, has anyone had problems getting pain meds after 1 month?
I will let you know after my doctor’s appointment tomorrow. It’s my 4 week post op follow up after bilateral TKR on July 6th. I’m going to ask for refills for my hydrocodone (don’t know if they’ll give it to me) and my Tramadol (might be more successful getting this one).

I have been pretty upset about the lack of availability of consistent pain meds during this whole thing. I started having to ration what I took during my second week post op. This past week, I barely had enough to get through the nights and PT appointments. The only way I made it through was by not taking anything but 2 Tylenol every 6 hours during the day most of this week even though there were a couple of days I was in a good amount of pain. After my Wednesday PT session and 8 minutes on an exercise bike, I was down for almost 3 days due to pain behind my right knee that radiated down to my calf, around to my shin and to my foot. I didn’t sleep for 4 nights. I spent those days in bed icing, elevating, using the heating pad, and only doing walking every couple of hours. I scraped my other exercises for 2 of those 4 days because I hurt too much to do them, and I didn’t have the pain pills to spare. Today my therapist finally figured out what is going on. My right hamstring is so tight it is messing everything up in my right leg, causing knots in my lower leg muscles and hindering my progress. My left leg is much further ahead. He gave me some additional stretches and exercises to do to correct it, but in the meantime, I still need some pain meds. Plus I’ve noticed that the pain meds also lessen the stiffness and heaviness in both my knees.

I am not in any way worried about addiction. I haven’t taken enough regularly to get addicted to. What I am concerned about is being able to move and sleep comfortably because healing happens with movement and plenty of sleep.
 
I am.still on pain meds which I try to not take only before therapy and at night, I was told I should be off them by now, I still have pain and still feel I need them , it's the issue with addiction down here in Florida, has anyone had problems getting pain meds after 1 month?
Now to answer your questions.
It's normal to still need some pain medication at 1 month post-op.
You don't need to be off pain meds, but probably your doctor would like you to be off the narcotics by now.
What are you taking?

It's not a good idea to be taking pain meds so you can get through PT. If you have to do that, the PT is too much for your new knee. PT should be gentle and it should not hurt.

You can get good pain relief if you take Tylenol regularly, not just now and then.
The most effective way to take Tylenol is 2 x 500 mg tablets (Tylenol Extra Strength, not Tylenol Arthritis)) 6-hourly, to a total of 4,000 mg (4 doses) in 24 hours. You need to take it regularly, to keep up the levels in your bloodstream. If you just take the odd dose now and then, it's far less effective.

Check all other medications you're taking, to make sure there is no Tylenol/Acetaminophen/Paracetamol in them. If there is, scale back one or two of your regular doses, so you stay within that safe 24 hour limit of 4,000 mg.
 
I was just wondering if anyone has experienced sharp pain shooting through their scar area. Also anything that touches the scar area like blanket etc aggravates it. Is this all normal?
yes that is very normal
 
I was just wondering if anyone has experienced sharp pain shooting through their scar area. Also anything that touches the scar area like blanket etc aggravates it. Is this all normal?
Yes, that's all normal.

WE call those shooting pains zingers and they are little electric shocks, sent out by the nerve endings that were cut during surgery and are now trying to re-connect or to find a different pathway. They will eventually die down, given time.

As for the scar itself feeling over-sensitive, you probably need to start de-sensitizing it. Start off by touching it gently with a soft piece of cloth. When it's used to that, gradually increase the roughness of the cloth, until you can touch the scar with a bathroom towel. At night, try covering your knee with a crepe bandage, to stop the bedclothes from rubbing on it.
 
Another way to help control your pain is to try to prevent unnecessary, additional pain, namely, PT that causes more pain and swelling than you already have. Painful PT is not necessary in order to have a good outcome, though too many of us are told that it is necessary.
 
Can I just say the moderators and advisors here are the bomb! What a supportive group!
Mc@1021, find something to take your mind off sleep when it doesn't come. When I couldn't sleep I got up, watched a couple of episodes of Frazier or some other comedy and that took mind mind off my woes. At that point I went back to bed and usually slept for awhile. At 4 wks. or so I finally slept more but not normally for months. Naps are your friends!
 
I am 4 weeks and 3 days since my tkr surgery, I am.still on pain meds which I try to not take only before therapy and at night, I was told I should be off them by now, I still have pain and still feel I need them , it's the issue with addiction down here in Florida, has anyone had problems getting pain meds after 1 month?
I will let you know after my doctor’s appointment tomorrow. It’s my 4 week post op follow up after bilateral TKR on July 6th. I’m going to ask for refills for my hydrocodone (don’t know if they’ll give it to me) and my Tramadol (might be more successful getting this one).

I have been pretty upset about the lack of availability of consistent pain meds during this whole thing. I started having to ration what I took during my second week post op. This past week, I barely had enough to get through the nights and PT appointments. The only way I made it through was by not taking anything but 2 Tylenol every 6 hours during the day most of this week even though there were a couple of days I was in a good amount of pain. After my Wednesday PT session and 8 minutes on an exercise bike, I was down for almost 3 days due to pain behind my right knee that radiated down to my calf, around to my shin and to my foot. I didn’t sleep for 4 nights. I spent those days in bed icing, elevating, using the heating pad, and only doing walking every couple of hours. I scraped my other exercises for 2 of those 4 days because I hurt too much to do them, and I didn’t have the pain pills to spare. Today my therapist finally figured out what is going on. My right hamstring is so tight it is messing everything up in my right leg, causing knots in my lower leg muscles and hindering my progress. My left leg is much further ahead. He gave me some additional stretches and exercises to do to correct it, but in the meantime, I still need some pain meds. Plus I’ve noticed that the pain meds also lessen the stiffness and heaviness in both my knees.

I am not in any way worried about addiction. I haven’t taken enough regularly to get addicted to. What I am concerned about is being able to move and sleep comfortably because healing happens with movement and plenty of sleep.
I promised I’d report back about pain meds after my 4 week post op appointment today. My doctor readily refilled both my hydrocodone and my Tramadol prescriptions. I think he did this because he saw how long I made them last and how sparingly I used them. He knew at that point that I was truly using them for pain control when I needed them, and I was not a big risk for addiction.

He did say that he wants me off pain meds at the 6 week mark. If pain goes on that long, they worry that there is something else going on (like loose hardware) that is causing the pain issues. So hopefully I turn the pain corner soon!!!!
 
I'm glad you got some more pain meds. It sounds like your doc treats his patients as individuals. :thumb:
I took pain meds for 6 weeks, but by 6 weeks it was only at bedtime (and tylenol during the day). My guess is you'll be able to do that once you get over this pain hump.
 
Well my doctor called in a prescription for 12 oxycodone and he is going down on the strength and amount each time, I make them last as long as I can but the pain I am still getting(especially night after PT) is still strong and I dont think I will be ready to stop them when they are wanting me too. I also had to tell 2 PT to STOP when they were pushing me too hard at therapy, there response is well what time did u take your pain med before coming in, bottom line they want to push too hard and I am not allowing it. I dont feel I should go home and be up all night in pain because PT was too much.
 
If PT is this painful it is the wrong PT for you. It is not necessary and is not in your best interest.

You won’t need as much pain medication if you stop this inappropriate PT. Either find another PT or do your own rehab at home, gently, at your pace.
 
Rmc@1021 I’m so sorry you are going through this with your pain medicine. This is a tough recovery to begin with, and to not have adequate pain medicine is unbelievable. Have you called your primary Dr to see if he might write for it to get you through your recovery? I have a pain management Dr and Thank God he was willing to give me pain medicine to be able to rehab after this surgery. I don’t know how they expect you to go to Pt without pain medicine. I’m praying things get easier for you.
 
don’t know how they expect you to go to Pt without pain medicine.
I think we posted about the same time:
If PT is this painful it is the wrong PT for you. It is not necessary and is not in your best interest.

You won’t need as much pain medication if you stop this inappropriate PT. Either find another PT or do your own rehab at home, gently, at your pace.
 
rmc@1021...... This is my 1st post. I'm 6 days & 3 days out, respectively, from bilateral TKR. I may still have the lingering effects of anistesia. My pain comes when I move. As others in here have have said, ice and elevation are my FRIENDS. Keep your eye on where you were and where you'll be in 6 months. I'd have turned into a crippled old man had I not done this. Another blessing I've discovered is a powered lift chair / recliner. I couldn't see doing this without it. I sleep in the chair. Sleeping in bed dosen't work for me. Look into one. Rent to own furniture stores carry them, im paying $125 / month.

Hang in there. If other people can do it, you can too!!
 
the pain I am still getting(especially night after PT)
If you get pain after PT, then your knee is not ready for what you are doing. When you have to recover from taking PT, then it's setting your recovery back. Find another facility or stop it altogether and do it yourself. That's what many of us have done and had a good outcome.
I also had to tell 2 PT to STOP when they were pushing me too hard at therapy, their response is well what time did u take your pain med before coming in, bottom line they want to push too hard and I am not allowing it.
You are never supposed to take pain meds to be able to do PT. You need to feel the pain so you'll know when to stop. Having that pain masked means another time of doing too much and setting back your recovery.
 
@Grem, I see you are a new member. How about starting your own recovery thread and tell us all about yourself and your surgery date. Having all journey's personal information in one thread will be easy for you and us to find.
 
My PT told me if it still hurt after 2 hours, I had done too many exercises/too much activity.

I was lucky because when I had my tkrs they weren't so stingy with the pain meds. I was able to time my doses so that I had usually had pain meds within a couple of hours of my PT appointments. But--and this is a big point--I didn't take pain meds *in order to* do PT.
 
I just had surgery July 2, I am so stressed out from not sleeping, its causing me to just sit and cry, my knee is so tight and no matter which way I try and lay down it doesn’t matter, the tape, the tightness and swolleness, I know alot people said this was a long and painful recovery, but if I knew it was this bad I might have opted out. I'm just really discouraged right now, I'm doing my stretches and just started PT, one of the techs said it's going to get better, dont give up, I keep holding onto those words. I'm glad there are people here who understand.

Have you tried sleeping on the floor, I had TKR on 6/29 and cant sleep on the couch so i moved to the floor with a blanket between my knees and a couple of blankets with a pillow on top for when i need a different position and will lay on my back. Pillow gives me a place to rest knee with no pain. I got no sleep on couch!
 
Have you tried sleeping on the floor, I had TKR on 6/29 and cant sleep on the couch so i moved to the floor
A general caution about this: Before you get down on the floor, first be certain that you have been shown how to get up off the floor safely.

If your usual way of getting up from the floor involves any kneeling - don't.
You don't want to be trying to kneel on a very new knee, believe me.
And you certainly don't want to find you're stuck on the floor.
 

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