THR Post op trapped wind

chrisl

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I had my right hip replaced last Friday and am now home doing ok on the whole. Apart from crippling stomach ache, bloating and constipation! I was given lots of medication in hospital but am wondering when/if I need to worry about this as I’m feeling very sick and uncomfortable. Once I get this sorted I will post some things about my hip replacement. Any suggestions would be helpful. Have taken prunes, Andrews liver salts, Senakot, Tums etc. Many thanks and best wishes to all other newly recovering.
 
I found the wind moved a little as I did!! Is it not a combination of medication and non moving.
I used aloe Vera gel which helped but it’s still an issue a week later, especially at night :( with a painful belly.
 
I’m sure you’re right. I will try the aloe Vera. Thank you. How are you otherwise?
 
@chrisl
Constipation seems to get most of us after these ops. If you look in the links at the top of the page there are lots of ideas for things that have worked for others.
For my first op I phoned my DR for help 7 days later. She immediately asked me to stop taking codeine and gave a prescription for Laxido. I found that was very effective and gentle.
By the second time round I was more prepared, having read that pumpkin puree works well. It isn't as easy to come by in the UK as in the US but you can buy it in cans on line or maybe if you are in a city there might be a supermarket that stocks it. Fortunately for me Halloween was just around the corner so I got a couple of pumpkins, cooked and pureed and then put it in the freezer. I then used it as the base for a vegetable soup. Another success which I repeated for the 3rd op.
Whatever you try I hope it works soon because I know how miserable it makes you feel.
 
Hi @chrisl I'm sorry your having tummy issues with possible constipation. It sounds like your'e putting a lot of things in to help your bowels absorb fluids and become irritated in order to cause a bowel movement. I think this is why you are feeling bloated and uncomfortable- the main aim is to get the solids passed and sometimes the solids are 'stuck in ones bottom area' so to speak. Are you passing wind? Do you think you could talk to a pharmacist or your GP as they may suggest something to moisten any solid blockage . Like a glycerin suppository or little enema.or a change of medication in the first instance .
.( I have to disclose I am a nurse however today I am offering advice as a patient and my medical advice is to seek medical advice to get things checked properly )
I wish you well in your brand new recovery .
 
@chrisl So sorry you are suffering. Stool softeners versus laxatives might be better for you. Laxatives tend to give you the cramping you are experiencing. Lots of fluids and many of our members suggest warm prune juice.

Here's an article from our Library for you. Constipation and stool softeners
 
After my first hip surgery I was in a very bad way at about day 10. As a last resort before heading to emergency, my husband ran up to the pharmacy and got some glycerine. Once and done, it was like a miracle for me. I do hope you get things moving soon, it is so painful and nauseating. (If you are using a raised toilet seat - it helps to have something under your feet so you are more relaxed)
 
Hello @chrisl
The pain medications make you constipated, but you need to take them. To deal with my constipation, I had to ask my own doctor for a prescription for an aperient, which I needed to take for as long as I was on the pain medications.

I see that you haven't yet been given the recovery reading, so here it is - lots of useful and informative articles:
Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access these pages on the website

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Thank you for all your support and posts. Actually ended up back at the ward today as things got worse. They have changed my blood thinning medication from oral to self injecting. Bit scary at first but my tummy does feel slightly less hard. Just glad to not be feeling so much pain and sickness totally unrelated to the hip. Need to keep an eye on stools as was a lot of blood. Sorry gory details. Actual hip seems to be doing ok! I think I’d expected maybe a bit of constipation but I would now advise others not to wait if symptoms last more than a few days. Op was a week tomorrow so quite long to be in agony. Thanks again.
On a plus the sun was out and I walked round the garden centre slowly today!
 
I suffered a lot with constipation (and dry skin, and dry mouth, and fatigue, and ......) for about the first 3-4 weeks post -op and this site was a godsend! The article about constipation got me using Dulcoease, which was the first thing that stopped me having awful bloating/cramps etc with the codeine I had for pain management, and I probably stopped taking the codeine too early, just because of the constipation, therefore not having such good pain control :gaah:. Thankfully all these problems that loomed so large in those first few weeks have settled down, and I generally feel much more like my normal self, though the aches and twinges are still part of life :bored:
It is very early days and all will pass eventually.
Wishing you an uneventful recovery, and remember that slow and steady wins the race...
 
Hey @chrisl
Stopping by to wish you a Happy Two Month Anniversary!
If you're ever on the forum, please leave an update, we'd like to hear about your progress.
Enjoy the Summer!
 

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