Pre Op pain

[Mick0153]

Hello Everyone.
I had my right knee replaced replaced February 2018. I was the best thing I ever did.

I am currently scheduled for TKR of my left knee for July 10 2019. I am experiencing excruciating bone pain. There is no rhyme or reason as to when it hurts.

I am not a big fan of pain meds. After my surgery I did take dilaudid while in the hospital and also while I was in a rehab facility for two weeks. Once I came home the meds stopped and I went to PT for three months.

The pain I am currently experiencing is the worst I have ever had. I don't want to be a slave to pain meds until July and I'm looking for alternatives or suggestions.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Cynof4]

@Mick0153,

While waiting on my upcoming RTKR I have found relief a couple of ways. I am taking Celebrex and Tylenol at regular intervals., and Tramadol when needed. I have also been using the icing machine with compression that was ordered for my surgery (Game Ready). My nutritionist recommended a high protein diet which I am trying to follow as well. I've also tried deep tissue massages and any number of oils, salves, etc.
To be honest, none of it really touches the deep aching pain and sharp stabbing pains I have. However, I do feel better after the icing (with compression on medium). When I really can't walk another step, I take a Tramadol and a nap. Sometimes just the restorative power of sleep calms things down.

Hang in there! I truly felt like June 12th was a million miles away when I booked my surgery in early March. However, it's now less than 3 weeks away! Good luck to you on your second knee journey!

~Cynthia

 

[rosieNZ]

Hi Mike
Yes its just plain nasty and debilitating.
Like Cynthia I tried everything.
Celecoxib (celebrex) plus paracetamol (?tylenol) is worth it especially if taken regularly as prescribed.
After that it was ice for me. I had several knee braces which could take a gel pack (to freeze). I found that helpful for numbing. The gel pack remains cold enough for 15-20 minutes and then takes 2 hours ish to refreeze so you need a few of them.
I also purchased an ice compression machine for post op which I used. After surgery I hired a Game Ready. If you can do that (and if you can manage it or have someone to help if needed, sorry not sure how disabled you are) then this is fantastic. There are other ice and compression machines which I haven't tried so cant comment on them. Game Ready is used by professional sports teams. In our country, our rugby teams own these machines themselves so I hired mine. It was $200 per week to hire so you probably wouldn't want to do that for lengthy periods. Best wishes. Rosie

 

[Celle]

There really are no pain medications that will control pre-op pain when your knee is bone-on-bone. However, as the other said, icing your knee often helps.
This article explains:
Ice to control pain and swelling

Here are some articles to help you prepare for your surgery:
If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic knee?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

Regardless of where you are in the process, the website and app My Knee Guide can help you stay organized and informed. The free service keeps all the information pertaining to your surgery and recovery in one place on your smartphone. It is intended to be a personal support tool for the entire process.

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced knee, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing knee recoveries

 

[kneeper]

I hear you. I had to go several months between the decision for tkr and the actual surgery. Icing (gel packs), elevating and tylenol was what I did. And I did have to scale back my activities.

 

[Josephine]

I am not a big fan of pain meds.

I wouldn't worry - experience (personal and on here) has taught me that there are no pain meds that will effectively damp down bone-on-bone pain.