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THR Scorow's second hip recovery thread

Day 5, like Day 4, was not great. Little sleep and generally uncomfortable again last night. No energy and mostly just didn't feel good all day. Pain is controlled for the most part, just a dull ache towards the end of the meds cycle. First visit with home health nurse and PT and everything looks fine.

Ready to get this first week behind me.
 
What you’re experiencing is very typical. With some time, this will improve. Be sure and nap during the day so that you do get adequate rest.
 
Week one just about done…then onto week 2.
Slow & steady. Your energy is going to healing. You know it will get better.
You are veteran of replacement. That’s a good thing to have on your side even though each recovery is unique.
All my best.
 
scorow said:
Ready to get this first week behind me.
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May this week feel better than the last.
Stay in touch, we're here if you need us, scorow.
 
Day 6. Sleep still very elusive - I think that I saw every hour on the clock last night - but catching enough naps while icing that it's not too bad. The nights just seem to last forever. Took first walk outside yesterday and repeated today. Just down to house next door aan back, but felt good to get outside for a few minutes.

Tomorrow is only one week post surgery, but this hip seems to be recovering a bit slower than last time. But that was 5 years ago and my bounce- back ability may be slightly less than it was then. So far, so good.
 
Ahhh, that post-op sleep conundrum: Just when we need sleep most, it becomes elusive. That's why our recovery mantra is "sleep whenever you can, wherever you can!"

scorow said:
this hip seems to be recovering a bit slower than last time. But that was 5 years ago and my bounce- back ability may be slightly less than it was then
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Remember that every hip is different -- even two hips in the same body. And, as you note, you are still very early days!

Hang in there.
 
I remember the sleeplessness and it's no fun at all. All I can say is, eventually it does pass. I think week two is a turning point and things start to ease back into a feeling of more normality. I imagine walking may help you with sleeping too.
 
Well, I was warned and can now confirm that if you have a second THR, the recovery process may not be the same for the second one. Definitely feeling more pain yesterday and last night than I did last time, as well as some kind of occasional "popping" feeling in the joint. Not due to "pushing it", as I'm being more conservative in recovery than last time. I don't think the popping is an issue, but I didn't experience that last time.

I also seem to be having a problem with the meds. Like last time, the protocol is fairly large doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen every 8 hours. Like last time, that seems to control the pain pretty well (have not needed opiods), but this time it now seems to give me a pretty good headache. Its bad enough that I need to adjust the meds to reduce it. Figuring out the balance is challenging.

Surgery was one week ago today. Last time, I was on the upswing by now. This time, not so much. Planning on minimizing PT/ walking today and try to get things better under control. Just going to be a different timeline than last time.
 
scorow said:
the protocol is fairly large doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen every 8 hours.
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Just a tip on managing this combination for optimal pain relief:

Acetaminophen: Take 2 extra strength tables (500 mg each) every six hours (4 times a day) -- as long as none of your other medications contain acetaminophen. It's important not to exceed 4000 mgs/day and not to exceed 1000 mg at a time.

ibuprofen: You can take 2-3 200mg tablets every 4-6 hours, but be careful not to exceed 3600 mg/day. Never take more than 800 mg at once. Also, since ibuprofen can cause bleeding, be sure that your surgical team has approved the dosage -- especially if you are taking other blood thinners (aspirin, etc.)

For me, staggering the dosing of the two so I could take something every 3 hours worked well. Again, we are all different, so you need to find what works best for you.

As a reminder, here is a link to the pain management chart https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads...ing-pain-after-a-tkr-and-the-pain-chart.7969/
 
I hope you find a balance with the meds and you are able to have a better night tonight.

Did you have the same surgery approach last time? Posterior or anterior?
 
I think what we call paracetamol in the Uk is the same thing as acetominophen. The drug schedule I had was to take the paracetamol 4 times a day - 6am, 12pm, 6pm and before going to bed. Take the ibuprofen 3 times a day at 8am, 2pm, 8pm. It seemed to work for me. I found it helped to ice just before going to bed too.
 
Thanks, all. Both of my THRs have been anterior. My protocol was similar: acetaminophen (paracetamol) 650 mg x2 every 8 hour and ibuprofen 800 mg x1 every 8 hours. It works well at controlling the pain (and did last time).

Apparently, some can have rebound headaches (there is some official name for it) after continuous use of these meds, especially at near-max daily dosages. Being 5 years older than last time, my sensitivity to the meds may have increased. Cutting the dose back seems to largely avoid the headache, and Home Health nurse this AM encouraged carefully testing lower doses. I'm making sure to hit the ice hard especially after activity, and hopefully will find the sweet spot.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Best news is that I got my dressing changed, wound looks good, and I'm good to go for a shower!
 
Yes I find I get rebound headaches if I stay at that dosage for long. Hopefully your new regime will find the sweet spot, and enjoy that shower. I was awfully grateful to be allowed to shower from day 1.
 
Cutting the meds in half made a big difference. Rebound headache is now gone, sleep is slightly better (but still a long way to go), but pain remains controlled along with regular icing and elevations.

As I begin Day 1 of the second week, I think I've turned the corner and am on the upswing. Energy level is much better. Walking without aids now, though keeping very conservative. Determined to not fall into the trap of overdoing it now that I'm starting to feel better.
 
scorow said:
Apparently, some can have rebound headaches
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Yes, your body can begin to rely on these pain meds and as levels drop a withdrawal-like headache can set in.
Attempt to get adequate rest / sleep, stay hydrated and keep a nutritionally balanced diet.
Good to read that cutting back on meds eliminated the headache and you're sleeping better! I hope you enjoyed the shower. First showers are great, but can be short due to low energy. I think the first couple wiped me out!
Have a great Thursday, scorow!
 
scorow said:
Determined to not fall into the trap of overdoing it now that I'm starting to feel better.
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Very good decision!

Glad that reducing your medication dosage helped with the headaches.
 
I think you are doing amazingly well for so early in your recovery. And I love that you are mindful of the tendency to overdo things when more normal feelings return. You’ve got this!!
 
It's great that you are turning a corner and being able to reduce the medication seems very positive. The side effects certainly can add another layer of discomfort. That's interesting that your meds include Ibuprofen. There seems diverse opinion regarding what works best. I really wish I'd been able to take anti-inflammatory meds as it would have made early recovery a lot smoother. Those normal feelings definitely temp us into more activity and so really sensible to be on your guard.
 
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