Guest viewing is limited

TKR Second TKR - First had Arthrofibrosis

Josephine, my early extension numbers on this site were stated as -5, since that is how my OS stated them to me. As a math person, I thought it a bit strange, but I see your scale fits in line with my thinking. So it really was a +5 and after MUA it was a +15. It is now +4 at the beginning of a PT session and it was a first time since surgery +2 at the end of the session. My good left leg is truly a -2.

My MUA was at the end of September, which means I am approaching 7 months post op. I have been taking tylenol and acetaminophen routinely for the past 9 months. Just this week I started to wean myself from the one neurontin that I have been taking nightly. I slept horribly last night. Not sure if this is why or if it might be other causes. Overall I have been sleeping much better since I found Bonesmart. That was also about the time I switched to a different PT approach, too.

I had no idea that is normal to still have swelling a year out.
 
Hi Martha,

My knee is still swollen compared to my non TKR knee, bu it doesn't feel stiff like it did when it was true swelling and hot. I have not paid much attention to it to be honest. As for pain, I still have it occasionally and do take the Bonesmart cocktail as needed. I assume this will abate with more time.

Congrats on your improvement! You should be so proud since it was such a short time ago that you thought surgery might be on the horizon! I hope it all continues on this trajectory, you've worked patiently for it!

Be well,

Dawn
 
I still swell and yes still have some pain. I had errands to run and went out yesterday. I ended up having to end my day earlier than I wanted, as my feet couldn't tolerate it. I have plantar fasciitis and arthritis in my feet, and that is stopping me from walking further. But....my knees were pretty sore too. I just think at this stage it is normal for "me" as I still have some straightening issues, although I do not feel like I limp. Hope that answers some of your questions. Oh and stairs going up no problem, still an issue going down. Hugs!
 
Guess where I am tonight. It is my sister's birthday weekend and we made plans a couple of weeks ago for me to come down. She lives in the spotlight of the world - Watertown, MA, within 4 blocks of where it all went down. So I was on hold about coming down. Glad the police finished the manhunt last night.

My knee is hurting a bit after the 3 hour drive and 3 hours at the theater, or maybe it is from 1.5 hours of bending down and putting up netting to keep the soon to be born goat kids from climbing through the fences.

You are absolutely right, Dawn, I am elated about the gains in ROM, I remained concerned about the swelling and the pain while doing stairs. I guess the swelling, I shouldn't be overly concerned about. And I guess I'm not alone in experiencing pain this far out. Still doesn't mean I wouldn't like to leave it behind. Hugs to you, too, Nanners.
 
Hi Martha,

Glad your sister and family are okay after this ordeal, and happy you get to be there to celebrate her birthday, I bet she appreciates the effort!

Those first few long car rides are no fun. I found that I had to stop and stretch occasionally, which helped. It's all trial and error. With time, you will see the pain fade and the stairs become less challenging.

Be well,

Dawn
 
I do okay riding in the car, its when I have to finally get out that I have issues. I am really stiff for a bit until things warm up. I must look so funny on those first few steps though! LOL
 
I did a long trip at Thanksgiving time that we stopped every hour or two to give me a walk about break. I was in Watertown a couple of months ago without much recall of needing to stop to move about. Coming down I stopped halfway to get gas and wash the car windows.

I'm writing from Watertown. We just got back to my sister's house, which is about 4 blocks from the police shootout scene, where the older brother was killed. We tried to see past all the crime scene tape to where the younger one was apprehended. The police were out with survey equipment and in what appeared to be the backyard where he was found inside the boat, there was someone up high in a hazmat suit.

Interesting hearing everyone talking at dinner last night and at church this morning. So many different perspectives and yet so close to being the same. Everyone locked in their homes glued to the media trying to learn as much as possible about what was happening.

I needed my exercise today walking around Watertown with my sister to walk off the birthday dinner we had. We went to China Pearl that her two Chinese students she hosts recommended along with some of her friends. We filled a table of 9 and enjoyed the dim sum.

Wondering if any of you have been on gabapentin for any length of time and had any issues withdrawing from it?
 
hhilltop said:
I had no idea that is normal to still have swelling a year out.
Click to expand...
Recovery from TKR surgery can take upwards to a year---and so the swelling can be there, too. Remember how much surgical trauma was done to the knee, and the swelling will make a little more sense.

For what it is worth, I really felt much, much better---close to 90%-95% at about eight months---and that was also when the selling diminished significantly
 
Are you working with the prescribing physician to wean off gabapentin? Sometimes a written schedule is needed.

I got off a benzo once and the doctor totally and utterly underestimated what was involved (it was worse than TKR recovery!). In general, a slow taper is best.
 
I've been on one pill at night for a long time. I didn't begin to think going to no pill at night would be a big problem. I guess my OS didn't either, but when it was a problem, we tapered it from 300mg to 200mg for a week and last night I started 100mg for a week before I will again try 0. I still feel like I'm on a roller coaster - some nights tossing about, others sleeping much longer. Wasn't too bad last night - a couple of relatively short wake ups to turn over a few times. Is gabapentine a benzo?

maryo52
 
I went looking for neurontin or gabapentin in the Bonesmart library and couldn't find it in the index - maybe it's in an article on various medications somewhere, but I didn't find it.

So then I did a search on it on the site and found some of you that have been recently seen on BS that have made mention of it. Curious - how long have you been on it? I recall needing to step it up slowly and deciding I shouldn't take it during the day. I've been on it for a long time. Now I'm having a tough time with my sleep as I try to wean myself from it. Do any of you have comments you can share about your experiences with it?

medan2012, @Pumpkin, RestAssured, Titianlady, beekeeper,
 
Gabapentin, generic term for neurontin, is an anti seizure medication. It is prescribed to relieve nerve pain too! I had a try with it for peroneal nerve pain before my knee replacement, but even at the lowest dosage, it made me dizzy and nonfunctional.

I only used it for a couple of days as I simply did not like what it did to me.
 
I tried it for a few days, side effects got worse, so I stopped. If you are on it for a period of time you need to taper off. Best to check with your doctor or pharmacist.
 
I'm telling my PT's that I'm ready to take a vacation from my knee. I've gotten 120 ROM on my own and 130 with my PT pushing it somewhat hard. It's spring - time to get out clean the garden, plant seeds... I don't want to be worrying about doing my exercises all the time. I'll be getting it in other fashions, I know.

The downside of this decision is that I may get to the year mark in 3 months and have regrets. I may find I'm still dealing with pain trying to do the stairs and that I may still need surgery to remove scar tissue that's there and isn't going to loosen up on its own.

Some of you have been there. Could you comment - does scar tissue removal require a revision? Can you point me to any great articles? Thanks.

maryo52, Dhare63, skigirl
 
Hi Martha!

I have been on Neurontin since 1999. It is used for MS as well as nerve pain. I take 400mg at lunch and it helps me. Of course, mine has nothing to do with the knee replacement. Well maybe. I didn't have nerve pain that some people describe. So I guess what I am telling you is, I don't know what it should do in your case. :whistle:

Sorry, I guess I could have said I don't know in the first place, but "the Shy One" needed to speak and say hello! :heehee:
 
Martha,
Many Bonesmarties do just fine with out formal PT. You have great ROM, and plan on being active. Go ahead and take a vacation, if you feel yourself sliding, go back.
 
Martha, I am not totally sure what you are asking . . . will you have regrets about ending pt? Here is my take---you have good rom so I am not sure if you have adhesions (scar tissue) in your knee. I had removal of adhesions (Open lysis of adhesions) at the two year mark, so there is no rush. I also had a spacer replacement as the spacer was a little small and I had some movement in the knee.

If you are still having difficulty with stairs with a 120/130 rom, then I think your muscles are not strengthened enough. I had to do a lot of that in pt---so, perhaps you could revisit the pt for strengthening exercises only. I had my pt give me three workouts--he wrote them down--and then I did them at the gym myself. it was too boring to do the same thing, hence the need for three workouts.

Otherwise, I think you will have to take your cue from your OS and whatever he recommends---or from a second opinion.
 
Ditto what Kelly said!

I think the daily activity of living will be fine, along with some specific strenthening exercise you can do in your own. You have made such good progress that at least for the foreseeable future, another surgery seems unlikely.

It was a glorious day yesterday, hope you enjoyed it. Next Saturday is Vermont Green Up, hope we have another similar day!

Be well,

Dawn
 
You will most likely find that when you take your "knee-cation," your pain diminishes. Your knee will reward you for your kindness. You will not cause any harm by not doing PT. My "knee-cation" was gonna be for a week (it was at the six months mark), but became more or less permanent. Although now I'm trying to build my quad some. You can always do that later. Your leg will increase ROM on its own.
 
Martha, I was originally prescribed Neurontin for muscle spams before I decided to have a TKR. Since my TKR, I will take one at bedtime so I can sleep and not have to take pain medications.

I usually take one or the other but not both. The Neurontin seems to be stronger than my pain medication Norco. I've been taking Neurontin for several years off and on and my PCP is onboard with me taking Neurontin. I have my annual exam this Wednesday and I think I will revisit the pros & cons with her after listening to some of the posts
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Staff online

  • benne68
    benne68
    Staff member since February 4, 2022
  • Jockette
    Jockette
    Staff member since March 18, 2018

Members online

Total: 1,020 (members: 4, guests: 1,016)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom