THR Struggling with Recovery - THR

[Jamie]

I wasn't very clear. I'm already taking 1000mg of Tylenol on a regular schedule - every 6-8 hrs. I tried Celebrex in the past, it makes me really groggy & didn't seem to help with the stomach issues.

Sorry....I missed that. And I'm sorry the Celebrex didn't work for you. From what you describe about the surgery, it's no wonder that you have some additional pain. I think your "go slow" approach is an excellent idea, especially since you are limited on medications. It is important that you keep inflammation to a minimum for good healing. So, if you find that the Tylenol isn't enough, you cold speak with your GP about trying Tramadol. It is a prescription medication, but not as controlled as the opioids. It can also be taken with Tylenol.

I'm glad you're paying attention to the signals your body is giving you about activity and rest. It's a tough balance sometimes because you shouldn't be totally immobile. Sometimes you just have to experiment a little and then adjust to whatever happens.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Welcome & so sorry to hear about your struggles.
But along with the Extra Strength Tylenol you also need the BIG "Patience" pill! LOL!.
It's not easy to be patient, trust me, we've all experienced just wanting to get back to day to day life.
We will be here to travel this recovery road with you.

 

[Zorro]

Hello Jefro,
You are relatively young for THR, but it is still wise to be conservative with your exercise and activities. Even to be hyper-conservative and vigilant.
You might put more of an emphasis on your post-THR diet and eating nutrient-dense foods that promote healing.
Also, you might focus on being positive and engineering good feelings and joy in your life.
God bless you.

 

[jefro]

Thanks for the feedback. I am very focused on eating a very healthy pescatarian diet. I also do meditation & ETF tapping to help with relaxation.

The last 4 days I have done no activity except the bare minimum on my Walker but I am having severe pain in the AM & even with the Oxy & OTC meds it still hurts pretty bad. I'm also having some muscle spasms. I know it can take a long time for the soft tissue to heal but it is disturbing that it is not improving with rest.

-Jeff

 

[Jamie]

Please try to not compare with anyone. You are right where your body should be. You’re beginning this recovery at 2 months out. There are so many factors in play that the range for “normal” in recovery is quite large. You are doin just fine. Are you icing as much as you can? It really helps with pain.

 

[jefro]

Thanks for the encouragement!

Yes, I ice and elevate most of the day. I have a wedge that i use to stay elevated while I'm in bed, which is most of the time lately. I use the Magic Gel for hips a couple times a day, usually 45 minutes at a time. Besides that, I have bags of ice that I use several times a day. They aren't as cold as the Magic Gel but they last for a long time and never leak.

Has anyone used Robaxin with success? It is a muscle relaxer that I was prescribed after my hip replacement on 1/6. I tried it once on 1/15 but it just made me groggy & didn't seem to help the pain. Also, I didn't notice many spasms during my initial recovery.

I took one about 20 minutes ago. I have been getting some noticeable muscle spasms the past few days so I figured I'd try it again to see if it might help calm down this recent flare-up.

 

[Trotter]

Please do not compare your journey with any one else. It maybe frustrating but it is not a race. Listen to your body at all times.

 

[Jamie]

Muscle relaxants can help, but they don’t work for everyone. If you are noticing muscle spasms, it was a good idea to try them again. You should notice some improvement within an hour or so. Be sure and drink a full 8 ounces of water with them.

 

[mendogal]

Another thing many of us find helpful for muscle spasms or muscle cramps is an OTC oral magnesium supplement.
(Personally I take a low dose calcium-magnesium-zinc capsule daily, but at least three times a week a plain magnesium capsule as I'm prone to carpopedal and calf spasms otherwise)

 

[jefro]

I try not to compare myself with others, but it is tough when you are going forward for 6 weeks and then go backwards for 10 days and counting.

It's been about an hour since I took the Robaxin, not sure if it helped with the pain, but my muscles did feel less stiff when I got up to go to the kitchen. I'll try taking the Robaxin with tylenol before bed, maybe that will help with the pain in the AM. The last couple nights I took Tylenol at 7pm and then fell asleep and didn't take it again until I woke up at 5 or 6 in the morning so probably better if I can get on a schedule where i take it just before I fall asleep, which is usually 10-12pm.

I do take Magnesium Glycenate gummies every night before bed. It helps relax me.

 

[Jamie]

It will help if you take these meds on a schedule. If you wait until you feel pain or stiffness, you have to play “catch up” and it actually takes more medication to get the job done. This is especially important with your Tylenol. Lucky you that you are able to sleep from 10:00 to midnight until 5:00-6:00 in the morning. Just set an alarm to take the nighttime dose and you’ll probably feel a lot better the next day.

 

[jefro]

Yes, I'm going to make sure that I take my Tylenol before bedtime & get back on a stricter nighttime schedule. I am targeted to take it at 11:45pm tonight, so I'll set my alarm in case I fall asleep before that. Hopefully this will help with my AM pain.

 

[mendogal]

Yes, I'm going to make sure that I take my Tylenol before bedtime & get back on a stricter nighttime schedule. I am targeted to take it at 11:45pm tonight, so I'll set my alarm in case I fall asleep before that. Hopefully this will help with my AM pain.

Good idea. When I was on strict 4 hour, then 6 hour schedule in initial weeks I set an alarm to wake me in the wee hours.

 

[jefro]

I get glute soreness and pain on and off. At this point (9 weeks out) should I use just ice or alternate between ice and heat?

 

[Jamie]

You can use either ice or heat (or alternate). Whatever seems to work best for you. It varies from person to person. Is the pain when you move or when you touch the area? Are you still in therapy? If you are, let your therapist know about the glute pain you get now and then. Some trigger point or massage therapy may help.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Agree on heat & ice combo if the heat gives you some relief, I find my heating pad to be soothing when needed.
This recovery game is difficult because we all need to find what works for us individually. Even though we share similar issues it's not one stop shopping & cures.
You will learn to listen to your body's cues. Then you will reach milestones, they may seem small & inconsequential but to us who are in recovery they are huge successes!
Hang in there, you will succeed!

 

[benne68]

I get glute soreness and pain on and off.

I had this problem for months after my THR. It's really not uncommon as our soft tissues adjust to the realignment of our bodies.

For me, deep tissue massage helped a lot, but it took multiple sessions to get the muscles to relax. In between session, I preferred heat to icing the area -- but that's a very personal thing. Do what makes you feel better.

You might also ask your PT for exercises that you can do to work on stretching that area.

 

[jefro]

This last 11 days have been horrible. I've been back on Oxy the past 5 days, its been worse than right after the surgery in some ways. I can't do anything & my Ortho says its just a blip. They told me to rest but that hasn't fixed it. My last surgery was a failed ORIF, old doctor kept looking at the X-Ray and told me it healed but was wrong. Then told me it was just probably just the screw that was bothering me but was wrong. Finally CT scan showed it was Non-union. I wish I could have some good luck with healing. Everything was going fine the first 6 weeks, now it's going horribly.

 

[jefro]

You can use either ice or heat (or alternate). Whatever seems to work best for you. It varies from person to person. Is the pain when you move or when you touch the area? Are you still in therapy? If you are, let your therapist know about the glute pain you get now and then. Some trigger point or massage therapy may help.

I get glute burning and pain on and off. It also hurts on and off when I sit, even with a pillow. I stopped all therapy 11 days ago since this setback.

 

[Jamie]

Before you stopped the therapy, did you discuss this problem with your therapist. And, if so….what did they say or do?

It’s possible that you have piriformis problems. If that’s the case, a good therapist can help you work on that.

Here’s an article from our BoneSmart LIbrary that will explain. See if this sounds like what you’re experiencing.

Piriformis Syndrome - A Pain in the Butt!