OA both hips

MollyMay

Hello everyone.

Glad to join this lovely group and hopefully share some tips and get more information and support. Any miracles much appreciated too Ha ha!

I have advances hip OA both hips. My right one is the worst. Seeing orthopaedic consultant in two weeks. taking lots of pain relief without much success. I do keep moving but pain is very bad. Extremely active till August 2021 so its a shock for it to be so advanced. I suffer with nerve pains now in my legs and feet with movement. GP has prescribed pregablin. Not sure it will be effective as i have to slowly increase it. Has anyone taken this drug? If so did it help.

I will be listed for hip replacement but as you all know this could be a long time. In the meantime i want to do the best i can to keep moving but as you all know not always easy. Would appreciate any advise comments or personnel experiences. Thank You.

Lilymary

Hi @MollyMay , I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and that you have it in both hips. Mine crept up on me too, I went from being very active to in severe pain and needing a new hip (which had been sneaking up on me for years) in a matter of a few months. The other hip is ok for now, but will probably join in at some stage. I had my left hip replaced 9 months ago, and still rehabbing (my body won't win any prizes for recovery rates!).

I was on cocodamol and naproxen, which we felt were most appropriate for me with other meds I was on, but most will say at best all pain relief drugs do is knock the edge of it. I found tips in this link to be really helpful, so have a look through and see what works for you. I'd really recommend distraction, and keeping as active as pain levels allow.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

MollyMay

Thank you for your reply. glad you have had your new hip and are recovering slowly. I’m taking codeine and paracetamol; Was taking Naproxen but recently came off it due to rise in blood pressure. Thankfully blood pressure went down with medication within three days.

I feel the naproxen really helped and feel much worse without it. I’m going to discuss all my medication with my GP

I will check out the link. Thanks Good luck with recovery

pmas

Hi @MollyMay, I was prescribed Pregabalin in November for nerve pain from hip to foot. Like you I had to increase the amount every few days. It worked within days, stopping the awful shooting pains. I now just have the actual ‘hip’ pain which I’d doesn't really help. I also take paracetemol. I’m unable to weightbear at all, can walk about 3 metres with a wheeled walker and use a perching stool a lot of the time

Progress has been very rapid and I was diagnosed with advanced osteo arthritis in both hips in Sep 21, needing total hip replacement to both sides. I’m having first done in a few days time, 3 Feb and the other one done 12 weeks later. Both ops are being done by the NHS so I suppose I’ve been on the waiting list for 6 months - you could say that I’ve been lucky that I’ve deteriorated to quickly!

Good luck with finding the right painkiller for you. Patx

pmas

Sorry I forgot to say that part of the reason I’m having my ops so quickly is that I have a diagnosis of AVN (Avascular Necrosis) in both hips. Patx

Lilymary

@MollyMay I remember going off the naproxen for a while (I think I ran out) and really noticed the difference without it. I hope you can get back on it again.

@pmas I'm sorry you've had such a rapid deterioration but glad the NHS has prioritised you given the necrosis. Good luck next week, I'm sure they'll take very good care of you.

MollyMay

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/689814#Comment_689814

Thank you for your story of Pregablin use. I do feel like you it’s helped with nerve pain not bone pain. Just hope I can go back on naproxen once blood pressure comes down.