Post Op Questions (HIP)

firefox

Hi guys,
I'm nearly at 7 weeks post op (Birmingham hip) and just wondering if anyone could answer some questions for me please.
A quick history, hip and knee pain for a good few year now and was always told my hip is the problem and the knee is referred pain.
Had the op and still have the same pains as before but a lot worse now to the point that i am mostly bed ridden.

I just wondered if when you sit down on a chair does it feel like your sitting on something? I mean like the feeling you would get in your bum cheek if you sat down on maybe a TV remote control or something?

The exercises you did after the op, did the exercise pain ever get better? Did you ever start progressing at an exercise only to find that the next day you couldn't even move your operated leg in the direction required? Not because of the pain but because it just wouldn't move, as if it were paralyzed in a certain direction then a day later the movement slowly comes back.

Did you ever find a way of getting rid of the pain even if it is only very temporary?
I'm in bad pain 24hrs and i just can't find a position or way to get comfortable or get temp pain relief. Cant sleep and i feel like I'm going nuts because of it

Although i don't feel they work enough I'm still taking tramadol and have been given the slow release ones to try and have also just been given amyltriptyline.
What does the amyltriptyline do? When i read the leaflet it says it's an anti depressant? Has anyone used it before?

noeltone

Hi my new hip done in September was no better pain wise until after about 8 weeks than it did improve as for sitting it was really painful and as you say it was as if I was sitting on something. When I began exercising as first it was awkward to do but gradually it got better I did go back to physio a copule of times for probs about the exercises I was given but i stopped them becos I could not do them. I was in pain and upped my tablets but was not in pain for 24hrs and I wa stold to go back to make sure everything had settled down in the new hip area if the pain continued. I was told the amyltriptyline stops muscle spasm as well as relaxes you to help sleep at night and get comfortable although they are an anti depressant and I have been on them for years. btw it is now 3 months after my hip and it is a lot better than it was before the op as I am more mobile and in less pain I hope this might help any concerns go back to themif you have not already done so as I was told

scorpiojackie

[quote="firefox"]Hi guys,
I'm nearly at 7 weeks post op (Birmingham hip) and just wondering if anyone could answer some questions for me please.
A quick history, hip and knee pain for a good few year now and was always told my hip is the problem and the knee is referred pain.
Had the op and still have the same pains as before but a lot worse now to the point that i am mostly bed ridden.

I just wondered if when you sit down on a chair does it feel like your sitting on something? I mean like the feeling you would get in your bum cheek if you sat down on maybe a TV remote control or something?

The exercises you did after the op, did the exercise pain ever get better? Did you ever start progressing at an exercise only to find that the next day you couldn't even move your operated leg in the direction required? Not because of the pain but because it just wouldn't move, as if it were paralyzed in a certain direction then a day later the movement slowly comes back.

Did you ever find a way of getting rid of the pain even if it is only very temporary?
I'm in bad pain 24hrs and i just can't find a position or way to get comfortable or get temp pain relief. Cant sleep and i feel like I'm going nuts because of it

Although i don't feel they work enough I'm still taking tramadol and have been given the slow release ones to try and have also just been given amyltriptyline.
What does the amyltriptyline do? When i read the leaflet it says it's an anti depressant? Has anyone used it before?
[/quote]


Hi Firefox,

So sorry to read that you are having a rough time at the moment. There is nothing more frustrating than pain & tiredness. Everyone is as different in their recovery, as they are with their illness but that is of no comfort, I know, when you are living the bad times.

I had my right hip resurfaced in June... 6 months on I am so glad that I had it done. I have been blessed :roll: with alot of other problems to do with joints, ligaments, tendons etc. throughout my body but my new hip is good & strong.
My scar is still sore sometimes but I have psoriasis & that developed on top of it, so its hard for me to say which causes the soreness. Otherwise unless I have overdone it (not very good at pacing!) the hip gives me little bother.

I looked back in my diary... at 7 weeks I was still experiencing some swelling (presumally lots internally). I was eating pain killers & having a 'naps' here & there. I just listened to my body really and went with the flow. It was giving me disturbed nights (but nothing like before the op).

As for the exercises dont do it until you hurt... try little & often... Serious workouts are out, your goal should be gentle increasing range of movement. It was like teaching my leg to move again, very strange. My 'diary' mentions feeling like a catch 22 situation... "pain when I haven't exercised/pain when I have over done it". I'd also written that sometimes there seemed a little improvement each day... other times one day forward three back

I dont know if any of this helps Firefox. Please do remember that you have had Major Surgery, I too was impatient & got fed up with it all at times.
Your body has received a lot of trauma & takes the time it needs to mend. When you think about what the surgeon cut through to access your joint... well, it has a lot of healing to do.

I had read (before my op) on the internet of people who were back to work & doing fantastic in 3 weeks blah, blah, blah... I dont know who they are... but I dont think they had the same op as me or you

It may help to contact either the ward or surgeon for advice if you are still unhappy with your recovery. They could do an xray to make sure 'everything is in its correct place' & ok.

Have you had your 'Post Op' check up yet? Its usually around the 6th week... make a list of any queries to take with you.
Hope things get better for you soon... hang in there Firefox

Jackie

scorpiojackie

Hi again,

Re the drugs... I took Tramadol, Diclofenac, Amitriptyline at the time but was also given Oramorph to bring home from the hospital. Dr also said I could add up to 8 paracetamol daily, when necessary. I only took the oramorph occassionally. Obviously that was for me but speak to your Dr, you should be receiveing adequate pain relief.

Amitriptyline is a anti-depressant and is given in larger doses for that purpose. Apparently when taken in small doses it increases the effect of pain relieving meds. I take 25mg each night with my other meds.

Jackie.