Hi ...I should like to ask the forum please..
I am two weeks out of hospital after a total, left HR. Doing OK - apart from troublesome, night-time knee and lower thigh cramps on the operated side - but I am wondering at what point one should start to wean oneself off pain-killers please (PKs)?
I asked my GP who was sublimely vague and just said "when you feel you can cope"! (This is a young GP and I was very surprised/disappointed how little she seemed to know about HR's generally and the post-op issues)
Does one continue whiie pain is still there or is it wise to slowly come off the PKs to avoid dependence? I appreciate much will depend on the level of pain one still feels but was thinking I should start trying to scale-down and cope without now? Or is that silly?!
I just cannot quite accept that long-tem dependence, however much comfort it gives, is good for one and have a feeling that accepting some pain will hasten the healing process.
I am taking Paracetmol, Codein and Ibrurofen.
Thank you for any feedback.
John
Hi john I am 4 weeks just over and still take paracetamol three times a day, i do need it in the afternnons that is my most painful time although not tghat bad, I will stop when i know I have no pain, I think its up to the individual, try with the lunch time ones and see how that goes. good luck x
Hi John
I think its just trial and erron....everyone and their pain threshold is different
Try coming off some of them... Say...one dose a day at time and you'll soon know if you need to go back on them.
I'm on paracetamol, anti inflammatory and codeine......I came off the paracetamol...well one dose anyway....and italways gives you something to fall back on if you are really sore
Love
Eileen
I stepped down after my THR starting about 3 weeks but needed brufen with occasional paracetamol for my knee. Now in the midst of doing the same after my TKR. I started about 3 weeks on and am now off Acupan and (reduced by 1 dose at a time) and back onto just paracetamol & brufen. I've taken out 1 dose of paracetamol and will try to balance the painkillers and exercise. It would be lovely to get off them for the first time in years!! You have to be sensible though, if you aren't making steady progress in activity because of pain or sleeping because of pain then you have stepped down too quickly. Talk about the situation at your 6 week follow up to someone with lots of experience.
John take UR meds to be comfortable no need to be in pain or miss sleep. U ma not need to take as many a day or cut down slowly until u can cope without pain meds. After major surgery research shows we need 10 hours of sleep for three months for the body to rejouvinate and recover from any major surgery. Maybe just for a good nights sleep? When UR ready to be free of pain u will know when UR body is better. Then there are a few days down the line when unexpected days from over doing or for any reason u will need them occasionally.
Cheers 
Ross lovely to hear from you, ypu spund to be doing good, nice to hear it, take care x
Don ya hate auto spell!
ROSS.. IM GLAD TOO THAT UR DOING SO WELL, 
My GP said pretty much the same, when you feel ready! I'm now of the understanding that you carry on with your meds, until you feel you don't need them, crazy I know, but the way of the world!!!
My experience was that I forgot to take them when I no longer needed them. If you are taking them religiously at certain times you maybe could delay a bit. If pain resurfaces then you can take them. I'm guessing that the codeine is a low dose? In which case you are not taking anything addictive. There are no rules. Some people hardly need any painkillers and some people(me) need lots. There are no medals coming in the post for suffering unnecessarily.
Hi John, I'm 3 weeks post op left THR & had fizio out to see me a few days ago & she told me to start weening myself off the Co codamol 30/500 & replace them with paracetamol, only thing is my hip seems 2 be doing really well, but I've also had major knee problems 4 the the past 4 years, I've tried a couple of days with just paracetamol & it really doesn't do a lot 4 the pain,so I'm doing a bit of mix & match & see how it goes, don't be a martyr John, if you've got pain no need 2 sit & suffer, take something to help, good luck 
Thanks for your good wishes. Knees are harder work than hips! However my walking is improving, I've got reasonable movement and steps are at least as good as the knee was pre-op. After 4 weeks that isn't bad. For anyone who is embarking on a series of replacements, I'm a lot tireder this time. The effects of surgery may be cumulative but energy is improving, mobility is improving and pain diminishing so can't be bad. It's just hard going back to the beginning again as I was getting used to a bit of freedom but the knee wasn't allowing my new hip to show what it could achieve and needed constant managing as well so replacement was the best option.
Hi John
I've been out all day at a meeting....I answered your post this morning but havent got back to anything since that
I was told.....at the beginning.....saty on top of the pain DONT play catch up with it LOL
Love
Eileen
Hi John. Like you, I was concerned about dependency. For the two years prior to my 2 THR's, I was prescribed Hydrocodone 5/500 and was given enough for one a day a month at a time. I would save them for the really bad days or at night. Then the pain increased and my doc gave me 2 pills a day monthly. Then the surgeries began. My rule for myself is to get off of the pain killers as soon as possible but only as my body/pain tolerance level dictates.
I have learned to relax and not worry about addiction because our body heals faster when the pain is controlled. Addiction, in my opinion, is defined by why you are taking the pain killers. Is there REAL pain? Or was it just a bad emotional day and it would feel good to escape? Worry not.
I required 2 major and one minor surgeries just prior to the THR's, all under two years time, and truthfully I could feel some withdraw effects when I pulled myself off of the pills. I have been free of pain killers since January of this year (2014) and my pain from the last THR is still excruciating. All I take is Ibuprofin twice a day.
If you are already not an addict, you will not easily become one even if you are predisposed as I am. I am not an addict and had to justisfy to myself why I needed the pain killers. It was obvious! Major surgery is not an easy life event.
Best Wishes for a speedy recovery!
So true Juillette...no medals for suffereing.
There have been times when I've been out for a reasonable length of time and have forgotten to take them....even if it was only one dose
I then think to myself....see what you are like in the mnorning and if you are OK skip that dose...its the only way you find out. You've always got it to fall back on if needed
Love
Eileen
I was on pain killers during hospital stay (2 days) and for about 2-3 days at home. After that i only took one pill of oxycondone only when i felt it was necessary, if i had pain from the surgery or muscle or tendon pain...i think i was completely off painkillers at the end of the second week or middle of third.
Thats great Kaleani ..almost exceptional I suspect.
I think my reason for asking the original question was a wish to know exactly what the pain level would be if I did come off them and was it best tocome off them sooner rather than later so as to rebuild the body's self-dependency.
At the end of two weeks, I have cut down by almost 2/3rds and, apart from sleep-time when thigh cramps "attack", I.m comfortable. But, as has been said a million times here, we are all different!
Thank you for your reply.
I could never stop pain meds for both surgeries need them for 2-3 weeks max. It took several weeks 4-6 weeks of cutting down for daily and nightly needs varied, especially exercising. I was given 60 OxyContin prescription post OP, and never used them all. Some days I was more active or sitting for long periods was painful needed to takes them as necessary. So it just depends . I was definately on a schedule for three weeks post OP every few hours. As I became stronger and my hip muscle, tendon, bone healed better then I was able to lighten my daily dose.
Hi
I was never really able to come off pain meds
I was on paracetamol and an anti inflammatory pre op.....during the 6 weeks {3 days in hospital and the rest until i saw my consultant again} I was on the meds they sent me home with.
Then I was back to paracetamol and anti inflammatory but thats because I have OA in so many other places and scoliosis in my back that I need them
Every one is differeent
Love
Eileen
I can sure identify with the scoliosis and PA. I have OA, PSA, RA, FM. Degenerationg disc disease, scoliosis, Dupreytrends contracture, PT in both feet,Mortens nurosa in my to.. Cushings disease...And the list goes on as I get older?.two hip joint replacements and screws in both shoulders . One frozen hand in the fist position. One eye is partially blind from surgery for cataracts, the other eye I see double. I have a Fused L-4 & L-5 discs um... Well....that's most of it. It's crazy and I'm just happen to have the opportunity to have THR for mobility. Without THR I would probably be in the funny farm.. Sitting still is not one of my best features. My knees have torn miscus if both . TKR is a alternative when the pain is too bad.
I take OTC meds and exercise to help manage the pain and my diet is very important. The key is to stay active. Even though one hip is painful and recalled by the manufacturer facing a revision I am lucky to have THR available to stay active rather than a chance of my muscles arrophy and waste away .
If today was the last day of my life
I would leave all worries aside
I would be thankful to be alive
I would be all right
I would just smile
I would climb all the steps for a total rehab... a THR rehab goal!
Hi Hope
That is quite a list you hve there.....dont know how you cope
As well as the ones I already mentioned....forgot....a plate, pins and screws in my L ankle.As for the dupreytrends.......no quite......I have the limps on the palm of my hand and have been diagnosed with that but told nothing can be done until the fingers start to really bend in towards the palm
Love
Eileen