I am still in severe pain almost a year after Total Hip Replacement and doctors won't help!
First time ever using any kind of forum but I am desperate for answers....I am 33 years old had a total hip replacement 10 months ago and am not recovering and surgeon and general doctor have given up on me and told me to see them months or even a year from now.
As brief as I can make this, I had Perthese disease as a child. For those not familiar, hip joint deteriorates for no specific or known reason. I was 6 years old was out in leg braces for couple years. I was advised to have a surgery in the knee in my teens to extend the leg but was warned I would not be able to be active. So I declined as I am an outgoing person and loved sports and the outdoors.
Late teens to early 20s I started experiencing low back pain and hip pain. Sometimes the pain was shooting down the leg other times it was more arthritic. Doctors did not find any reasons for pain and chiropractic care helped keep it at a minimum. Pain has gradually gotten worse over time. I am now 33. 2 years ago the pain in back, hip and leg was so bad I was unable to work. Xrays and mri showed no signs of anything that would cause pain. A year and half ago the pain was at its worse, finally talked a Dr. I to staying hip and it was determine I needed a THR.
Skipping a lot of drama and problems with doctors and my job that I was at for 10 year, I found a surgeon that was recommended to me to do the hip replacement. Surgery went well with no known complications. I was slow to heal but surgeon advised me it may take an extra week or two because I was a complicated case. Pain seemed to decrease in the coming days but as I started going to PT the pain got worse. PT did not think I should be getting increase pain because the things we were working on were normal daily activities. After another MRI of back and xrays of hip post o.o my surgeon apologized to me and said there was nothing more he could do and come back an see him in a year.
I then went to my primary physician. I wanted to see if be could help in any way and he ended up diagnosing me with fibromyalgia and or myofacia.
I was prescribed cymbalta, then lyrica, and the I basically forced doc to take me off of lyrica due extreme side effects. My last appointment with him he referred me somewhere else saying he did not want to prescribe or try any more meds. I was advised to seem him 6 months from now and the place I was referred to can't see me for 2 months.
I am now in severe pain, very limited, quality of life is at an all time low. I have lost my job and am on a ltd, I am getting very depressed because of the amount of pain I'm in and no one really seeming to care.
I have tried chiropractic care, stretching, over the counter meds, medicinal herbs, meditation and yoga. I have also "pushed through the pain" as my Dr. Said i needed to do ans that it would help. U fortunately the more i push the more i hurt and eventually have developed some sort of dizziness, vertigo, brain zaps or something that is hard to explain.
I know this is long and airy but I am desperate for any advice or suggestions as it seems I'm on my own.
Also, live in a somewhat smaller town so Dr. choices are limited.
One last thing, the post op x-ray of THR shows screw actually exiting away from pelvic and hip socket region. In other words it looks like it exits into my flesh. The surgeon said it is fine and tried to shoe primary doc but the s out they are friend and golf together and he " is a great surgeon and would not make mistake" I only bring this up b/c other family and friends in medical field do not seem to think it's right though none are hip replacement extras. I will say after hrs of searching Google i.ages I can not find an example that is even close to my post op x-ray
I had Perthes disease also...
Jack sorry you are having such a rough time. Having Perthes is an added complication. However I would find a surgeon that has no connection to the others. I had nerve damage which settled with meds. The screws could certainly be causing problems. Hope you find an answer soon xx
Hi going on your post your not UK, you need to get copies of your xrays etc and you need to take them to another orthopedic consultant, if the screws are coming loose this would account for the pain and your inability to walk without pain, you will probably find you need to go to your primary care Dr to discuss your other symptoms as they don't sound as though there related to your HR
Thanks for the replys, did not think I would see some so quick. Sorry I am not in UK and did not k ow this was a UK site so I u understand if help is limited. The score is not coming loser but it just sticks out away from the body instead of into pelvis. I did actually fly to a specialist out of state before and post op and he was not very helpful. Get the feeling no doctor wants to inform me it's wrong as it would lead to a lawsuit. That is the feeling I get at least. My physical therapist and chiropractor both said screw cannot be right. I just want some relief, I'm even ok with being disabled for life, bit I need some pain to go down. It's unfortunate my local health community is primary owned by one company that is not providing very good service. Again I appreciate your quick responses, I will keep looking for help.
I'm really sorry to hear what you are having to cope with. What exactly did your chiropractor find and what did he do for you please?
Cheers Richard
So very sorry to hear what you are going through. Please know everyone on this forum are from various parts of the world Yes most are from U.K./England. I'm from the US. I say don't give up your fight. I am struggling with my rhr. I dislocated my first hip replacement surgery and wound up having a total hip revision. 6 weeks non weight bearing, no hip exercises or hip flexion past 80 degrees. I'm now having nerve pain and sensitivity. I've had injections into the cutaneous nerve with little relief. It started 7 months ago. I'm still trying to find out why this happened and how. It's terrible as it has limited my mobility with this hip and the sensitivity makes wearing clothes unbearable. I'm on lyrica which helps some. I think you should do extensive research and see what you can do as this isn't right. If one of those screws are causing you this much pain something has to be done! I'm still trying to get relief and answers. The whole point in getting this surgery was to be pain free. I was born with hip dysplasia. Good luck to you and let us know how you are doing. God's blessings to you. Linda
I'm in the US. You might think about going to reputable neurology pain clinic and talk to them about injections with endoscopy to the areas where the pain is.
Hello Jakr
I am so sorry to hear of your pain. I have now had 3 hip replacemens, 1 due to a faulty hip. I too have screws, plates etc and have no pain from these. I am concerned that your screws appear to be out of place and suggest you get another opinion. I live in Australia and can assure you this would be taken care of here.
I hope something sorts out for you, this is horrific and you are so young.
Hello,
sorry to hear about your on going pain. I'm in Canada, and had a similar situation. I had a THR due to avascular necrosis. After the surgery I felt it was not right, and I couldn't walk for more than a few minutes and it felt like a blade in my hip all the time. I have a good boss and work in a specialized area, so I was able to still work, but after work would go to bed and stay there until the next day. My husband did everything for me and around the house, and we have 3 children with their own medical issues, my middle child had heart surgery in February. My surgeon would not recognize that there was a problem and tried to shove me off to the "pain clinic". My surgery was done at a university hospital, where there are lots of ortho surgeons, but they won't touch someone else's mess. I asked the surgeon for a second opinion and in my case the second opinion said the MRI was fine. I got a copy and it was not. I knew a general surgeon and discussed my case with him, and he said the first thing to find out if the pain is related to a mechanical issue, if so, back to surgery, if not, ie nerve damage ect then to the pain clinic. I saw a PT and chiropractor and both said they thought it was a mechanical issue (same with you). Well I kept making appointments with the original surgeon and would see him every 3 months. My husband would play "bad cop" and I would be the "good cop". If you are still having pain after surgery, it is called a Failed Hip Replacement. In my case I had some articles to back me up. I used pubmed (which is a repository of searchable clinic studies) to show that the tears that are seen on MRI , once repaired lead to pain free status in the patients that were studied. After about 18 months the surgeon agreed to take me back for exploratory surgery. This happened about 3 weeks ago. When he opened me up, there were a number of things wrong that they were unable to see on the MRI. He fixed them. I feel alot better but still have a long recovery road ahead. I know your issue is with the screw, I can't comment on this since I don't know if this is OK or not, however as in my case you think the pain is caused by one thing, but it might be something entirely different. The second surgeon I saw also said to me that I would "just have to learn to live with the pain". I told him if he were me, his career as a surgeon would be over. I hope things work out for you, your best bet may be back to the OR.
dear jakr,
warm welcome to the hippies forum where we share personal experiences and stories - we come in all ages and all stages and from all over the world ..
Thank you for sharing your story with us in such detail -
I too am so sorry to hear about the pain you are in and all the things you already went through -
I am in agreement with previous comments regarding finding another surgeon who is not affiliated with your surgeon or medical group -
Or perhaps a lawyer ... kind of drastic, I know -
Do you have the x-rays and MRI ?
You mention that you live in a small town - What is the biggest city close to you?
Is there anybody in the medical field (preferably) whom you trust and can help you?
It starts to look like malpractice -
I wish I could help you more and hope that there are members here who can !
The right person will come in your life, Jak ... have faith
big warm hug
renee
P.S. Come here anytime, okay - keep us posted ...
Hi jak I was meaning you shouldn't post just that its easier for me if I know where you are, in UK we have complaints boards who would look into this for you and point you in the right direction, you have had some great advice and I think if you take heed of it you should get some relief, I hope.
Dam predicted text, not was wasn't LOL
I hate to give this advice, but it does seem you have reached the point where a lawyer will do you more good than a doctor.
It would be a rare occasion when a doctor stands up and says another doctor has done a bad job; they obviously all aim to help and do the best they can for every patient. But our bodies are all different, and what helps for one person may well be completely wrong for another with similar symptoms.
A lawyer will act against a doctor and may be able to get the money needed for another doctor to operate on you and help. When the money is available, it is amazing how many private doctors will want to help!
Good luck, stay strong.
Hi,So sorry to hear your in severe pain.I know where your coming from.As a female with a failed hip replacement but I am a carer for my Disabled Husband. So I had No proper after care after my op to get back on my feet.Also suffering from chronic tension in my muscles.Every other week I have reflexology which helps for a while.But I also have OA in my hands.So life isn't easy.I would strongly suggest you push your medical team.Also try hydrotherapy. This will help.Regards Amanda h
I had Perthes too..in the unoperated hip, I will be getting that hip replaced soon.
Hey bud
Three years after both hips replaced. Right one did fine no pain at all. The left one has me on enough pain relief meds to kill a horse!!! It sucks. I think nerve damage but getting a dr to look at aint easy. The joint itself looks and work great but the pain is unbearable & waiting on my next dose as I write so I can do some chores
GREAT LUCK TO YA
Luv to all David
I mustn't laugh but your reference to pain meds made me smile, I totally agree though that no matter how many you push down your throat to relieve it, I'm never convinced they work more than to just maybe take the edge off.
Can you weight bear fully on the bad leg, I only ask as I can't and I'm looking for the reason why like you.