knee replacement pain still bad 4 weeks after surgery

Treatment and medication
1

 i am taking precribed  codiene 30mg ,paracetemol, ibruprofen & gabapantine...nothing really helps ..terrible  shooting pains in my leg I, cant  sleep past 4 hours ...so restless...how much longer  can i expect to suffer..this is really  getting me  down 

 

2

Hi carole36561,

I had a complete knee replacement two years ago and I still get pain at night and during the day, but obviously not as bad as you.  You will still suffer pain after four weeks, infact you, will not be pain free for at least another three months and perhaps beyond.  Ibuprofen 400mg and Tramadol 100mg helped me with pain management.  Go back to your GP and talk to him/her about your pain management. Perhaps you need a higher dosage or a pain killer with a sedative effect.  Also, are you comfortable in bed, do you put a pillow betwen your knees?......Hope this helps...best wishes..

3

hi there  yes i have ben  back to gp and i am now on  morphiene  patches. it is taking the edge off the pain but still so uncomfortable  ..the  other pain relief  only seems to last about an hour before declining..

4

Hi carole 36561,

So glad you doc changed your pain management. The other thing you can try is Voltarol cream or Ibuprofen cream and rub it into your knee where all the pain is....I found Voltarol worked for me...but try both and see which one you prefer...there are other rub in creams you can get over the counter....you will have pain for at least three months and it can last longer.....but you may be a quick healer.....just try and roll with it and use your pain management when you need it..that's all I could do...I still have pain at night and during day occasionally......I guess our knees will never be the same again.... after all we have a prosthetic knee joint... (false knees).....best wishes....

5

thanks  last night the pain was mostly right inside the scar it felt as if i had an axe in my leg...so i took an extra codiene and 5ml morphiene ,i did  sleep a little better but i woke up  with an even stiffer  leg...,

6

Hi carole36561

You will get stiffness all the time. You will find if you sleep in one position your knee will be stiff in the morning. I always have stiffness in my knee after 2 years especially at the back of my knee.....just keep taking the meds. Do you have physio?... that can help the stiffness.....best wishes.....

7

hi lilian , have  been  back to gp  now on a morphiene  patch as well as  ibrufen,paracetamol,& codiene ...very slightly better  it seems  if i  push  myself ie i went out toa friends for dinner for 3 hours  that was good t the time  but boy  did i  suffer that night ..so uncomfortable  could not sleep it sometimes feels as i get sciaticia ...really  can not get more than 4 hours sleep every night then  up for an  hour or so  then back to bed again ....i do use a pillow , but  suffer after for  doing  so with siffer leg in the  morning ....live in hope that soon  i will be  pain free . take care 

8

Hi Carole

Just wanted you to know that I have read your thread and you have my utmost sympathy, it sounds really horrid for you.  I've never experinced the kind of pain you describe but I have exeperinced much other pain in my body during my life.  Codeine worked well for me for a while until I got dependent on it and developed tollerance, at which point I came off it and had bad withdrawal symptoms for four weeks.  My main pain has been headaches, and once post-operative pain,  but since getting off the codeine the headaches seem to have gone so I presume what started out as tension headaches had morphed into painkiller headaches.

Anyway, just wanted you to know that I'm sending you positive vibes

Lizzie xxx