I've finally decided to post, in hopes I can get some advice and encouragement from those that have done this before. I'm 46, just had a partial RKR on July 3rd. My surgery was at 3pm, so no food or drink after mid night. I was starving and thirsty before even having surgery! Surgery went well. Came home the same day. Dr. Gave me a script for dilaudid and Robaxin. I guess dilaudid because I had told him I couldn't take hydrocodone, Percocet etc., because it makes me dizzy and vomit. Anyway, I had pretty bad knee pain and was taking the dilaudid 4mg, every 3 hours. I would add in the roboxin occasionally but it made me dizzy and nauseous so I didn't take it very often. From Monday until I think Thursday or Friday-it's all a blur, I took about 30 dilaudid. I was only eating enough to take my meds then back to bed. I deceived to stop taking them and then the next day or so used extra strength Tylenol etc. Ate better, then I started having withdrawal symptoms from the dilaudid. Twitching, feeling really bad etc. This lasted about 3 days. I was tempted to go back on them, just to taper off. While I was off the dilaudid, I was eating fairly regularly. Long story short, I was conctipated from the pain meds and over 2-3 days was impacted and absolutely miserable. I haven't slept or anything. Dr recommended magnesium citrate, finally worked yesterday, I was so back up, and this morning I get the shakes and heart palpitations and I'm dehydrated!! I've had more problems with everything else and not much pain with my knee. I have no appetite but I'm trying to eat something in order to keep my bowels and stuff moving. I am feeling very down and I know it's very early for me at 9 days, but I'm praying for strength to get through each day. Every time I lay down to sleep, my body will twitch due to the dehydration so I'm not getting much sleep... please give me some advice on how to get through this!!
Oh dear! Drink plenty of water and eat even though hard, your body needs nourishment! Deep slow breaths and try and relax as much as possible...you may just need to catch bits of sleep where you can. Keep your mind on music, reading, films, TV, and look to other people for support, do you have someone with you and or people who can visit and help you ?
Dilaudid is 7X more powerful than morphine and 4mg PO is a huge dose. 30 pills in 4 days? Geez. You needed to titrate down off of that a little bit at a time. No wonder you're a wreck.
Eat healthy, hydrate a lot, ice and elevate, sleep... These knee ops are absolutely brutal and have long recovery times. Click on my picture and then "See All Discussions"...lots out there that can help you...
Hi Rudonna.... I just had a total knee replacement 13 days ago and thought I would write. I think half my problem is that
I believed that recovery would find me better each day.....I am doing ok but know that in order to get past this I will need to work my way out of it.... Even though my ankle hurts now as well as Sciatica....
SO I am writing to let you know you are not alone and think we Will get past these first few weeks... Hang in there,
Yes, thankfully my dear husband has been on vacation. I scheduled my surgery around his vacation. He goes back to work Tuesday. 😢
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I was wrong to think it was going to be a breeze. I was not prepared mentally at all! You hang in there!! Hopefully we can get through this in 1 piece!
Thank you for your reply. You seem to have had a lot of experience. I'm going to try some Benedryl tonight and see if I can get some sleep. I will continue to follow this thread and will check out your picture for more discussions!! 😀 Thanks!
Save some money. Benadryl is the brand name for cheap diphenhydramine. It's basically an antihistamine that makes you drowsy. It's the extra ingredient in all the "PM" products, like Tylenol PM which is the pain killer plus the diphenhydramine. They come in 25mg capsules...the dose is two, 30-60 minutes before bed.
But remember that they only make you drowsy if you let them. Turn off all electronics, dim the lights, read a book...get ready for sleep!!! Here are some more tips...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/trouble-sleeping-post-tkr--539591
Enjoy...
Read the sciatica section...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499
No one is mentally, physically or spiritually prepared for this level of brutality. This might help...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-ptsd-569521
Get friends to pop by and visit. You will be fine, you will get through this!
Hi Rudonna, and welcome.
9 days??? I was still in hospital at 8 days. Please don't get discouraged. This recovery can be a marathon. It's a very brutal operation and you still have no choice but to exercise. It will help. With both my TKRs I was in hospital and then rehab for nearly 5 weeks, so please don't get too concerned yet, this is so early.. Time your meds to half an hour or so before physiotherapy and that will help.
You will improve, just take each day and each exercise as it comes. Try and focus on what you'd like to do after you've recovered. Do something nice for yourself every day. Check out Chico's info, it's very good. Have a look at tsw678 website. h t t p s://b o d yg r a d e s.c o m/ with no spaces.
Buckle up for the ride. You will improve, life won't be like this.
Hi Rudonna
I am just ahead of you. My PKR was 20th June so 3 1/2 weeks past. I have had a difficult time managing the pain (always thought, and was told PKR is much easier than TKR!!) I have tried various pain killers and combinations and I either am very sick or feel dizzy, nauseaous and disorientated. Finally settled better on Tramodal although still nauseaous. My fear is the side effects and coming off them. I have just 2 days left and cannot have another script of it so have tried weaning off it daily for the lst four days this has been disasterous I have felt worse, had the shakes like you and more importantly really struggled with my exercises - which I have been diligent about. Constipation seems to be a permanent problem so I am taking Movicol 3 times a day and drinking water as much as i can. This is just really to support you I dont have any answers except to say you are not on your own and please please drink plenty of water! Are you managing your exercises? It nearly kills me but I am determined not to have a limp and get my life back so I persevere. I must admit today was a very diffiicult session I cant bend my knee as much as two days ago it is very disheartening.
Any advice any one else has regarding pain killer replacements would be great. I find it is me who has to tell the GP what to try next! I cant take codeine and have GERD so I think NSAIDS are out too.
Good luck Rudonna you will get there (wherever there is!) It is a difficult journey but lots of people on here have given me hope.
Tricia
Thank you for your reply. It's encouraging to know we are all in the same, relative boat. Keeping in my mind that it will get better! You continue to hang in there!
Thanks for the input! Glad to hear from others who have been there, done that to help us newbies! It just seems like it should be so much longer than 2 weeks. I will get there. I know I will. Thanks for the encouragement!
Can you take morphine? That is rather effective!
I am just about 7 months post op for TKR. My first three months were horrible. The pain did not let up and although I was on pain meds ( first hydrocodone and then oxycodone). Slowly, it got better. I started driving ( can't drive with opioids) and felt like the independence was a miracle. I could go out alone. Just me and my cane! Still, sleeping is not easy. I sometimes get so stiff that it takes a while to straighten out. At my six month appointment I still had some swelling and aches. I was put on Celebrex for inflammation and told to take naproxen. I ignore my aches, walk my pup each day and ride my stationary bike for an hour each day. This forum saved me. I learned that although I thought I was prepared, I was not ready for the brutality ( good description, Chico) of the surgery and the recovery. Ice, do your exercises and read a few trashy novels. It will get better. It just takes time. Keep in touch with the forum. Someone is always listening.
Eat some ice cream!
Ellie
Thank you Ellie! I, too am glad I found this forum. I only wish I would have found it BEFORE my surgery. It's reassuring to hear others having the same issues and knowing you are not alone. I love hearing others advice that are experienced in this!! Take care!
Rudonna, come join us here: https://patient.info/forums/discuss/what-do-you-wish-you-had-known-before-your-tkr--601336
and of course everyone come on over! I asked the question - What do you wish you had known before your TKR?