My hip pain is getting worse and worse. I have an appointment with consultant on 2nd January and I am hoping to be booked in for a RHR but I’m finding it almost impossible to carry on with simple everyday things and walking anywhere is a real challenge. My hip has gone downhill so fast I can’t believe it; it is way worse than my left hip was before my operation in 2015. Can anyone recommend any painkillers or exercises to alleviate this pain? Thanks in advance.
hi. sorry to hear you’re pain is getting worse but this was me from abt this time last year. previously using a stick with the odd paracetamol or ibuprofen then suddenly couldn’t walk at all without a crutch and regular daily pain killers. pre op I was taking paracetamol 1 g x 4 a day ibuprofen 400mg x 3 a day and codeine 30mg 3 / 4 x a day. but by that point I’d been to see my dr and hed prescribed the codeine. you have to be careful with the ibuprofen as it can cause gut irritation so I was also prescribed ranitidine - PPI to prevent this. even tho I was taking this lot I still got pain - worse at night and if standing .
as far as exercises go try to do the ones they get you to do post OP if you can . itll just help build your muscles up. I didn’t and wish I had cos now realising my muscles were shot besides my hip.
I also used a crutch I’d got from something else and this helped with the pain a lot plus got me out the house a bit .
best wishes tho
Sorry your pain is getting worse. Are you in the UK?
The Extended Scope Practitioner I saw at the hospital arranged my referral to the consultant.
He also arranged for me to have physio at the hospital while I was waiting for my appointment.Your GP should be able to help with pain control. Wishing you well.
Hi, I was on 1600mg a day of ibuprofen at one point while I was waiting for my THR. I then read abour Etoricoxib and asked my GP if she could prescribe that for me. I took one 60mg tablet a day instead of all that ibuprofen and it made a huge difference. It also still helps with the OA in my right big toe! I can also recommend getting osteopath treatment. Mine helped enormously to alleviate the muscle stiffness I was getting. In terms of exercise, the same ones recommended for post-op recovery will also help you beforehand.
Thanks for the reply. That sounds like a lot of drugs!! I take Co-codomol at night and paracetomol during the day. Ibuprofen is tricky it always upsets my stomach. I am doing the post-op exercises but I will take your advice and see my GP to get some prescribed codeine as the tabs I take are only 8mg.
Thanks, will try to get a prescription for some stronger codeine.
hi yes you can only buy co codamol -8mg( codeine ) 500mg ( paracetamol) but you can take 2 of those at time- 4x a day - just no more paracetamol. agree re ibuprofen but why I was taking the ranitidine. hope you feel more comfy soon
Thanks for that. Judging by all your responses I need to see my GP to get stronger painkillers . I had never heard of Etoricoxib; what were the side effects of that?
HI
Ask your GP to prescribe Zapain , each tablet has paracetomol 500g and codein 30mg. i used to take two tablets at night and occasionally during the day. You might need lactulose as well to prevent constipation.
And I used a hot water bottle to keep the area warm.
hope you feel a better soon.
Annie
I believe that Zapain is a branded version of co-codamol.
Hi, none that I’m aware of so far…
500/30 is also what Solpadeine Max has. Usually Co-codamol is 500mg paracetamol + 8mg codeine.
Hi,
So sorry to hear you are struggling with pain. This was exactly me for many months prior to my operation! Regarding pain relief, absolutely nothing worked for me unfortunately, including very strong opioids which were prescribed by the Surgeon who finally operated. I will however add that the best pain relief I discovered myself was the use of two crutches. I found a stick absolutely no good at all, in fact it did nothing except damage my better knee! I sincerely wish I had started using the crutches much sooner.
hi helen . I agree with you : re the crutches. I only used 1 but that was so much better than a stick. it didn’t solve the pain but I’m sure it eased it a lot. plus as I sd in my reply it got me out and abt which besides the pain helped with my mood. I’m used to being out and abt daily and to suddenly not be able to was depressing for me.
Hi Howeller,
I would recommend using an exercise bike. The more exercise you do pre op will pay dividends post op. Start slowly and build up, the stronger your muscles the less pain (or none) you will have. Exercising really does control your pain level and an exercise bike is non impact.
Hi, I was in a lot of pain, and was taking codeine, paracetamol and naproxen. I also went to see a physio and he gave me some good exercises to do with one of those thick rubber bands. It helps the fluid around the hip joint I think. Might be worth getting a referral.
All the best, Judith