Swelling

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi everyone
I’m only 5 days post-THR but looking for some assurance.
my full leg is swollen all the way from waist to foot, is this normal?

also, every now and then i come out in sweats where the water just wont stop for 20-30 mins, again normal?

THANKS

2

i haven’t experienced the sweats, but certainly had the swelling. i remember getting so worried that I phoned the hospital for reassurance but was told it was normal. it took about 5-6 weeks before my legs were back to normal. Always sensible to phone the hospital whenever you are anxious. i think we worry too much about being a nuisance!

3

Darren

I am just past 4 weeks but I can advise that this was not my experience at 5 days . I only had slight swelling around the posterior area of the ass cheek and bruising around this area also . No sweating or swelling g down leg but from reading on here there is a plethora of different experiences and o have heard of swelling and bruising down legs . keep the chin up and make sure you keep leg above heart a few times a day as this may be a cause of swelling if you are not doing it . I did this 2- 3 times a day for half an hour .

4

Contact the hospital you could have a infection. Been there so know the signs x

5

Darren,

Most people have swelling, do not worry about it, it can last a couple of months, you have had a big operation, sawing, banging, drilling etc. The sweating could be the drugs coming out of your system, are you taking painkillers, do they suit you? five days is very early there is a whole lot of healing going on inside you. Be patient.

6

Hi Darren
I am now 2 months in from my operation. I had extremely bad swelling of both legs, so bad I could barely walk due to the pain at my ankles ! operated leg was by far the worst, but the other leg was not far behind. Eventually saw dermatologist as I was very worried about Cellulitis that I had suffered from before. Thankfully not Cellulitis but fluid retention. Prescribed fluid retention tablets which helped hugely, and lost 7 pounds in 2 days !!! however due to the bad swelling which is very common, my ankles are still painful, which I guess is understandable! still elevating above heart level a couple of times a day
I am sorry I cannot advise re the sweating issue. I wish you a speedy recovery..

7

Hello Darren, I didn’t experience the swelling but did suffer from considerable sweating for a couple of weeks (primarily at night time when it wasn’t unusual for me to have to change night wear). Apparently, this isn’t too unusual. My sweating stopped completely some weeks after the operation and hopefully this will happen for you too. It must be a great relief for you to be over the operation and you should experience steady improvement over coming weeks. All the best with your recovery.

8

hi. as others say the swelling is normal. I had it in both legs. now at 3/12 only small amt to my feet if sat too long.
as for the sweating I didn’t get that. just check your temperature if you can to check no infection / fever altho youd not expect it to stop without meds . if you’re still concerned ring your Dr - altho if you’re in the uk they’re shut till tue as it’s the bh.
best wishes - it does get better. I elevated both legs separately throughout the day on a Stool same height as my chair and that reduced the swelling dramatically. I still sit with my leg up during the day intermittently

9

thanks for all the replies guys, much appreciated.

10

Hi Darren. My leg was the size of a tree trunk after surgery. Lots of ice, raised legs and add a few extra steps when you get up. Make sure you are doing the “flip flopping feet” exercise. It took about two weeks before I noticed the swelling to start to subside. I did not have the sweats though. I know others who have had that reaction if their medication was too strong for them.As others on here have said, make sure you don’t have a fever and call the doctor/hospital to ease your concerns. For me, after two weeks in, that was my first of what I call milestones. I have found that recovery is not a straight line up, but I have noticed that my milestones, albeit sometimes very small, can be gauged on a weekly basis. As my PA told me… Ice is your friend :). I’m 6 weeks post op and am still icing. Everyone heals differently so your journey will be unique. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!