total knee replacement, recovery time, pain meds
Hi, I like to hear about your experience with your TKR. I'm on my 2nd one. For some reason seems I'm having more problems with walking with the 2nd one. I'm doing better at bending, I'm already at 100 in a week's time. I can lay my leg flat already to a zero. But walking is hard. Please I like to hear your story.
Vivian
Hi Vivian
I am 6 weeks into my second PKR and it is so hard.
The first one ten months ago was a shock as I was "sold" the idea that a partial knee would be a walk in the park!
It was 12 weeks before I could honestly say I was feeling better than before it and was glad I had it done. AT ten months it is still very sore when walking, it feels almost bruised. I am putting it down to having to take the weight of the newer one.
I have a much better bend faster than the first one, measured yesterday at 130 versus the other knee at 140 and both are straight. However the second one is far more painful, unlike the first which after 6 weeks seemed only to hurt on walking and exercising, the second one hurts all the time! I have found out I am allergic to the internal stitches so there has been some extra inflammation. I am doing all the exercises on my own and at the physio but it is a slow painful experience.
The moral is to not make comparisons but it is difficult not to do that when it is your own knee.
I have just come off the hardcore tablets I was on Tramadol for 6 weeks and am trying to manage with Paracetamol and Ibuprofen along with ice only a modicum of success.
I did have my best sleep in 7 months last night however managing a stretch without interruption of nearly 5 hours!
Good luck with your recovery, like everyone else says on here it is a long, slow job and patience is needed.
Unfortunately I have very little!
Sounds like very good progress!😊
You mentioned you were having trouble with walking. Can you explain a bit more? Maybe I can help!
( TKRs June and October 2015)
First TKR took approx 3/4mths to totally recover. I was on co-codomol 30mg. Tramadol 50mg. At the beginning I was given low dose morphine for nights.
I’m 4weeks in this time and on the same meds plus ibuprofen. I was really down and emotional last week but everyday I’m getting stronger now and started to push myself, so feeling more alive and positive. Think we all have to remember it’s major surgery we’ve been through and everyone heals different and at different stages. Take care. Xx
First TKR took approx 3/4mths to totally recover. I was on co-codomol 30mg. Tramadol 50mg. At the beginning I was given low dose morphine for nights.
I’m 4weeks in this time and on the same meds plus ibuprofen. I was really down and emotional last week but everyday I’m getting stronger now and started to push myself, so feeling more alive and positive. Think we all have to remember it’s major surgery we’ve been through and everyone heals different and at different stages. Take care. Xx
Recovery Time: Usually one year total.
- First three months: Very painful, on the heavy duty opioids and titrate down at the end, do your PT to get your 0 / +120 ROM back, get rid of the walking aids when you are able.
- Months 4-6: Back to work, on OTC meds, walk a lot, start the exercise program to rebuild your dead quads, glutes and core, start back on stairs.
- Months 7-9: "Feeling more like my old self!", continue the exercise program for the muscle rebuild, increase walking distance, probably be off all meds, with better musculature you will feel more "balanced".
- Months 10-12: Pretty much back to normal, knee may still look a little bit larger than the other, clicking/clunking noises have decreased, stairs are no problem, stiffness/tightness has decreased significantly, dance at your one-year anniversary party.
- Post 12 Months: Stiffness, noises and the "swollen look" will decrease over time but have no effect on your daily life, docs say these effects could last 18 months or longer, stiffness could return unless you continue to keep the knee active.
WARNING: This is a GENERAL guideline for a TKR recovery. You will hear over and over again that "everyone is different". Totally true. Therefore you cannot EXPECT that your recovery will be like this. These generalities apply to the POPULATION of TKR patients and never to any one individual. We have heard from people who skate through this whole thing in three months and others who are still in nightmare mode with complications at two years. You can never predict what your recovery will be like before you go through it, beginning to end.
Your best bet is to give up all expectations and timetables. It's very Zen: "Your knee will be better when it's better." Period. You cannot push a knee to recovery so get the word "should" out of your head. Push it and the knee bites you back with swelling, pain and more. People call it a marathon, not a race...so true.
Meds: Typically, people are given some heavy-duty opioids at the beginning...stuff like hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco) or oxycodone (Percocet)...can be augmented by muscle relaxers like Flexeril. Once the bad pain has passed, you can titrate down to Tramadol and then plain ibuprofen. Voltaren Gel (RX in the US) is a great topical anti-inflammatory and pain reliever...Aspercream with 4% Lidocaine and Lidocaine patches helped with any nerve discomfort. (Personally, I'm not a fan of nerve meds.) However, work with your doc on med choice, dosage and schedule. The pain will be intense at times but it should NEVER be unbearable. Sometimes, docs will change your meds or dose to get you the relief you need. Again, this is only for the first 30-60 days, approximately. Everyone is different.
Click on my name and then "See All Discussions". I have lots of stuff out there about expectations, sleep, post-op depression, exercising and more. Arm yourself with good information...do your own research...ask the docs lots of questions. PS: Anyone who tells you that you will be back to work in six weeks is completely delusional. Very, very, very few people can do that. After reading over 4,000 posts on here, I can count them with a few digits on one hand. I can tell you, at 2+ years post-op, that it does get better. Time, work and patience are your tools. Give the knee time to heal, do the ROM and exercise work, and have patience that it will get better. If you don't possess the latter, the knee will teach you...
When I walk it's very painful behind the knee.
Hi, I don't have the patience I use to have. I'm so tired of just laying down or sitting in the recliner. We'll be nice to get up and take a walk!
I'm going to slow down, I'm always in a hurry these days. Thank you for the info.
My story is different but sort of the same I know for a fact each time your knee gets operated on it takes longer for it to heal and that is assuming there are no issues such as infections and your not having multiple surgeries on the same knee. Whether you like it or not you have to be patient do not over do it with your activities it will heal but it takes time. In case your wondering I have had 17 surgeries all on my left knee out of the 17, 5 of them have been TKR's. I have learned to be patient it is very hard it stinks being in pain every single day it stinks even more so for me that I am going to need another surgery real soon since the last one is failing and it was also put in improperly. I have never had any issues with bending bad knee I can bend as far as the right no problems have not been able to get the leg flat. You may be inpatient but here I am facing another surgery that is more involved then a typical TKR now I am going to have major bone loss as well due to all the TKR's I have had and here I am trying to encourage others to stick with it and do your exercises ice when needed. I am jealous.
Your knee controls your recovery...not your mind, not your "schedule", not nuttin'. Do too much and the knee bites you back. This is a long, slow, gradual recovery. A great tool is a fit bit or any other step tracker. When the knee hurts or swells, check your steps. That's now past your limit. Back off, ice, elevate and resume gradually. It's not a race. Slow and steady. The nice thing about the trackers is that you can graph your progress...very rewarding.
The knee will teach you patience. Listen to the knee.
I'm listening to the knee, don't have much choice.
I know exactly how you feel. I’m so fed up ‘resting’.......it’s frustrating too. I can’t wait to be back to myself and doing all the housework etc.
Thing is now I’m in week 4 and everyday I’m feeling stronger I have to listen to my knee. If I do too much it gets painful and swells up. I just have to try and be patient. In a few months I’ll be moaning at having to do everything and getting no help!! LOL! Can’t win.
Take care and hope you’ll be better soon. Xx
"Fed up" and "frustrating" are terms and words that have been banned in TKRville...as is the word "should". While the feelings are real and valid, they provide no path forward. Your tools are time, work and patience...emphasis on the latter. This is a very difficult recovery...it will test your heart, mind, body and soul. Be up to the challenge...be stronger than you ever thought you could be. Think about it...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-ptsd-569521
Hi Fifi!
I had that issue, too, PRIOR to my surgeries, and I was afraid it would crop up again AFTER my surgeries since my surgeon did NOT do any repair in the back of either knee.
On a hunch I shared my concern with my physical therapist. She said that most pre and post surgical patients have tight hamstrings due to bending their knees a bit when walking to take pressure off the scraping of bone against bone due to disintegrated cartilage.
I didn't realize I was bending my knees, but it was clear that I WAS! Also, when doing exercises on the table, I didn't have straight legs. They lifted a bit at the back of the knee.
During each session I worked on stretching my hamstrings. I also stretched throughout the day at home. I continue to stretch my legs out straight and tighten then loosen my quads when I sit. My feet are both up on my ottoman.
To start, place one leg at a time on an ottoman or chair while being seated. At first you may only be able to handle a couple minutes. Use a looped belt to hoist your leg up if needed. (I just used one of my husband's leather belts.) Eventually you will be able to get both legs up.
Another VERY helpful stretch is rolling a towel and placing it on the floor in front of your kitchen sink. Place the fronts of your feet on the rolled towel, hold onto the sink/ counter and gently lift your heels off the floor. Hold a bit then go back down. This gives a nice gentle stretch to your hamstrings. Do everything slowly.
These are my two favorite hamstring stretches, and I am happy to say that I no longer have pain behind my knees.
I hope this proves helpful to you!
lol so true Shona!