@SusanEllen66
I am 75 years old. I take 300 mg of gabapentin for back pain (osteoarthritis) at night. I cannot tolerate a larger dose, so I stay at that amount. I take it at night with one each of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, an OTC called Calms Forte (have used it for years) and 60 mg of CBD. It gets me about 6-7 hours of sleep. Usually when I awake about 4-5 am I take an ibuprofen. This helps with the morning stiffness. I am able to be active all day with no other meds.
I have had both knees replaced (2015 and 2021). I managed on oxycodone for about 3 days, then transitioned to acetaminophen and ibuprofen. I started PT on day 4. My mantra is "No pain, no gain". The rehab is work but you must push through. I have had no problems with the knees.
I am having some pain in the right hip, but that is on hold for now as I need rotator cuff repair in June. I am not looking forward to that, not because of the pain and rehab, but because it is my right arm. These down times are hard to manage when you are an independent person. It makes me humble. I know I can power through it and the end result will be positive. I have a husband, home, farm and garden that need me.