Miserable from TKR: What can I do to get better?

@tracy70 Sorry to hear you are continuing to be so miserable. I am week 12 and finally able to sleep better. Not easy to get to sleep or stay asleep, but much better. Please continue your pain meds while you have pain, staying aware opioids can become addictive should help you from becoming reliant on them for other than pain. I found I needed to increase the level of elevation and ice more. I still ice a couple times a day. I have resigned myself to accepting this TKR will not become “worth it” for a very long time, if ever. It stinks that your doctor blows you off. Have you talked with your therapist and have they tried relieving that tight feeling with deep myofacial release message? The first time was excruciating but each subsequent session got easier and my entire leg felt better. Stay on here so you don’t feel alone while working through this difficult time. Mary

Thanks for your kind reply. Yes, glad I found this site to be able to get support.
My therapist always starts with message and that really feels so good. A good hurt. I just asked him today if he was doing MFR but he said he’s not trained in that. He said we just lightly massage to loosen up soft tissue.
We are in a very small town with small hospital. However, the PT dept is very busy!!
They have about 5 or 6 employees. Know they’ve helped a lot of locals with their knees, etc. Do wish I could find someone who did MFR.
I did start taking more of the pain med yesterday and even set an alarm to take during the night. It got me through till about 4:15 which helps. I find if I get up and walk around some that loosens it up so is helpful but I will take more pain med if that’s what it takes but sure don’t like how it makes me feel in the head. Seems daytime it’s not so bad but I dread from dinner time till morning.
If you are 12 weeks out I guess I’d better be more patient.
Thanks again for the encouragement!!

Once you get the pain controlled with the pain meds, you can try to alternate the pain med with either Tylenol or Ibuprofen so you are taking less. I did that after one of my hip replacements that was particularly painful. But I tried to make sure I was scheduled to take the opioid before PT and at bedtime. Once it was well-managed by alternating, I transitioned to alternate Tylenol and Ibuprofen every 4-6 hours. On really bad days, I might still resort to one pain pill.
As for MFR, like some others here, I am a huge fan. As you become better able to get around, maybe you can find a practitioner nearby?
Good luck, I like to tell people that joint replacement surgery and recovery are a marathon, not a sprint. We actually measure progress in months, not days...

Hang in there, it will get better because you are so determined.
Sue

Please give yourself more time.I too began to wonder if I made the wrong decision. It took about 8 weeks before I was feeling more comfortable.. When I went to outpatient PT and they pushed on my knee(hyperextension) I had discomfort for several. As time progressed all got better. I had pain in the outside of my foot, ankle, and the outside of my leg from the knee down. After some research I figured I had some peroneal nerve damage and asked my PCP for gabapentin. After two doses the discomfort I had , which became progressive, was gone!!! Don't get discouraged. I too had my doubts but I am six months out doing stairs, putting on socks, and yard work.

@gobigred
I'm sorry to hear you're in so much pain. I have had two TKRs and not had that much of a problem but each TKR is different.

You sound similar to my brother-in-law who recently had a hip replacement. His pain got worse also. He saw his surgeon and they decided he was trying to do too much too quickly. I hope you are doing your physical therapy but also giving yourself time to get your leg up to help prevent swelling, and perhaps icing. My orthopedic surgeon was very adamant about the physical therapy being GENTLE. He was very opposed to physical therapy that was extremely stressful and caused pain. I had a different doctor for my first TKR and he did not make any recommendations on that and the physical therapist I went to put me in such pain that I literally screamed a couple of times.

I can understand not wanting to use opioids any more than absolutely necessary. My doctor was very strict about prescribing them. The only OTC pain reliever I can take is acetaminophen but I did read that they are finding that ibuprofen is just as effective as opioids for many people. Are you taking any of them? At one point when I had a problem before I couldn't take ibuprofen, I had a doctor tell me to take 3, 3 times a day. You might want to ask your doctor what the safe maximum dosage for you would be and give that a try so you can use fewer opioids, or get off of them entirely.

I hope you can find some relief soon. I know how frustrated you must be.
JK

Please do not despair. This will get better. Take the pain meds if you need them. Ice often and stay mobile. I am 8 weeks out and 90% back to normal. It was very rough in the beginning and I am tough having gone through 2 hip replacements which I feel were less intense than one TKR. Let the weeks pass and the healing progress.
Good luck!

What is MFT?

I agree with you. I had 2 hip replacement surgery and the knee replacement surgery was painful but you have to keep moving and do your physical therapy exercise every day.

Good evening @debra145. I just want to thank you for reinforcing the need to " keep moving and do your physical therapy exercises every day." That is so true and so important.

May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Chris

Hey guy, Im about the same time post op. My right knee was gone, my right foot had 13 screws and 2 large plates on the top of the foot , between the bottom of the front calf and just before the the meditarsles or the toe joints. I had set up the surgeries so I had the plates and screws taken out about three weeks before the knee replacement. All said and done because I had to stop blood thinners about a week before the first surgery, then continued to stop and continue with two baby aspirin a day .Well know most off the pain is rite in the knee area. So I think they cut the femur bone rite @ a 90 degree, then a plastic spacer is used to take up the distance, if the DR. is short, also after the cut off the Tibia, a plastic spacer is added, so this way the way of measurement I feel is not that accurate to get Bothe legs the same length.
I feel I’m about a 1/2” shorter on the right side . Which today I adjusted the space in my inside of my shoe .Feels better, but again the center of the pain is rite @ the knee.
I had a compression stocking on all day, the total length of the leg about. The swelling stayed to a min. , but the pain was still there. My pain meds are a 30 mg immediate release, do they work, you could give me a 80 mg and a 80 mg slow release.The pain is not going away.The Dr. said , well how long you been on these, I said its been 4 months now, he said thats is why.I asked him if he has ever taken pain meds? he said no, just what he read.I said that is why u have that opinion.The last time they did my hip, I never got more than 5 mg oxy from them, and it was like pulling teeth. Four per day , two months worth and you were done .Then u deal with the with drawls as well.One other issue, if they mixed a methadone pill in @ night 10 mg. The with draw would be alot easier when done.A two months supply should do the trick ,and if it don’t there are other issues going on .
Well god bless people, I own a glass company , were just me and my wife do small projects, and we are done. I have been breaking down a little more every 6 months about,I was blessed with moms arthritis jeans .,OH well. be safe with Love . Martin