Nerve damage after hip replacement surgeries

Hi @holybible, Welcome to Connect! i'm sorry to hear about your nerve issues. It definitely sounds frustrating after several years of dealing with surgeries and injections. I haven't had a hip replacement (my knees are my issue). But I know that there are a number of people here who have had them. I'm going to tag some of our Connect members to see if they can share their insights @mariemotte, @laura1956 @scottb32 and @jdsugg. Also, there are others who may have more direct experience. And, here are a couple of threads that may be helpful
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/meralgia-paresthetica/symptoms-causes/syc-20355635?_ga=2.215572183.1373315308.1549892580-1531702906.1512411564
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/ablation-therapy/about/pac-20385072
I'm curious, did they diagnose the meralgia paresthetica immediately after the hip replacement or was it later in your recovery? I'm wishing you the best.

No I was diagnosed about 7 months later. Thanks for the info. I just want to feel better already!! 🙁

I've had similar situation. total hip replacement, then hip replacement revision. Pain in mid-thigh area rates from 5-7 while I stand, walk, or do lateral movements with my left leg.
Anybody have similar situation?

I’m following this with interest. I also suffered nerve damage after a dislocation and fractured pelvis within 1 week of having a posterior hip replacement. My nerve damage manifested 2-3 weeks after the open reduction/ fracture repair with footdrop, numbness/tingling, burning , electric shocks- a whole litany of complaints . I had a neurological work up at Mayo to be told I have nerve damage :/ The treatment to date has been limited to Gabapentin, which seems to have eliminated the burning and electric shocks. I take a muscle relaxer as needed for cramping/ spamming but that seems to have pretty much abated. I’ve improved from pretty severe footdrop to a milder form but my foot is still quite weak. I’ve had various steroid injections without success. Overall I have had improvement since onset in 2017 but still have a ways to go. Doctors tell me nerves heal, or they don’t.🤷🏻‍♀️

Are you telling my story? In 2008, I had my left hip replaced and woke up to gross sciatic pain with a dropped foot. I did get my foot back after intensive water therapy for 1 /1 and one half years. My condition came from back DDD and every other diagnosis you can think of. The problem is I don't make the decision - the pain does when you reach the point of despair. My right hip was done in 2019, and guess what no dropped foot, but the femoral nerve was damaged and felt like fire crackers in my leg. I walk fine, but getting up and down was horrific.
It gradually abated 18 months later. Wish you good luck on this
journey. When I finally could get into bed I'd put on YouTube and turn on meditions it helped greatly.

Can I ask what type of water therapy you did? I began riding my bike and I found that my hip/leg/foot always felt better afterwards. It is almost like riding fires up the muscles so they begin to work more efficiently. The less I do, the worse I feel, but I’d sure like to reach a point where there is a baseline consistency, if any of that makes sense .

I have same issue i had Right hip replaced 3/22 , Started out great after 4 months started getting worse. I rate my pain about same as you a 2 or 3 most times even at rest and 6 when i stand for a long time. I went to doctor for third time and sending me to physical therapist.

I had successful hip replacement 2 years ago. He had to go back in a month later and replace parts because of a horrible infection. I was on IV antibiotics for 6 weeks at home. Now 2 years later I have sharp pain my front middle thigh area. When I turn quickly it produces a sharp pain. This pain is continuous now. Has anyone felt this way and what did you do?
Thank you

Please read my post.

I think you all are speaking to me. I had an anterior hip replacement in August 2022. Everything was going swimmingly until the middle of October. I started to get burning pain, electric shock sensation and numbness in my foot. I went to see my doctor at 2 1/2 month instead of 3 months because it was so painful. The xray looked normal and the doctor said that it was probably meralgia paresthetica and that nerves heal slowly. I knew that nerve damage was possible, I guess I thought I would not be in the small percentage that has nerve pain. I have tried Lyrica and Gabapentin - the only benefit from taking those medication was that I felt lousy while taking them so I did not think about my thigh. I have had one nerve injection which helped for a week or so. The worst part is trying to sleep, the burning is worse at night. I had nerve damage about five years ago resulting from pelvic surgery. It took about a year for that to subside after doing physical therapy for the pain. I think the next step is a possible nerve ablation since the steroid shot was a dud.