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Physical Therapy with or without pain medication?

Bones, Joints & Muscles | Last Active: Feb 5, 2023 | Replies (38)
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@karenann01

I had TKR about 3 months ago. I am normally not a pill person, but my block wore off the same day as surgery & they had a hard time at the hospital controlling my pain. I think it was the worse I've ever experienced. After they got it under control, I went home with Oxycontin & Oxycodone. I only took the Oxycontin at night, but stayed on a 4-6 hour regiment of Oxycodone for about a week. One day I forgot & soon the pain was intense. It was hard to get it back under control. After a week or 10 days I was able to stretch the daytime meds into longer periods, but for the first couple weeks, I did take them before PT. I stayed on the night time meds for about 6 weeks, but slowly switched from Oxycontin to Oxycodone to Vicodin to tramadol to nothing. When I went to outpatient therapy (I had 3 weeks of home PT) I was able to drive myself & didn't want to be using heavy meds. There were days I really should have had my husband take me, so I could take something, but I got thru it. I think as long as you're in the first 6 weeks or so, you should control your pain as needed, then you can start tapering off. Normal use of pain meds won't turn you into a druggie & will help you get thru that painful period. It's not fun under the best of conditions.

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Replies to "I had TKR about 3 months ago. I am normally not a pill person, but my..."
kaptainkat | @kaptainkat | Sep 17, 2022

I had to Google TKR.

I am plagued by SEVERE sciatica, with bulges at L1-2, L2-3, and L3-4. And I am getting all the PT that my body can handle and my medicare will pay for.

Have you considered cannabis internally or CBD oil topically? I can personally vouch for tokes taking pain and swelling away.

I am on such an olio of scripts I am not quite sure what is doing what what. But Duloxetine (Cymbalta) is the 'heaviest'. The rest are BP and digestive related and not as 'critical'.

I had seen something, I believe here at the Mayo site, about depressants being prescribed for some neuropathy, neuralgia, and Radiculopathy.

And though mine was scripted for my depression and anxiety, when I was cut cold turkey due to incompetence at my former Dr., the CHEST pain I was feeling from esophageal issues almost landed me in an ER. Or morgue.

I am also taking Gabapentin supposedly for pain.

At least that's why we give it to our cats with stomatitis.

It seems rather 'immediate' - 30 minute to take affect - for them, but as I understood for me it is more a residual kind of effect. Take it for a week, or a month, and then look back and see if I have been feeling better.

Same with the Duloxetine (and ANY antidepressant). One doesn't pop one to feel better.

My mom is passed. She had both of her knees done without much incident.

Best of success. Keep up up to date on you progress.

(=^..^=)
KK

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