Total leg skin pain still 21 days after left knee replacement

I had similar situation on my lower leg (which was where my bruising was). It slowly disappeared as the bruising resolved but, like you, I didn’t find oral pain meds helped at all. What did help was a prescription for Diclofenac ointment 8%. Give it a try. Worked for me. I had my surgery Jan 20th and it’s been resolved for some time now. Best wishes.

Beth I had this very thing happen to me minus the bruising , ask your doctor about CRPS aka rsd.It is a pain condition when treated early can be controlled. Best of luck. Read about CRPS IT'S A POSSIBLITY

I think you might be having nerve related pain. As the nerve endings repair after surgery they can feel quite active and painful
Hydromorphone did not work for me but Lyrica which is for nerve pain was a life saver. Ask your doctor

Thank you! I do have peripheral neuropathy in my feet and take a tricyclic antidepressant for that which helps tremendously. Glad your pain is manageable. Beth

I am 8 weeks out from a tkr and the skin around my knee is super sensitive. Hang in there.

Thank you. Yes, it took a good while for my right knee area four years ago although this is a much bigger area. I appreciate your encouragement. Beth

My experience sounds similar & I attached a pic of my bruised leg. Two days after TKR the anesthetic wore off and the level of pain was worse than anything I ever experienced prior, including ruptured kidneys and various broken bones. The only relief from leg pain came from copious amounts of OXY but rather than get hooked on pain pills (like a friend of mine), I toughed out the pain which means I didn't exercise or sleep very much and lost 15 pounds from nausea. Gradually the pain level decreased but the nerves never stopped "firing". It felt like electrical wires were attached to my knee and the shocks would run down the shin bone to the ankle. Shooting nerve pain would go off day and night causing verbal outbursts. At 6 weeks I had an MUA to regain ROM and lots of PT followed. The tech would bend the knee until I "tapped out", indicating I could stand no more pain. I continued those exercises for 2 months because I was told scar tissue was unlikely to form after 12 weeks. That was a mistake (IMO). I should never have ended the rigorous exercise regimen, no matter how painful it was. Scar tissue set it and I needed a third procedure (arthroscopic surgery) to extract the scar tissue but despite the exercise regimen, the scar tissue came back in 6 weeks impeding movement. Not sure what my next step is other than accepting I can no longer do many of the hobbies/activities I once enjoyed. Most of my frustration and rage has dissipated and my entire focus is on how to regain some level of normalcy w/o pain and drugs. Over time I developed an exercise routine that's working but my ROM remains limited to 90 degrees. I canceled the planned TKR on my left knee. IMO, living with arthritis is easier than this. Trying Hyaluronic acid on the left knee. If that doesn't work, I'll try PRP and then stem cell.

Ouch. I am so sorry about your painful condition. It must be so frustrating. There are so many types of nerve pain and related issues. I wish you the best and hope you can get some comfort and relief. Beth

I am at 5 1/2 months and had no bruising however yes, my skin was very sensitive to touch and I had to wear sweat pants for what seems like forever. I was taking 900 mg Gabapentin at bedtime but am weaning off to see if it help with the neuropathy. My ROM is 115 and with the band can pull it to 123. I am to where I can do pretty much what I want however if I overdo which I do many times my leg will hurt for several days after ie...rode my bike 4 miles Sunday, stretched my leg and walked about 3000 steps as it was a quieter day. It's Tuesday and I'm still paying for it. I'm told all this is normal but it is frustrating for sure not being able to do the things I want. Hopefully by December (will be 13 months out) I'm good as I'm going to Universal and there is much walking. Keep doing the PT and the nerve issues will subside. You can take Gabapentin for that but keep in mind it must be weaned off of and not just stopped.

Can you tell me what the Gabapetin is used for in your
case. I see no mention of neuropathy. Was it just for the
sensitive skin?
Thanks.
Vince