... I am in such pain that I cry from around 3:00 A.M. on till after day light. I took 6 weeks of PT and the range of motion was right on the mark but the pain was still there. After a PT session I hurt so bad that night and the whole next day that medication wouldn't stop it. I take 5 mg of Oxycodone as needed for pain. ( I only take it when the crying starts and sometimes take 2 instead of one) I try to use Tylenol arthritis 2 or 3 at the time instead of the oxycodone. I hurt when I stand even worse that walking, sitting, or lying. I am just miserable all the time. My surgeon says he cannot understand why I hurt that everything was okay with the surgery so he just dismissed me and said to get second opinion. What can I do?
I had total knee replacement 18 weeks ago and I can't stand the pain still. I can't sleep at night.?
Question posted by ltgreene on 19 Feb 2015
Last updated on 22 October 2021 by Gunny-Hank
7 Answers
Gunny-Hank
22 Oct 2021
I know this is an old question and you probably found relief by now, but my Mother had the problem after her knee replacement Dr. could not figure out why, they finally found she was allergic to the metal in the knee and had to replace it with a different knee replacement without metal she felt great after that.
Sherree J
2 Aug 2020
Don’t know if your still looking , but have you considered a TKR failure ? I never stopped having pain after my replacement. The pain wasn’t as bad st first, but kept getting worse and the knee became stiffer limiting my ability to bend it. They tried breaking the scar tissue and going through PT again but it didn’t help. After a 3 years they did a test that showed it had come loose. It’s been 13 years and the last scan showed it was now loose top and bottom and my knee is twisting. Very painful. This whole opioid thing has now interfered with pain management. They knew it’s loose top and bottom, they know it’s twisting and gets very painful but they still fight me and my new doctor cut my amount in half. I keep telling her I can’t make it on that amount because I am constantly playing catch up on the out of control pain.
Pain management said they can’t do anything for the pain Ortho wants to do a revision but those are very complicated and can involve bone grafts with no guarantee it will work. So I said no. I can function now if I have proper pain control. Lol. Got off topic. Joint pain is horrible and if I was you I would check for loosening.
Olivial
27 Jan 2019
Had same after shoulder surgery. Blessed to be at large prestigious medical facility. Was tested at 14 wks post op. Diagnosed with RSD. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Also referred to as CRPS. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Happens when the brain for unknown reasons permanently imprints a pain event. Can also present from a bump you don't even recall. If your pain is still an unresolved issue request indepth neurological testing. More info Google RSD/CRPS.
Antigov7869
23 June 2015
I am sorry to hear about your condition. I had a total left knee replacement on October, 29 2013 & then a total right knee replacement on March 4, 2014. I had in - patient rehab for a month & then 1 month of out - patient rehab. My knees are doing pretty good. The right knee was much worse than the left & I am having some problems with it but the Dr. said from the beginning that the right knee was going to be a tougher rehab. Even with the in & outpatient rehab I still had some pain for months after both, but I had to work the knees myself with the exercises. Weight is also a factor in recovery. I put on some lbs & noticed a difference in the way I felt while walking & feeling in general. Knowing all that I went through & the trouble you are having, I would get a second opinion, x-Ray your knees & see exactly what is going on in there. A second opinion is your right & will hopefully show why you hurt so much.
Pain is the body's way of telling you that something is wrong. Taking pain meds is the way to go at first, but then you should be able to slowly reduce the amount of & frequency of using the med. I hope my rant will help you in some way, you can be better, unfortunately now you have to do the legwork for your recovery or God forbid another surgery to correct the problem.
seaside asylum
6 April 2015
I wish I could helpwith your pain questions. Unfortunately I am suffering almost the same way I am 12 weeks out from surgery and I think my pain seems to be gettng worse. I had a bilateral partial knee What was I Thinking. I also break down and cry sometimes because the pain is so bad getting up to go to the bathroom during the night is excruciating. I felt better several weeks ago! I have also developed pain In my arms from I guess lifting myself up all the time and pain in Lower back and neck. my surgeon seemed to think I was doing fine and released me from Pt. He said just go to gym and build your quads. Easier said then done. My sympathies to you perhaps I need a second opinion also. wish I could give you more advice but I guess misery loves company. Jus t wish I knew the progression time for pain to start subsiding and actually being able to walk without any assistance. I know everyone is different that's all I ever hear. But it would be nice to have a general idea.
ltgreene
6 April 2015
Thank you for your answer, I did get the second opinion from a doctor out of state. Unfortunately he said he couldn't understand why the pain. He said I needed to give it at least a complete 6 months to keep from getting false positive on any reports. I am supposed to call him this week and schedule a bone scan and aspiration,. I have had these in the past and nothing was wrong so I am going to question the need for this. He did say it could be coming from my back. My original doctor did an MRI on my him and back and said it showed nothing although when I read it there were 3 or four bulging disc. Go figure. I am very disappointed in the medical system right now. I will pray for your problem also. that seems to be the only alternative at this point. God bless you.
seaside asylum
6 April 2015
Thanks for your kind answer which only makes things more complicated. I agree about our medical system. I guess that's why they call it the " practice of medicine" We are being practiced On. I hope we both Find some level of pain free life soon. :)(
ltgreene
23 June 2015
God bless you too. I too wish I had never had the surgery. I had my back checked out because that is what the doctors keep saying "it's from your back". well I have been to pain management , PT and even had an epidural. the back pain is better but it didn't touch the knee. I am going to go back to the doctor I saw for the second opinion and try one more time to get some relief. I think there is fluid, inflammation or something that isn't supposed to be in there in there. We'll see. Thanks for your reply.
balbanese
19 Feb 2015
get the 2nd opinion.
Delila
19 Feb 2015
Hi, i'm so sorry to hear about how much pain you are in. I would definitely get a second opinion if your primary surgeon is dismissing your predicament... In the meantime, have you tried aqua therapy or a TENs machine for direct pain management?
ltgreene
20 Feb 2015
Thank you, What is the aqua therapy or the TENS machine?
Delila
22 Feb 2015
Hi, aqua therapy is basically physiotherapy (physical therapy) in water. The water helps you feel weightless and movement can be less painful but even more effective. Tens stands for: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, the definition is: a method of reducing pain by passage of an electric current. You have a small battery powered unit with pads that you 'stick' to the painful areas. It is relatively cheap to pick one up...
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sta-d, pain, sleep, knee joint replacement, knee
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