To have underestimated the pain following knee replacement surgery

Thinking of you OP. It's a bloody awful time, but it will be worth it.

Also on the FB group a lot of people get very ott about their 'bends'. Take everything at your own pace and dont compare yourself to others

MIL had this done 5 years ago and flatly refuses to have the other one done. She from the generation of natural childbirth and says she would havevall 3 labour's again than have the surgery again! It will be worth it in the end though.

I am three weeks further on than you and the first few days at home were brutal. I kept thinking I had made a huge mistake to undergo the operation. I would count down the time until I could take the next painkiller, and the only ones that seemed to have any effect were the opioids. I’d also started reading Demon Copperhead - about the US opioid crisis - so that was an interesting juxtaposition!

I could have a maximum of three opioids a day but by the second week I tapered down to two opioids a day and I am now on one a day. It is still painful, the operated knee is still stiff but it is steadily getting better.

It is crucial that you do those exercises now to make recovery easier so yes, do take the maximum painkillers that you are allowed so that you can exercise. Remember it’s only short term.

Do use ice packs to reduce the swelling and don’t ask too much of yourself. The exercises should take priority over day-to-day chores but they will tire you.

I've had both knees replaced. Take whatever pain relief you need, do the physio and ice, ice, ice. If you weren't sent home with an ice pack that straps round your knee, buy one. They're about £20. I acquired a trapped nerve in my thigh post surgery and was told not to use topical painkillers like ibuprofen gel anywhere near the wound so be careful and check with doctor before using anything like that.

It does get better and movement gets easier. I'm 7 years post surgery and it's been life changing.

For clarity, NSAIDs are routinely used after knee/hip replacements subject to the usual contraindications.

Are you doing the regular icing with an ice machine. Don’t under stomata how important that is. Your pain is at a peak, it should start to reduce soon but the ice is your best friend at this point

DP used a device for keeping the joint moving all the time. It looked like a cross between meccano set and a medieval instruement of torture but it did help a lot. Used it for a about a week. had to hire it privately - ask the physio.

In the mean time keep taking the morphine and the senokot

You can’t not allow someone to become addicted. I got reliant on morphine and am now on methadone. It can still happen with a short course

You need to take the morphine if the pain is that bad. If you don't then you will risk the knee not healing well as you will delay getting movement back. Swelling will reduced much more effectively if you are doing the gentle movement as advised. They give you pain relief for a reason. It is to ensure the best possible outcome. Are you icing it regularly?

Yes, take everything regularly and get moving. Set an alarm so you done miss a dose. Really important to stay on top on the pain .

It sounds awful, OP, and if I was in your shoes, I'd be taking all the meds I could get my hands on.

I'm fortunate to have a high pain threshold, and I was a bit surprised when they inisisted on giving me morphine after having just one side of my knee done. I was adamant I didn't need it, but maybe they were right!

Second this - my Dad had a knee replacement in February, and the cooling machine was a huge help. He also was taken aback by the recovery, he had blithely assumed he'd be back to work after 4-6 weeks.

But four months later, the difference is like night and day, he's able to move around so much better than he did pre-op.

Hang in there!

No don't use an anti-inflammatory painkiller. There's a reason they didn't include one in your discharge, it's because there is evidence to show they interfere with bone healing.

You should avoid NSAIDs for the foreseeable, your doctor should tell you when it's OK to start taking them again.

Use ice packs for inflammation.

Take the painkillers you've been prescribed- don't be a martyr to the pain. It will settle.

If at maximum dose they're not helping, call the surgical team or your gp to discuss. Another opiate might help more (eg tramadol).

Take the morphine and move. But also - keep hydrated and keep your fibre intake up. Morphine is horribly constipating.

Such a great group on facebook isn't it, it's helped me massively!

Day 22 post op here for the same and I hear you!
Take the meds, every few hours even if you feel fine take them and never miss a dose. I did this after advice from a friend who had it done too and it was bang on the ball. If the meds you have aren't touching it get in touch with them for something stronger. If you don't control the pain you can't do the important gentle exercises that you need to do to keep the movement and swelling down as best as. Don't over do them though, it's finding the balance between too much and not enough. I did too much and ended up splitting my wound and it's only now just had all of the dressings taken off as it caused granulation. So basically, elevate the leg, ice it and rest it and then get up and have a gentle toddle around every hour to prevent dvt. It's meds, exercise, ice and elevate, rest (afternoon nap) walk and repeat...
Oh and no ibuprofen if you are on blood thinners, check that with someone first as they can cause issues there.
It does get easier, honestly it does. I'm using paracetamol and voltarol gel now and I'm managing okish. I think sometimes we massively underestimate how big an op this really is, it's quite brutal and a long journey to get through. It's also different for everyone, so don't compare yourself to some who fly it or others who struggle as it's such an individual thing, no pressure! Best wishes to you and remember to rest.

Join the knee replacement uk Facebook group, you will get lots of support and helpful advice. I had my knee replaced in January and I found this group invaluable. If it's too swollen you will find it difficult to work on your bend, so lots of icing and elevating in the early days. I rented an ice machine for a month and used it religiously every two hours, I think this really helped with pain relief. Good luck, you will get there in the end, just keep up with the pain killers every four hours and use the morphine if you still have pain.

Ice is your friend. Get something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NEWGO-Reusable-Replacement-Injuries-Arthritis/dp/B09S9YZG1Y/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=12IWDL5D7BKIX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aBKTAR_Gl9kTt5RaB0q_Ll6E9gt5CW6BKb2eYSH_lp_Qrsff0svlnDFqTf1PO-gXOjO1GcPfsxyOfaC7vpSHhH6uggYIGTDGeyO3w5aAV4AwtFLLivUvdf6TqTuaiYu7TjnmXiE8IKLeOCxebsNOhCt79IiFk3e3tE7NpNmHGn6FqImjjGXFKaQ2DgrqFUpz0OEvNAJrVKGOxbDcxVzjMZRJnZ-ZzJczZGGjK4UIXSz-ttofeqh37lo7s_ITyZl0mAK26A9Hd57ErE8OKhGtDeEdp9w8f-M0VZ6gmivGJrs.2tvMPccce4aqn20krm_KxXo5yuMkmKeSkji6FlHySWM&dib_tag=se&keywords=knee%2Bice%2Bpack%2Bwrap&qid=1751366478&sprefix=Knee%2Bice%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

use the ice pack regularly but Definately before and after exercising as it will help with any swelling. I used mine for MONTHS after.

i was lucky getting mine done via the NHS but through a local private hospital and my recovery included 5 weeks of physio including aqua therapy for the first 3 weeks - it made a huge difference to recovery. If you have a nearby private hospital you might be able to access this by paying - it was worth it.

good luck and hang on in there!

I’m waiting for a knee replacement and literally everyone I have spoken to (medical professionals and people who have had the op) has emphasised the severe pain it will entail, but that it is generally worth it.
I remember not taking what I was told about birth pain seriously - not making that mistake again.

Take the max pain relief - you really need to get the knee moving as soon as possible otherwise recovery will be a long hard slog. I have had one knee replaced and am down for the other. I found an ice pack for 20 mins every hour helped with the swelling. However since then I have discovered that you can hire a machine that circulates either very cold water or air around the knee which apparently can work wonders for swelling and pain and really speeds up recovery so I will be hiring one of those for the next one.

I was on naproxin anyway, but you need to check first.

Ive had both knees and both hips replaced. Hips were a literal walk in the park

You need to get on top of the pain. Take as much pain relief as you are allowed and try and move as much as you can. There is an end I promise

Why are people so keen to be stoic and take as little medicine as possible? They were prescribed for a reason - because you’ll need them for your pain! So use them (responsibly!) and good luck with your recovery!