Severe, constant hip & thigh pain 2 years after THR - Please help

[Stormdennis]

Hi all. I have posted on other threads but am so I am desperate to find some help ... I know this is quite specific but maybe there is a slim change someone out there can help. I am in constant pain 24/7 and am getting to the point where I cannot cope. I'll try not to waffle.

I am 54 years old, really fit and healthy. I had a hip replacement 2 years ago due to arthritis (maybe due to years of squash and running). It was a huge success and I have had two years since then doing lots of exercise and totally pain free.

Last November, I got a twinge in my hip and thought perhaps I'd being over doing it. I'd been doing lots of long walks and cycles during lockdown. I had some physio but it didn't go away and started to get worse. I could feel aches and throbbing in my groin, outer hip and top of my thigh.

Since then it has got more and more intense. Nothing alleviates it and its 24/7 especially at night. I went back to my hip surgeon and he did an x-ray, MRI and blood tests (for infection). All came back clear (no movement of the prosthetic or infection). He referred me on to another hip surgeon who repeated the bloods and did a CT Spect Scan. All clear. They dismissed me and said go to a pain clinic (basically fobbed me off but I understand they think its all fine from their perspective)

I went to see a pain consultant who said, I don't know what it is so will inject nerve blocks into your back as it could be a nerve issue.

In the meantime, my whole hip, groin, glute and upper thigh are in agony ALL the time. I get about 2 hours sleep at night. I've had this for 3 months.

My GP says he can't do anything on the NHS as the waiting lists are so long. I have had to pay for all of this myself. Even with covid, I can't believe the NHS is really this bad for acute, constant pain.

I don't know what to do, I am convinced it is from my hip despite two hip surgeons saying the scans are clear. My back is strong and it doesn't fit a typical nerve/disc explanation as it is all over the hip (i.e. sciatica would be just one area, femoral nerve another).

I just wondered if anyone else had any experience like this or could give me some advice. I am honestly at the point where I cannot function and feel like I am living in a nightmare.

I’m sorry I don’t know anything about hips but I wondered what pain killers you are on & can you get your GP to help more with this in the short term?

Have a look at Amitriptyline available on prescription- this could really relax you & help you have a good nights sleep.

I take it for migraines and it removes all my general shoulder and neck aches overnight and into the morning.

Thanks @ShadesOfMagenta. Tried Gabapentin for awhile but it wasn’t making any difference to the pain. Also affected my focus although that may be more down to constant pain and increasing anxiety. OTC drugs do nothing. I’ve just started a new job and finding it really hard to concentrate and apply myself. I was given some opioids to be taken occasionally (dihydrocodeine 30mg). Really don’t want to take these and have only taken a few so far. Desperately need something for sleep as sleep deprivation is making everything harder to cope with I’m sure. I could ask for Amitriptyline and try it.

Just checking you know/or GP has explained about keeping OTC pain killers topped up - so you can space out paracetamol & ibuprofen through out the day (always line stomach with food before ibuprofen).

You need a GP appointment just to confirm all about the pain/sleep.

Have you tried sleeping with plug in heat packs at all?

Hi that sounds dreadful. Sorry I have nothing to add but they need to give you stronger pain relief not just something you can only use now and again. Even if that means you can’t function at 100% level something has to give. Have you tried a TENS machine you can experiment where you put the patches for the best effect?
Have you joined the Chronic pain chats that are going on? Trying to give each other more support and get a forum for issues like this.

Hi there - I had LTHR at 38...and to be absolutely honest first two years were not good.
Like you I had constant pain and lots of investigations and nerve injections that didn't do anything
Things that worked
Accupuncture - was pricey but worth it
I hired a PT at personal expense to work with me to build up my muscles and enable me to readjust my frame
The PT was a specialist trainer that works with people recovering from industry. I am now completely pain free and off pain killers but it has been a long hard slog. DM me if I can be off help

PT helped people recovery from injury

Hi all, just hoping someone else might see this who has had a successful hip replacement but a problem later on. I have seen a neurologist and he says it's most likely not my back. All my hip scans and investigations are clear.

My question is, if it's not infection and it's not a mechanical problem with the hip replacement (e.g. it hasn't moved or broken etc.) then what on earth could it be?

Is there anything else that could cause such focused & intense pain? Just longing for an innocent explanation.

xxxx

Can you touch where the pain is Op? If you press does it make it worse or does it feel deeper? If you can press it to make it more intense could it be trigger points? These can be relentless, start with over exercising and then struggle to switch off. Although the pain is over a large area are there any ‘hot spots’ that you can identify? Search for glute trigger points/hip trigger points online and see if there any which line up, just an idea

Thanks @tangerinegreen, no hot spots in terms of touch. It all feels 'inside'. My hip is still flexible and not weak in any way. It is a bit stiffer now but that's probably because I haven't exercised and I am used to exercising every single day. Walking now definitely inflames and makes it worse but it is 24/7 and sleeping is just awful. I tried some gentle pilates the other day and I think that made it worse too. But in terms of touch, no trigger points. That said, I cannot lie on that side in bed as it feels sore, not to touch but achy, it feels like lying on hard ground or concrete.

xx