9 months after tkr.....

[mollyandmaisie]

is anyone still in pain 9 months after tkr? im at my wits end now! a year after my first tkr and 9 months after my 2nd one..... still cant walk properly without terrible pain around the knees, also very weak, i have no muscle strength at all. also terrible stinging as if im being stung by bees all over my legs. i did all my physio correctly and everyday. now i go to the gym just to cycle and walk on the treadmill, do some squats and try my best to help myself in every way, to no avail. im really down as the surgeon who did my tkr says everything is fine, had blood tests and xrays and according to him all looks good..... cant take this pain much longer...

[ITYFIALMCTT]

That's a long time for you to be in this level of pain and understandable distress at the lack of any clear end to this. What does your GP say about it? Have you had a referral to neurology?

Your surgeon said all looks clear by which I take it that you don't have any indicators for CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome), Central Pain Sensitisation, or anything like that?

Are you waiting for an appointment with a Pain Clinic to see if they can assess you for better pain management techniques? If your GP hasn't already made a referral it sounds like it's something that you need to request as soon as you can.

[mollyandmaisie in reply to ITYFIALMCTT]

thankyou, i have another app with the surgeon at the hospital in january but dont want to put up with this for that long. i did ask him if i could be allergic to the metal as i am allergic to nickel which i stated clearly before the op. he just shrugged it off and said there is no indication from the blood tests that i am. but thats how it feels. i will go to my gp and see what he thinks. back to the gym today but if anything its just making the pain worse.

[suetpud09]

Hi this is very worrying for me. I kneed a tkr, delaying at the moment, but was already concerned about what metal the joint is made of. I am allergic to nickel also. Are you seriously telling me he ignored you when you told him you were allergic? I hope that you improve quickly. I must find out what alternatives there are..... good luck.

[mollyandmaisie in reply to suetpud09]

i told him about my allergy to nickel before the surgery and he put my mind at rest saying it wont be a problem.... i felt reassured by this as the pain of arthritis was unbearable i felt anything is better than this. in fairness everyone ive spoken to, has said its the best thing they had done. im going to my gp next week and im going to express my concerns regarding the allergy to nickel or ask wether it may be nerve damage. i just want answers. i cant go on much longer! its unbearable. i,ll let you know how i get on. dont let me put you off as i realize im in a minority, as everyone else i know seems happy with the outcome.

[Tigger21]

Hi had my TKR 15 months ago and still have dibilitating pain and limited range of movements. Can only go down and up stairs on my good leg one at a time. Can't cycle, kneel down, jog/run. Cannot get in and down/up into a bath, only shower.

Like you all I am told is that all x rays are fine and that there is no issue with the joint itself, nothing more offered. Am on high dose pain relief meds and a restricted life.

My only advise is if what you do causes you pain - stop. It is your body's way of communicating listen to it. As for what the knee is made of ask the consultant to confirm the name if the in plan and look it up online. Most are titanium although there are some synthetic available.

Good luck and reply if you find the answers

[mollyandmaisie in reply to Tigger21]

i am exactly the same tigger 21. its no life when i cant walk! the consultant told me its cobalt, the metal. it does contain nickel however it shouldnt affect me..... but ive been allergic to nickel all my life, not sure where to go from here,

[Frankie24]

sounds way to familiar. they cannot determine until a year out, 12 months, if the surgery was actually successful, that is the healing period, in the meant time I have been in your situation and at 12 months they determined the knee was grossly unstable,, the implants where sized and placed wrong in the first surgery and I needed a total knee revision, which I have since had completed. I also had nerve damage after the first surgery, peroneal neuropathy and this has complicated the matter. Even after the revision, I still have pain and it is hard to walk and do activities, however I am not sure how much is the knee and how much is the neuropathy. I see my ortho again next month to discuss the issue.

[mollyandmaisie]

hello frankie24 havent been on for a while, an update. its now 13 months after my last knee replacement. still having a lot of pain in both knee replacements. been back to the hospital and the consultant still disagrees its an allergy to the metal so im going along with him and ruling everything else out..... theres still no answers however in tears i went to my g.p. and finally he agrees that its an allergy to the nickel as ive had a life long allergy all my life. so the upshot is im trying antihistamines and have been for 9 days now. theres still no let up in the excruciating pain thats solely around the knee but i wait in hope that the antihistamines start to kick in soon.... hope your feeling better and i hope your new year started well.