Oh my dear, bucket loads of empathy from me. I have a friend who had a double hip replacement at 32 so don't worry about the fact you are only 41. I would have the surgery asap if I were you. Hip replacement is almost like outpatient surgery these days so recovery is nothing like it used to be years ago. Have you tried Voltaren Gel for pain relief? It's a non-steroidal and has an analgesic effect on joint pain. Being a gel, it doesn't affect the liver.

I have a friend aged 21 who has had a hip and shoulder replacement due to Avascular Necrosis after cancer treatment. She is doing marvellously.

Hi Yellow77 I am so sorry to hear that you are in so much pain. Although you're GP has said that you will need both hips replaced soon this needs to be confirmed by an Orthopedicsurgeon. Even then I would be going for a second opinion as this is such a big operation.

I remember that my mother in law was advised to have both hips replaced years ago. As you have mentioned the pain gets so bad when you go from sitting to standing you cry. My mother in law used to cry out every otime she stood up, she had to get up really slowly and she walked very slowly.

She refused to have the surgery. She changed her diet to lots of fresh veggies and fruit and became semi vegetarian. She did yoga, walked and cycled a lot. Also took calcium and Vitamin D3.

After a couple of years the pain just stopped. I don't know why this worked but it did.

You say you're weekly pain patch doesn't work. I am on a 20 mcg Bupranorphine patch weekly and in my opinion it does nothing for the pain. I have to put up with it because Australia is following America cutting back on opiate prescription so my GP can't give me anything stronger. Mine is not for arthritis, it's for chronic pain after an accident.

I wish you all the best. Take care. Lola

Hi Lola

Thank you for your very kind message. That is amazing news to hear about your mother in law. I do have an appointment in a weeks time with an orthopaedic surgeon. I have waited a very long time. It’s a shame about cutbacks on opiates, I am guessing that this is probably due to misuse of them? It’s not very helpful when you need them though, and I am sorry you are in so much pain.

I wish you all the very best xx

Hiya. I'm in my 30s and I had my 1st THR on 30th August this year and then had the other 2 weeks ago. It's amazing and I don't regret it at all.

The idea of having a hip replacement aclan seem quite overwhelming but when you compare it to the pain you're in now and how the op should remove that...

Pain med wise, has your GP not suggested anything as an alternative to anti-inflammatory? Your ortho consultant might have some suggestions too

Apart from age [I am now 64] We have a lot in common. I had first hip replacement at 57 following several years of pain. I also have bad osteo in my L2 to L5 region and the two "interfere" with each other and consultants for both could never really work out which was causing what....Second hip earlier this year....

Like you I cannot take NSAIDs and I have spent many years trying to find out what works best for me.

So the first tip is it is very much a personal thing working out what is best for you.

Secondly, you are clearly a chronic sufferer, if you are bone on bone there is no medication that will help to any great degree. YOu may get a little relief from a neurosupppressant such as pregabelin. NSAIDS would not help either.

Next, I am sure your doc is right, if you are getting unbearable impact pain, stiffness and trouble sleeping you are at the chronic end of the spectrum and surgery is only real option.

For reassurance I was steered to the Oxford hip score. This categorises your condition based upon symptoms and gives some indication of where you are in the treatment spectum. This is NHS supported but only used by some. Try googling it.

Dont be too concerned about hip replacement, advice is always do one at a time as it is easier to rehabilitate.

Outcome. If you put in the work and do not have other physical conditions the outcome is great. After my first hip I was actually much better than I had been for years.

You must commit fully to the exercise regime and dos and donts.

Second hip much harder because of other back problems etc....

Dont give up trying to keep mobile pre-op. Try to walk, try to find exercises, use static pool exercises, these are very good. It is all about retaining movement and muscle strength.

Try turmeric. It is a good anti inflammatory. [the best natural one for me]. You will have to experiment with what form powder, capsule, tablets works best for you.

All for now, but happy to help further if you wish.

Cheers

Hi yellow77 sorry to see you are so unwell, my mum had her hips replaced it made a great deal of difference to her this was in the early 90s so probably even better now, there were some dos and donts such as reaching when sitting , if you over reach you could pull the spike insert out of its houseing but all worth it good luck

Hi my niece had her hip done in august and she did really well.. walking without sticks within a couple of weeks.. she is only 40.. its worth having it done if you in so much pain

Hey Yellow77, I hear you and understand pain myself. I am only 27 and have been diagnosed with arthritis in the lumbar region. I have had three surgeries to "correct" or "manage" the pain but nothing that my pain management doctors prescribed me ever worked. I do not like the pesky side effects of the medications anyways, half of the pain killers out there I am allergic to. Every time I go into the docs office it is a hassle letting them know what I can and can't take.

I managed to come up with a solution that allows me to minimize the pain and continue to work my two jobs. One job I am a chef and so standing on my feet all day is a killer. The other is waitress part time, and by then my body is just like I need a break. I found this herb that I make into tea, arnica, its a small flower and so potent it is unbelievable. I boil the herb with enough water, grab an old towel that I no longer use. Strain out the herb and place the tea in a bowl, you want this as hot as your skin can handle without getting burned. Let the towel soak up the "good stuff", and just lay it over the area that hurts. Just continue to repeat as many times as you need. The herb has anti-inflamitory properties and reliefs pain instantly. I sleep so soundly, I am refreshed the next day.

Another thing that has helped me to manage the pain is by taking a supplement that my local store carries. It also has natural properties and been taking it for over 2 years. I do have some discomfort but I can tell the difference when I forget to take them. They are called PRIMAL Joint Support & Inflammation Pain Relief by Eu Natural, I did some digging around and found them through Amazon and through the vendor website as well. I know products do not work for everyone, but I couldn't take the though of having to go through under the knife again. Best wishes, stay strong, hope you get well!