Tags
Analgesic, Berkshire, Earl, ER (TV series), General practitioner, Pain management, Smith, Smith & Nephew
Hi all,
Just an update.
Over December and into Christmas my hip pain from my left BHR has got even worse.
I am now marking my pain as 8/10 and is pretty much unbearable. Enough to bring tears to my eyes. I would say it is as bad as the day after the BHR Operation.
Even considering going to Casualty at the moment (Emergency Room),
I am also getting a numb feeling in both my feet, not just my left one.
I have just emailed my Surgeon asking for an update on the date for my BHR revision.
Paul, Reading, Berkshire, UK.
My View:
Hi Paul
That is dreadful – do you have a date for the revision or is it just being talked about?
You may need to go to ER – I did three times before I finally had my revision – or you can go to your doctor and get some Endone or Oxycontin which are a synthetic opioid – they will take away the pain in the short term.
What do your X-rays look like? Is there any apparent reason why you have this problem – was there a lack of alignment that lead to the wear? Has part of the hip come loose as it had in my case (the femoral stem)?
By the sound of it there should be considerable tissue and bone damage evident on the X-rays.
Best suggestion at present – ring your surgeon every minute of the day until you get some action. Plan B – get some strong pain killers from your GP. Failing that camp in ER until they take you seriously.
Earl
Related articles
- Jackie – a typical story repeats again & again – Patient Fear and Distress (earlsview.com)
- BHR Metallosis – Trust your Body – it is more sensitive than X-Rays! (earlsview.com)
- Earl – the operation and Day One (earlsview.com)
- Howard Sadwin’s Story – a lesson in perserverance… (earlsview.com)
- Patient’s Agony – The importance of the Surgeon and Level of Care (earlsview.com)
Hi Earl,
Thanks for your reply.
Its great to know with all the good work you are doing here, that i am not alone.
Unfortunately here in the UK i am at the mercey of our free Health Service, the NHS.
Typically for a hip replacement operation you would have to wait 4 to 5 months in my area of the country.
However my surgeon has marked my case as urgent and i should only have to wait a few weeks. That being said, i was told that 3 weeks ago.
My CT Scans showed very little, other than the BHR joint was fine and positioned correctly.
Which is probably true, since the joint moves fine, alltohugh there is pain when pushed to further limits.
As i am typing this my left leg it totally numb, and if i put my foot on the floor, i cannot feel the carpet. This seems to be happening more and more often now.
In the UK you cannot directly speak to your doctor, you have to go to your local family doctor who will then make contact with your surgeon or consultant.
Luckily i found a whitepaper online which was written by my surgeon, and it had his email address on it, thus i have been able to contact him directly.
I read with interest, your comment re Surgeons getting paid by medical supply companies. Since i have found this.
This is my Surgeon, Tony Andrade, on a website owned by Smith & Nephew
http://www.hipproblem.co.uk/watch-listen.php
Paul Taylor.
Hi Paul
it seems weird that your leg is numb – I would have expected pain from the hip to the knee to the toes – in that order but perhaps there is swelling somewhere that is impinging on the sciatic nerve – after my revision I ended up with some damage or swelling affecting my peroneal nerve – one of the final branches of the sciatic nerve – so I have numbness from my big toe to about 4 inches up my calf – which impacts on my walking.
Your numbness may be a result of overt compensation between your bad hip and your not so had hip. I get numbness in my other foot too. Somehow your spine in the L5 region may be squashing the sciatic nerve, if i remember correctly?
The alternative could be Diabetic neuropathy – but you would have to be a diabetic and I ruled this out in my case … but I am still off to see the neurologist in February.
I understand the UK NHS – not too much different than NZ and Australia!!! Fortunately I have private health insurance otherwise I would still be in agony!
Your Doctor’s presence on the S&N website does explain, in my view, his reluctance to blame S&N and the BHR – seems to be morally compromised in my layman’s view… so don’t expect him to come out and be too negative – but if he will fix the problem then don’t rock the boat!!!
Make sure you keep us informed – meanwhile get some pain killers and pester the hell out of the surgeon!!!
Cheers
Earl
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Got my date for revision surgery !.
19th Jan.
Just 10 days to go. It cannot come quick enough !.
Good luck Paul, I hope all works out for you on your revision surgery.
However it is important you help me and others by getting your story out so others will become encouraged to speak up if they also are going through metal on metal hip problems. Also just as important you reach out to any one in need of help regarding this debacle.
Get well
Howard Sadwin
Hi all,
Just an update on my recovery.
When i went in for my operation on the 19th, i got to see the surgeon in a private meeting before the Op. He said again he would advise again a full revision, given my age (41).
He said given the CT scans, he was unsure what he would find inside, given the joint looks ok.
As such he was going to start with an Athroscopy and play it from there.
4hrs later, i wake up in the recovery room, feeling a little sore. Then moved back to a ward.
That evening i saw my surgeon again before he left for the day. He said he found a large bone growth around the socket in the pelvis. This bone growth was catching in the joint and surrounding tissues as the joint moved. Causing joint irritation and large amounts of pain.
So he cut back the bone as much as he could, and also did alot of tissue lossening in the joint area. As there was some scaring from the previous 4 operations i have had on that side.
He said the BHR looked ok, but he did take several biopsies ?, from the surrounding tissue. These have been sent away to see if the inflamation and irratation was caused by metal reaction. If that is the case, he said i will be back in, for a revision.
Anyway, now 5 days post Op. Still have my BHR which has been cleaned up, as mentioned above. And……….i have ZERO pain, absolutely nothing at all !!
I have not felt this good in years.
Sure its a little sore around the incision area, but all the terrible pain i had in my leg, and down to my foot is all gone. I have my stiches out in 5 days, and hopefully will be going back to work.
So im praying this is it.
Thank you, Thank you, Mr Tony Andrade.
Hi Paul
that sounds like a quite unusual but hopefully this will avoid a full revision – it will be interesting to see the outcome of the tissue biopsies. Hopefully it will be OK as it sounds like the joint is functioning well now.
The relief must be fantastic.
All the best with the recovery
Earl
Well its looks like i spoke too soon.
Allthough i was totally pain free 1 to 2 weeks after my operation, i now have agonising pain in both my hip joints and running down both my legs to my feet.
Pretty much exactly the same as before, but no numbness…
My left BHR is also very stiff and im feeling sharp pain from within when i walk.
So at the moment i am walking like an 85yr old man, just hobling along, tiny steps at a time.
I have just emailed my Surgeon to update him and request an urgent meeting with him, and i will also go along and see my local doctor on Monday.
Regards,
Paul Taylor,
Reading, UK.
Hi Paul
This is just a “patch” and will be due to the level of pain medication. You will get thru it fine. What medication are you taking ?
Earl
I am taking 2x Co-Dydramol 10/500mg every 5hrs. And Diclofenac Sodium 75mg 3 times a day.
Paul
the reason for the pain is the inadequate pain relief – Co-dydramol (BAN) is a non-proprietary name used to denote a particular compound analgesic, a combination of dihydrocodeine tartrate and paracetamol. Co-dydramol tablets are used for the relief of moderate pain. Co-dydramol is part of a series of combination drugs available in the UK and other countries including co-codaprin (aspirin and codeine).
Most people I know are on oxycontin or similar – which is a morphine-like drug. I was on them for two months. Codeine and aspirin and voltaren just aren’t strong enough after the operation you have had. Surgeon is either a purist and loves patients to have pain or is an idiot.
Go see your GP and get Oxycontin or Endone.
Earl
Great going Paul, except for the pain, part of the new hip, more pain. You will learn how to deal with pain.
Even after all I have gone through and shared my stories with you ( only to help and let you know your not alone )and I do understand pain and all that goes with this ongoing nightmare in our lives.
I received my new hip 10/10/2011, still have pain issues in lower back, hip area, every 2 hours I have to get out of bed, sleep in recliner for 2 hours, back to another bed etc. I take sleeping meds, they are strong and don’t do much; so I haven’t had 1 of those pills in a week. I have had to increase mg’s of OXi, just to sleep and I had stopped taking the pain meds completely, as of 5 days ago.
Just keep dealing with it, you will get healthier and hopefully in time, how much time ? I wish I could answer this question for you and plenty of other folks.
You have a super support team, thanks to Earls view, and those of us that are beginning to reach out and help other folks through this great blog he startedd.
Get well, keep in touch, and we can use your help with this terrible thing we must live through, thanks to MOM hip devices.
More and more folks are coming forward with their tales of hip horrors. We are growing in numbers of people reaching out. More numbers more positive energy, will provide us with the impetus that will ignite a fuse in our bodies that will explode with positive energy and thought. All these things were neccessary when ” David ” beat Goliath, so there is no acception.
Howard Sadwin
Paul – the more I think about it, the more I know the pain meds are way wrong. The amount of codeine in the Co-dydramol is way low – you should be on about 60 mg of codeine 3 – 4 times a day. Also the Diclofenac Sodium 75mg 3 times a day is an accident waiting to happen- at this dosage you will get stomach bleeds and you will end up bleeding from the rear end too – I know – 150 mg a day did that to me and put me in hospital. I am on 50 mg x 2 per day and this is OK. If you are on an anticoagulant as well then you could end up with a major bleed. You need to get a second opinion pronto.
So bottom line is either your surgeon is an idiot or a sadist. The meds are way too inadequate for the major surgery you are recovering from – and the voltaren is potentially life threatening at this level.
Regards
Earl
Update:
Went to see my local Doctor today and detailed all the issues and pain i am having.
She reviewed my meds and said i could not have anything stronger the Co-Dyramol 10/500mg. Allthough i could up the dosage. 2 Tablets every 5hrs.
She has taken me off Diclofenac, and put me on Naproxen instead as she believes this will offer better relief.
In addition while i was there she called the hospital and spoke to the PA to my surgeon. Result being is that im seeing him this wednesday !.
Fingers crossed…….
Further update.
Pain within my BHR joint is getting very very bad. I have constant nagging pain all the way down my left leg, to my foot.
I also have pain in my right hip, allthough not as intense. I am guessing this is becuase i am over compensating on to the right side too much.
Additionally, the worst part right now is the pain in my lower back. Right at the bottom. It is a constant “Stinging pain” that will not go away. I have to lay curled up on my bed. If i straighten out, it gets even worse. Been in bed now for 3 days, and not moved.
It has got so bad in fact, i ended up in Accident & Emergency on Friday, and was there for 5hrs.
They gave me a good checking over and tried to ease my pain levels. However they were unwilling to offer me any other kind of treatment as i am under an Orthopedic Surgeons care.
They have changed my meds to 60mg Codeine Phosphate every 5hrs, 1000mg Paracetamol every 4hrs, and 500mg Naproxen 2 times a day.
The increase in Codeine has helped pain, but has the offset of making my stomach feel a bit sick.
Called the Surgeons secretary this morning, fed her the whole story, and shes slotted me in to see Mr Andrade this Wed.
When will this freaking nightmare end !. I just want a pain free life, is it really too much to ask for…….
Hi Earl & readers,
An update on my situation.
Since the last update in March, not an aweful lot has happened. My pain continues and has got slightly worse. It is agonising at all times, and frequently brings me to tears.
My surgeon said that since my BHR appears to be mechanically fine on both the CT and MRI scans, that there is little more he can do for me. The blood tests also show that my Cobalt levels are OK, but he did not detail the exact level.
Following this i logged a request for a 2nd Opinion within the NHS and i was referred to a Mr Taylor at the specialist Nuffield Orthopedic Hospital in Oxford. After a few visits with Mr Taylor he also said the Scan results show the BHR is fine and physically working ok. However he was able to cause cripping pain by pressing around my hip joint. Enough to make me screem !. He then referred me for a Dynamic Ultrasound to examine the hip joint in movement via ultrasound. Since this would show any fluids or swelling internally. Again the person doing the ultrasound was also able to make me squirm in pain just by rubbing the ultrasound tool around my hip joint. I was then told the scans found nothing, and they could not explain the pain. Mr Taylor then sent me a letter to say he was not going to follow this up !.
In other words, tough, live with the pain and get on with it…..
Having had continued Hip pain for over 10 years now, i was not going to accept this..
In the interim my Surgeon referrred me to a Pain Management Clinic in my local town.
I had to visit for a discussion of my history and issue, and current medications. The pain consultant also did an examination and of course was able to cause cripping pain by pressing around my hip joint. At this point external swelling around my joint is also visible.
He immeadiately said he believed i have tendon damage. He noted there are small tendons that span from the lower pelvic area, over the top of the hip joint, and attach to the top of the hip joint area. They are about 6 inches in length. He said he believed in my case they were swollen on the points where they attach to the bone. Possibly aggrivated by the 5 operations i have had on the left side.
I am now about to have 3 separate pain killing injections which will be localised to the area where the tendons attach to the bone.
The pain management consultant said these injections could give me relief for up to 2 years if i am lucky. I will be having these injections within the next few weeks. In addition i am seing my surgeon again this week for a further followup.
So my pain issues continue, worse than ever. Consultants shrug their shoulders since they do not know what is causing the pain, and tell me to go away and live with it.