Knee replacement and chronic pain

I've had fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis forever. I'm 73 and finally gave in to having a total knee replacement almost 2 weeks ago. I can't take NSAIDS because of GI problems with it. Where I had it done only gives Rxs for Percocet for a little less than 2 weeks. My pain has been ridiculously high. I was doing everything right.....exercises, icing, meds, etc. I feel like the percocet has done very little for me except cause huge GI and brain problems. I'm on a lower dose now, but I'm still in almost constant severe pain. I see the Doc's PA this week, after my meds are gone. I know the government makes the rules about opiates these days. Anyhow.....my question is: Do people with things like FMS and chronic pain tend to just hurt much more after a surgery like this? /Silly me, I was thinking beforehand that I probably wouldn't be as bothered by it, since I've had chronic pain for so long.

It's sort of irritating when they only use a certain pain drug and always seem to assume if it doesn't work, them I'm not doing all the exercises, etc. I've been incredibly diligent about doing this right and it's a real irritation that they just assume I'm not doing exercises, etc., when they are the ones that think everyone is the same in their responses to certain medications.

Just curious if any of you or people you know who had chronic pain, FMS, etc., actually had much worse pain than most after a surgery like knee replacement. Thanks!

Thanks Susie! They sent the big blue ice machine home with me, but it only seems to target the knee and is awkward. I got out 2 of my small blue ice bags and they seem to work so much better than the big loud ice machine. But....It doesn't seem to help the pain at all. I have been looking at those softer square ice things that cover more area. I think a big problem with me is that by the time I had this surgery, my lower leg bowed out to the side and my foot got twisted from walking this way for so long and they straightened all that out. Most of my pain is severe and is in the foot and lower leg. I'm thinking if I were a preson who just had the knee problem without the lower leg problem, things would/might have been a lot less painful.

I have taken 3g of tylenol daily for several years for my Fibro and osteoarthritis pain. The Percocet has some acetaminophen in it, and we make sure to add some up to 3 g, if the daily percoset doesn't give me that much.

I know we all have different reactions to pain. For some reason, my reaction is very high, and there doesn't seem any way around that. I'm not even sure the Percocet is helping much. I wish I knew how other knee surgeons deal with replacements for the month after. I feel over-looked and forgotten. And even though I'm doing everything right, they seem to assume I'm just laying around all the time. I'm pretty much a hermit, and so I'm letting my DH handle the phone calls to them. I'm hoping he's not being too nice about this. I guess if he can't seem to get anything done, I'll just need to put on my big girl panties and scream at them myself. I've had a somewhat difficult life and standing up for myself has worn me out over the years, and I just want my DH to do that for me now.........but he's rather overly-nice to people and they may not be getting the message.

My 2 week visit with the surgeon's NP is Thursday, so I'll be forced into standing up for myself. I just hope they can understand that we don't all have the same reactions to meds. Sure wish there were more alternatives than opioids and NSAIDS. I did have that iovera nerve freezing right before the surgery, but I can't say it helped at all.

Everyone keeps reminding me that this pain is temporary. But for whatever the reason (my own weird body; how my pain was treated as a child, etc.), it just doesn't help me through the pain now. The pain really makes me crazy.

Thanks for letting me ask these questions and letting me vent, Susie. I don't really have any friends and relatives (including my children), seem too busy or disinterested to just spend 15 seconds to send me an encouraging text. I was a nurse earlier in my life and maybe I just do those things more than most people).

I AM glad I had it done and I'm trying to do everything I can, to have the best outcome. But all I can say right now, is I'm sure glad I didn't know it would be this bad healing it ahead of time. But now all there is to do, is move forward. I'll keep trying, but I sure wish I could get some pain breaks. thanks again!

Thanks Susie! I seem to be making progress. I don't need the pain med as much (Norco). I'm having a lot of sleep problems, but from what I've heard, that's common. Unfortunately, I had gotten a new CPAP machine and I need to prove to the insurance co that I'm using it. But I haven't used it for 3 weeks, and probably won't for a couple more. My sleep is crazy. I end up sleeping in 2-3 different places during the night, and the last thing I need is trying to accommodate a cpap machine. Hopefully the insurance company will understand that. I've been using one for over 12 years, so hopefully they'll give me a break.

I'm calling the surgeon's office today to find out if I need to come off the opioids slowly. I've been on them 3 weeks tomorrow, and I don't want to mess things up by coming off them too quickly. The first week I was on 7.5mgPercocet. The second week it was 5.0mg Percoset, and now I'm on Norco. I'm done to just a couple times a day. I just don't want to go crazy, coming off it too fast.

I've started to occasionally see "the light at the end of the tunnel", so that's a good thing!
Thanks so much for your help!.