# Recent Knee Replacement -- pain  advice

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-knee-replacement-pain-advice/552332>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 2, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-knee-replacement-pain-advice/552332 "2010-09-02T00:44:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-knee-replacement-pain-advice/552332/1 "2010-09-02T00:44:18Z")

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I’m looking for non medical advice, preferably from people who have undergone the same surgery.

it’s been two weeks since my full knee replacement and I have been at home for a week. Mobility is coming along, I can walk a hundred yards or so without excessive pain, in fact with the prescribed pain killers I can cope fine, until that is I lie down. At that point the pain ramps up considerably, destroying any chance of sleep. For the last few nights I have been sleeping upright in a chair, with my legs propped up and fully supported in front of me. I’ve tried propping myself up on pillows in bed but find it very difficult to get comfortable like that and my restlessness disturbs my partner.

I was prescribed oral moprphine for the nighttime/lying down pain however it isn’t doing the trick and I’ve stopped taking it in favour of sleeping in the chair.

Has anyone else had this problem following knee replacement? Did you come up with a solution that allowed you to sleep in bed? Very importantly, how long before the pain gets less?

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-knee-replacement-pain-advice/552332/2 "2010-09-02T02:58:46Z")

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I’ll be watching this thread, as I may be having this surgery very soon. It scares the hell out of me.

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**Author:** ![pythonzzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@pythonzzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pythonzzz)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-knee-replacement-pain-advice/552332/3 "2010-09-02T18:49:18Z")

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I don’t have a knee replacement, but have had multiple knee surgeries. A great resource to consult online is [WHY WE HAVE A NEW FORUM...and how old members get back in - KNEEtalk](http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEtalk/index.php) That site has many knee patients sharing their stories and outcomes.

Talk to your ortho doctor about possibly using medications such as Neurontin or Robaxin, also discuss using lidocane pain patches.

Basically, it will take time post-surgically to be able to rest comfortably.

Good luck.