I’ve just had a knee replacement at a Clinique near Bordeaux. Two weeks into the recovery, I’m in terrible pain that prevents me sleeping at night except in short bursts.
My généraliste has tried various pain remedies but is now limited because my previously healthy liver is now irritated (blood test results) and she wants to prevent long term damage.
Has anyone on here had a knee replacement? Were you in pain? Any suggestions?
PS My first post on here 
Is your généraliste and the blood tests sure that there is no infection? No abnormal hotness?
I haven’t had one myself but have many prosthetic friends, and that degree of pain after two weeks strikes me as in the boundary. It is painful to be sure, and doing the physio more so, but waking at night is not the general experience after the first week/10 days.
In the short term a body pillow helping to keep leg in place and supported can help. I have an ice spray (bombe de froid intense) that lasts just long enough to get me back to sleep on painful nights. Have you tried that?
Edit, and sorry that this is so bad!!)
I wonder if a TENS machine could help with the pain. I found it to be very effective when I was suffering with sciatica.
Oh crikey! That sounds awful. My right knee had a menisectomy 55 years ago. It’s been serviceable all these years since, been subject to demands way beyond the call of sensible duty. But it’s not too good now. A pal, ex-nurse, rightly comments that it would have an easier time if I lost many a kilo … 
X-rays some years ago revealed ‘moderately severe’ osteo-arthristis [what IS moderately severe anything?].
A not-very sympathetic Dr said, “Keep taking the Ibuprophen [and gastric protector] until it gets too bad, then they’ll put in a new one - or whatever they do”
So I will be watching the comments on this one, for sure.
Right at the moment, captainendeavour, I would say to keep going on your old knees until you can bear them no longer. I’ve had days and nights since the op when I’ve wondered whether I should have had the procedure as it’s so painful. But then it’s only Day 16 (the day of the op isn’t counted) and so it’s early days.
Today I ventured out to a local café and am feeling a bit brighter. I already don’t need crutches - I can walk normally - but I take them everywhere for security as I daren’t fall over.
My neighbour had a knee replacement around four years ago, he was in terrible pain for several weeks. His wife had one late last year and suffered nothing more than a moderate discomfort. So, from my limited experience it seems to vary person to person. The good news is that both of then are now delighted with the results.
My mother had severe pain after a knee replacement several years ago. She had a blood clot caused by the surgery, which had to be removed. I hope this isn’t what is causing your pain as it can be quite serious if untreated. Ask your MT about this as a quick ultrasound can detect this sort of thing quite easily.
The somewhat galling thing is that my left knee is perfect. No probs at all. But that wasn’t the knee that took the fall I had off my bicycle, going down a steep hill, standing on the pedals to go max mph, when the gears slipped into neutral, I wen over the top and all fall down, on the right. I was 16.
My mother was having a ‘coffee-morning’. I staggered into the sitting room, covered in blood. Exit screaming, several ladies of the coffee-morning class, of Sevenoaks, Kent.
Fortunately, my mum, having served in th QA’s in WW2 and than as operating theatre sister at Q Alex Mili Hospital, Singapore, during the ‘Malay Emergency’ [side-show war to Korea] knew all the right things to do and had all the necessary kit.
She said the only moment of alarm for her was when I first came into the room because I had a bloody hand over my mouth. “Oh no! Not his teeth !”
She always used to say [re rugby and all] “I can put all of you back together but not the teeth.”
I’m surprised that there aren’t more answers to this post.
Clearly hardly any of you have had knee replacements, which is good news for you but sad for me. I would love to find out how others have fared.
@EarthMother
A neighbour retired middle of last year…
Her knee had been giving problems for quite some time… and it was finally “replaced” end last year/beginning this year…
After the op, she was moved from the hospital to a residential health-centre which specialized in “mending/recovering” sports injuries…
I remember her husband telling me that it was painful for her at times.
but it was controlled (although I’ve no idea how).
She stayed there for about 3/4 weeks (if I recall correctly) then came home… where she had daily home visits for physio/checks, gradually reducing to bi-weekly visits.
She now “speed-walks” with friends, each morning up and down the chemins… it’s wonderful to see her so active again.
I do hope your knee is sorted asap… have you been receiving daily/regular physio/care ??
Close friends here have two replacement knees and three hips between them. Complained bitterly for first few weeks, moaned about the physio, but by the time they got to the 6 week control everything was fine.
Only you can judge degree of pain, but have you talked to généraliste about contacting the surgeon?
@EarthMother … If the pain really is that bad, Jane makes a valid point. Perhaps your knee does need to be checked-out.
I was needing strong painkillers before every physio session, after receiving replacement joints one of my fingers.
It wasn’t until the Doc asked for x-rays to double check what the heck was going-on… that the cause of the ghastly pain was identified… and dealt with… thank heavens.
My généraliste (GP /MT) suggested that I rang the consultant. So I did and got hold of his secretary. She was what I call a ‘toujours non person’ - no is the answer to any question 
I did my best to ingratiate myself to her and bring her round.
The secretary said that the consultant doesn’t deal with pain relief only physical problems and couldn’t see me ahead of the six-week follow-up unless there was something very wrong e.g. inflammation, infection etc. She did suggest that my GP could phone him herself if needs be.
I’ve been back to the GP and she is open to contacting him if my pain continues.
These replies have been helpful. Thank you so much 
As it’s Easter weekend, I’m dropping a line to my généraliste (GP / MT) to ask her to review my pain relief medications when she returns back from her break. I’ve post it through her door not email. Letters are difficult to put in the bin whereas emails can be deleted.
When I see her face to face, she goes online to search for stuff but with a waiting room of patients, time is of the essence. With a written note, perhaps she can do her search at a quieter time. Sadly, the pain relief has irritated my previously healthy liver, revealed from blood tests before the op and after the op. So she needs to look for products that don’t agitate it more but which are more effective …
On the plus side, I’ve been going out every afternoon to various cafes with my husband and I’m walking faster and faster. I take my cannes anglaises for security - I dare not fall down… They also act as a useful signal to car drivers, cafe owners etc that they need to take care of me 
I can’t fault the aftercare. I have regular physio/kiné a domicile. He’s been gentle with me as my scar has taken a bit longer to heal than usual. He was over zealous at the beginning (he was inadvertently massaging it open) and the nurse was cross with him when she overlapped with him and saw him do it. I have 120° movement when I can cope with the pain so that’s really good.
I also have a daily nurse a domicile for anti-coagulant treatment. I’ve known her for years as she was my nurse when I had breast cancer. So I’m a lucky bunny.
Thank you for this. I could ask my généraliste if she thinks that an additional X-ray would be a good idea.
I have a hunch that my pain could be trapped nerves. I wonder if nerves show up on X-rays. Off to Google…
Stop press about pain relief:
I had a hospital consultation with my surgeon and I have been given anaesthetic patches (containing lidocaine) that you apply to the area of pain for 12 hours every day. They are a game changer. At least I get sleep at night as I apply them from 8pm to 8am.
During the day I can cope with pain as you get distractions. But at night, it’s really difficult to bear. So I’m getting sleep and I’m a happy bunny.
Glad to hear that things are improving for you
My other half had a knee replacement in October this year and refused the offer of going to rehab. Why…well there was no way he could eat the food for a start and I
do not drive so i could not taken him food.
He used his crutches for the fist day and was driving in 8 days.
Went to physio locally for a while.
Every surgeon is different and each of us react differently to surgery.
Being able to take sustenance and sleep is vital for recovery,Hospitals need to consider nutrition seriously.
Food can be tasty and notorious if you stick to simple rules…mainly vegetarian food with occasional fish and chicken…lots of soups, salads and fruit and leave the canned food alone.