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42 Weeks Post RC Surgery Question

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Chronic Pain
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Posted 1/25/2016 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
Been 42 weeks since my surgery on left shoulder in March of last year. The tear was from a fall a year and a half before that. Was taking Motrin and a prescription of Tramadol to control pain and help with sleep. Got med, MRI (showing full tear and a couple of partial ones) and some PT with VA Medical. PT didn't work. When I turned 65 in 2014, went on Medicare and got a second opinion on the MRI. Surgeon highly suggested Arthroscopy surgery and I got that.

Last July my PT Therapist released me because I got FROM back. I continued to do exercise at home. In August, my surgeon released me.

Question is: I'm now into 42 weeks of post-surgery and still get some daily pain from the shoulder. On a daily basis, I have to take either or both (not same time) Motrin (800mg/4 tabs) or Tramadol 50mg (left over from my VA prescription). Generally take 1 tab of Tramadol during the day and the Motrin at night.
Why am I still getting enough pain where I have to continue taking an OTC or the prescription med? I really don't understand it! I got the RC surgery to be able to stop taking a pain med sooner or later and that hasn't happened.

Do I need to see my surgeon and see what he says and perhaps get another MRI? I'd request this MRI to be with dye put into my shoulder.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, had RC surgery in my right shoulder in 2007 and fully recovered from that and don't need any pain med for that. I'm also a Diabetic II, if that makes a difference, in which, what I've read online, doesn't.

Thank You!
Posted 1/26/2016 9:16 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome Rocker to the forum. I think you pretty much answered your own question but let me say as we age we heal at a much slower rate and any underlying condition contributes somewhat to the lengthy recovery process however its been almost a year and for a RC thats completed therapy that's a long time. You should have expected to see at least some decrease in the pain after the repair but it seems you're still in about the same position med wise as before.

So certainly I would speak to the surgeon and definitely have another mri if nothing has changed. The RC could have been torn but they may have missed the mark completely about whether it was csusing the pain to begin with.

Good luck to you and let us know how it turns out.
Posted 1/26/2016 7:31 PM (GMT 0)
I was 58 when I had the right shoulder surgery done and when the left was done (last year) I was 66. I can't really tell by looking at both MRI reports which surgery was more intense. Do know that I didn't have any "aching" type pain after 17 weeks of the first/right shoulder surgery. So, apparently this last RC surgery was more intense and I'm 8 yrs. older.

The kind of pain I get is the "aching" type. Believe me, I felt much more pain after surgery and during the few month following. I had to sleep the entire time in our recliner, however, I'm back sleeping in bed now.

It's just that I don't want to continue having to take a pain med on a daily basis, OTC or prescription, for the rest of my life. I got the surgery to stop that, but that simply hasn't happened.

Will make appt. to see surgeon and see what he says and perhaps get another MRI to see what the heck is going on in the shoulder.
Posted 1/26/2016 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there Rocker. As you can see by my signature, you're singing my song. First of all, the type of injury and the skill of the surgeon can make a big difference. Which is your dominant hand? Oddly, this can also make a difference.

My left shoulder had a 3/4 thickness tear and a bicep tendon tear. I had arthroscopy 5 months after attempting physical therapy. They cleaned the joint out pretty good, but I wound up with impingement syndrome, so they went back in and did an open decompression. I have full range of motion in that shoulder but still experience some pain.

Only a few years later, I suffered a 'partial thickness tear' in my right (dominant) shoulder. Same routine. PT which 'failed', arthroscopy which 'failed', open decompression 'failed' miserably. So much bone was removed to do the acromioplasty and make more room for the tendon that my body wound up reabsorbing even more, leaving me without about an inch of my collar bone! Add to that the fact that I have permanent impingement syndrome now!

Definitely get the MRI with contrast dye done. Just keep in mind that the more you mess with it, the greater the risk of complication.

I take Tramadol and have pretty much every day since 1996. I used to use the one with "Tylenol" in it but one of my Dr.s said that was bad for my liver and put me on "just Tramadol". I use Motrin, usually about 400 mg. and occasionally I'll take some Benadryl too. Not only does it relax me a bit, I think it really helps if there is swelling in the joint. I use an ice pack if I have been using the arm a lot.

Please let us know how things are going for you.
Posted 1/26/2016 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
Didn't take notice of your signature until now......WOW! Yes, my surgeries and "achy"/mild pain is really nothing compared to what you've been thru.

I'm dominant right, so this last surgery wasn't so bad on my recovery due to being on my left shoulder. The surgery I had in 2007 was on the right and I sure couldn't do much.

The Tramadol the VA gave me is the lowest mg, at 50mg, and I only take one of those a day. The Tramadol doesn't seem to do much of anything for my shoulder "achiness" at night in bed, so I take 800 mg of Motrin. Actually, I was prescribed 800mg Ibuprofen (Motrin) after my hip replacement surgeon took me off of the Percocet he had me on. I tried Tylenol who no success.

I do know for a fact that I don't experience the pain that I had before the surgery, but still get that "achiness" feeling that I don't like having either. I have FROM in the shoulder, so it's hard for me to understand about the pain that I'm getting.

I am a Diabetic II, but read that that really doesn't effect the surgery. I'm just not completely sold on that, cause I know diabetes effects nerve endings and that.

Was on VA Medical when I fell and, after looking at my MRI, VA Ortho Surgeon first recommended a Cortisone shot. I turned that down because I got one of those prior to my hip replacement surgery and it didn't work in the hip. Then the surgeon recommended PT, so I did that for a couple of months. Didn't work. Actually, the MRI showed a complete tear, so don't know why this VA Surgeon recommended the shot or PT. Only way to repair a tear is thru surgery. After I ended the PT sessions, I turned 65 and went on Medicare. Went to "non-VA" Ortho Surgeon who highly recommended arthroscopy. I went with that.
Posted 1/27/2016 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hopefully you can get back in with the surgeon soon. No one likes to take medication on a long term basis, but some times there is no other choice if a person wants to be half way comfortable.

You really cannot compare the two shoulder surgeries because no two surgeries are really alike. You have different factors to consider each time. Of course the ultimate goal when having surgery is for the situation to be resolved, however, that is not always the case. I sure hope your surgeon can come up with an asnwer & solution for you. Keep us posted.

Take care.
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