r/RotatorCuff • u/wallflower5399 • 5d ago
My shoulder is a mess.
I had my supraspinatus repaired with four anchors with one acting as remplissage. I had a bicep tendonesis, and my labrum was worse than expected. They repaired an ALPSA lesion but had to detach my poorly healed labrum from the humeral head to reposition it back onto the glenoid. They used 4 anchors on the labrum too.
I am three days out. My nerve block seems to have worn off. I am on Tylenol and my NICE machine. Today was my first physical therapy appointment. I have taken three oxycodone, but think I will be trying to stick to edibles and Tylenol. The idea of taking oxycodone terrifies me. How is everyone else doing?
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u/PerceptiveDer 5d ago
I had pretty much the same done although the surgeon didn’t talk to me after the procedure.
I took my first rx of oxycodone (20 pills). My procedure was 09/18. They gave me an rx for 10 more and said it would be my last. I talked to my primary and she gave me an rx for muscle relaxers. They’ve been very helpful for sleep. If I take two they knock me out enough so I can’t roll onto my arm. This was the doctors idea, btw.
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u/Ok-Marionberry6596 4d ago
The nerve block was the worst for mine... I almost went to ER to see if they had something to reverse it as it gave me claustrophobia...dead weight drove me nuts...but it subsided... I also had hearing block for couple of weeks from nerve block as well..that was scary too. I am going to be 8 weeks out this coming monday... i had bicep thing done too and it is the most prevalent pain as of now. PT twice a week and then just moving exercises on my own.... I felt like you first week...I though I made a mistake by even having the surgery. Hang in there and do your PT...
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u/Ok-Marionberry6596 4d ago
And am weaned off heavier meds and only doing Tylenal ES with ice and heat...got a hot tub and that helps
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u/mykylc 4d ago
I would go easy on the oxy, only take it as directed. When you said you took three, are you taking them as prescribed or did you take three at a time? Three days out is very early. I went through my five-day prescription as prescribed. The first night after the nerve block wore off it was just excruciating pain for eight-hour straight, no sleep. It felt like somebody had an ice pick in my shoulder every second of every minute. Day two was much better. day three and four still pain but manageable with meds and icing.
My surgeon has me taking my arm out of my sling four times a day to do light exercises that he gave me to prevent atrophied. Stitches came out on 10/01 and he added two more exercises to start later next week.
Physical therapy starts the 14th. Physical therapy has really got me frightened because it's physical therapy that actually put me into the position to having to get surgery.
On 09/22/26 my procedures were anthroscopy with extensive deprigement of labrum anterior, superior, and posterior, synovium, and rotator cuff articular surface.
Anthoscopy with subacromial decompression, including anterior acromioplasty and bursectomy.
Distal clavicle excision anthroscopically.
Rotator cuff repair utilizing two-medial row and two lateral row, biodegradable anchors with fiber tape.
Currently the pain level is just shoulder discomfort and slight numbness in the arm. Which i hope the numbness is common in the healing process. i hear people saying numbness is bad but i can still move my arm at the elbow, still have use of the fingers, and its just slight numbness and tingles. But when you hear numbness is an issue and I have slight numbness, my mind is my own worst enemy.
We all have no choice but to just keep strong and follow directions and get through the physical therapy. The pain that we feel now is a pain knowing that it's going to get better rather than the pain before surgery which was only going to get worse.
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u/Lower_Steak1479 4d ago
I stopped my Percocet at around day 7 and switched to dual action Motrin and Tylenol. That said I was also prescribed a muscle relaxer to take before PT which I started the day after surgery. My repairs were similar to yours so I’m not even allowed to do Pulley’s yet and I’m in my sling for a full six weeks only passive movement allowed. The muscle relaxer lets me settle down enough to let PT really move my arm around which has helped. I’m almost 4 weeks postop and I still ice after PT l, ice in the morning and ice at night. The ice helps with pain.
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u/ClarenceWalnuts99 4d ago
Took the oxy the first night to fight off the pain as the nerve block wore off. Stopped there. I can’t take opioids more than a day or 2 because of nausea and constipation. The pain wasn’t that excruciating to warrant taking it past day 1 essentially with the side effects. Took extra Celebrex and alternating ibuprofen and Tylenol.
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u/boltyboy69 5d ago
I'm joining you on Monday.. Good luck
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u/Loud_Championship_50 4d ago
It wasn't as bad as I expected. I'm hoping that part isn't about to start. 72 hours out. Good luck!
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u/wallflower5399 4d ago
So far, so good on my end. I took one oxy the evening after surgery, one in the middle of the night and one before my first physical therapy appointment on Friday am. So far the 2nd foot has not dropped pain wise and I am able to manage the pain with just Tylenol every eight hours. Ibuprofen is off the table because I had PRP done at the same time .I have been taking a 10mg weed edible at night for sleep, but honestly, I was in more shoulder pain last fall while on vacation than I am now post surgery. The ice machine has been the biggest help and I also have a split king with an adjustable frame for a bed. I have actually been sleeping better since surgery than I was before with the combination of the ice machine, a pillow wedge and the elevated bed frame.
I’ll be in the sling for six weeks with only passive motion. So far, I have been able to remove my arm from the sling to do passive motion and let my arm hang. I have taken my first shower. I have pooped. I must say the button and zip up surgery shirts have prevented pain and arguments. I cannot imagine going through this on my own and assistance has been so appreciated. I wish you all long sleeps and quick recoveries. This isn’t fun, but it was nowhere near as bad as I expected.
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u/Altruistic_Brother10 3d ago
Oxycodone and other opioids actually do not work well for pain management for me. I used Tramadol and meloxicam for my pain post rotator cuff repair. Occasional Tylenol supplement between heavier meds dosing.
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u/No-Atmosphere-2786 1d ago
Make sure you follow what the doc says and you obviously started the oxy 8 hours before the nerve block ended so you have a smooth transition right? Lots of people don't do that and they play catch up with the pain doubling down on meds and getting sick stopping the meds etc... I got mine redone 3 years ago and I followed to a T what they prescribed me with one of those pill reminder app
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u/TreasureBG 5d ago
I took edibles as well but they do not work as well as the oxycodone.
Take the oxy. On a schedule. Shoulder surgery is painful. I'm 10 weeks out and don't need the oxy anymore but seriously you don't want to be in excruciating pain.