Squeeeeeaaak!

[Baby Barista]

Christmas Eve, we went for a walk along the beach near our house. Afterward, I realized I pushed it too hard and a bit too far. When I got home, I took a nice warm shower. To avoid breaking the 90-degree rule on my new right BHR, I kicked my leg out behind me like a lunge (bearing all the weight on my left) to pick up my towel. When I stood up, I was greeted by that rim-of-champagne-flute squeak that so many of you have written about.

The rest of the evening, with every step, I could feel a less pronounced version of that squeak... sort of like sliding a finger on a steamed up window. It didn't hurt... but it felt very weird. And despite my rational brain knowing there was likely nothing to worry about, the less rational side won out, and really ruined my evening.

When I woke up Christmas Day... that finger-on-window sensation lasted for about 10 steps, and then it went away.

I know there is wide consensus that squeaking is often associated with an increase in activity level and intensity. After my experience, I would also postulate that the definition of "increased activity" is on a sliding scale. Three weeks ago, walking 3/4's of a mile, would not have been an increase in activity for me. But two weeks post surgery, it was.

I think it would be very interesting to look at people with hip-resufacing to see the rate at which synovial fluid production changes, relative to activity level. And the percentage in volume change over a given duration relative to increase or decrease in activity.

[Dee Dee]

I haven't had the squeak. But I m sure it is a weird sensation.  I love your analytical take on the synovial fluid. 
Dee

[Woodstock Hippy]

I had it once.  At first I thought it was the cat, then I realized it was me!  Thank goodness I had heard about it here or I would have thought I ruined my hip.

 Thanks again to SurfaceHippy for educating us about our hips.

[fenceman]

Christmas carols from your hip.  I have not had the squeak but I am getting a lot of clicking from my original BHR while I navigate around on my crutches.  I have heard it mentioned it may also be related to hydration.  I hope recovery is going well beside the squeak.

[Dee Dee]

Arggg. 4 weeks on left hip 6 months on right hip and now I have rubbing/squeaking too.

 I was walking around the house today, just doing laundry and picking up after the kids(did include some bending but I used the golfers kick to avoid breaking 90*) when I noticed a weird sensation. At first I thought it was just gas bubbles. Then I realized it was happening every time I took a step. No noise outside just a "rubbing/vibration" sensation deep inside on my 6 month old hip.  Not painful but very weird sensation.

Now for the dehydration theory.  I have the crud and took a 400mg tab of immediate acting guaifenesin today.  (New box of generic).  I have been drinking lots of water as directed but maybe not enough.

I took a name brand extended release musinex yesterday with no problems ( and when I was sick in November also).

Sooo, I wonder if it is the immediate acting drug drying me out.  I will report again.  Thought you would apprecte the analytical info.

Dee

Added-Few hours later and now I have a real squeak!  Go figure. 

[johnd_emd]

I hear you.  I can't figure the squeeking out either.  It has never done when I ride.  I'm now running a little here and there, and it has never squeeked doing that.  But, if I go hunting and when I'm wading in the water, I sound like an old squeeky barn door.  And, it will last for hours after I get home.  I drink like crazy before my hunt, and after, but it doesn't matter.  We'll just have to see over time if it continues. 

Doesn't hurt.  And, gets lots of laughs from those around me when they turn and look at me  with their wide open eyes. 

[Tin Soldier]

I think dehydration is a huge factor and I think when you take a drug that dries you out, it really dries you out, more than you might think.  I'd like to see a study or studies on synovial fluid production and what affects it, seems like it would give us a little more insight than simply assuming it's dehydration, or excessive activity.

The one time I got the vibration (not squeak) on the right side was after hiking through some pretty thick vegetation up and down hills for a couple hours.  I didn't think I was dried out, but maybe I was.  Maybe the hiking, with extended ROM, added to it?  Don't know. 

[Dan L]

I'm probbaly wrong, but there seems like a fair number of people reporting squeaking after activity out of doors, and I wonder if temperature may be a variable.   In this thread, Tin, John_emd, and Barista report that, and in a hip story here http://www.surfacehippy.info/hipstories09/jimlaveglia09.php another brooks patient reports it after mushroom hunting in the spring for some hours in Michigan.  Mine has only squeaked two times, both after being outside in cool/cold spring weather for a few hours after moving a woodpile.  Dee reports a vibration but no noise, indoors.

Odd.

Dan

[Baby Barista]

I do think you may be onto something there Dan. It was near freezing when I was walking along the beach. I came home to take a hot shower to warm up. As I mentioned, it was then when I stood up that I heard the first squeak. Our bodies to handle fluids differently based on body temp. Maybe there is something that affects the synovial fluid. I'm sure it's something they'll study someday.

[Tin Soldier]

Interesting. The first time on the left and only time, was when I went skiiing in Feb and I also spent about 5 hours on my knees in a snow fort digging and digging and digging.  I was the big kid doing all the digging and all the youngsters expected me to work on their snow fort, but I was too busy working on mine.  Although that event had a number of other variables involved, such as, staying up and drinking too much, downhill skiiing for the first time with HR, digging and being in a kneeling position for hours on end, and then to finish off the night we played a rowdy game of "bite the bag".  I actually didn't play, just becasue didn't want to push my luck eventhough I was at 6 months.