Hi FoxyFilly,
I was on doses like that postop after double knee replacements. Unfortunately, I kept taking the opiates after my pain level should have been manageable without them, ended up hooked on them, which led to a 2 year addiction. I'm glad to see you here, perhaps avoiding that.
I think you need to do what the pain doctor tells you to do. Surgical pain is real, and you have to medicate it. It gets better, though, and the opiate doses can be proportionately reduced as the pain level drops. At some point, you have to decide along with your doctors how much pain is acceptable pain for a quality of life, because a lot of us never get to be pain free with certain conditions. I have severe osteoarthritis, so I live with daily pain. I now do it without opiates, by choice.
I also was given Lyrica, which I could not tolerate either. It was way too strong in terms of side effects, just like you describe. I was switched to gabapentin, which is in the same family as Lyrica. It still has side effects, but they are fewer and lighter, and eventually with me the side effects went away. I am still on the gabapentin for pain, which those of you reading should know is a NON-narcotic. I'm now on a low dose once in the morning only.
You should be fine if you work this with your doctors. No one expects surgical patients to be "brave" and just endure severe pain. You don't have to do that, and you don't have to get addicted either. You will suffer some withdrawal effects from those doses, so expect it and get through it as best you can. Addiction is terrible, and you don't want to risk it. So, get your mind set to get through this. Take care on the weightbearing. It is usually prescribed "as tolerated", so don't do ANY more than that, while following the doctor's advice so you can get back on your feet.
Good luck! I hope you continue to let us know how you are doing.
FT