Hi! I am so thankful I found this forum to help me with my concerns! You all have been so helpful with advice! I am 4 weeks post op TKR. I cant sleep! I am so exhausted and I just cant sleep. I toss and turn, ice, try sleeping in recliner, prop leg, fluff pillows, add pillows then take away pillows. Ugh I am posting now after a totally sleepless night!! I need sleep any suggestions?? I am trying not to take pain meds unless absolutely necessary but I just took 2 because they help me relax and sleep a little.. Has anyone tried an over the counter sleep aid? Please any ideas will be so helpful before I go crazy here! Thanks! Melissa
Mellissa, ive just had my second TKR Yesterday and i will be the same as my first.The biggest problem i had was no sleep with my first TKR really lethargic exhausted and couldnt be bothered so this is important. Not getting sleep will slow your recovery by a long way simply because you have no energy.Easy remedy go to your GP and get some prescription sleeping pills i did and my god what a difference they made,i only had them 4 weeks or so and when i stopped i certainly didn’t feel like i needed more,it got me through a difficult period and after i finished them my sleep was back to normal.Its a must melissa you need sleep,please get them and post again in a few weeks.
Hi Melissa,
I just had my TKR this past Monday. Did they give you and medications for Nerve pain? I found when I take my nerve meds and Melatonin(over the counter) i sleep better than I previously have. Not saying it helps every night, but it does help me more. Hope this helps and good luck.
Have your primary care doc to prescribe amitriptyline…
HI Melissa. I’m about 4 mos. out now, and I remember what you’re going through very well. I called my surgeon and asked for sleep aids like Lunesta, but they said they only dealt with pain meds, etc. I tried every OTC remedy available - melatonin, herbal mixes, Benadryl. Tried taking my prescribed muscle relaxers… but they all made my leg jerk spontaneously (like restless leg syndrome). Finally called my family physician, and he prescribed Lunesta. I took it for about 30 days. Got me past the “unable to sleep” part.
And PS - The forum is a lifesaver in the early days, a place to talk to people who do understand what you’re going through, someone to talk to in the middle of the night when you’ve moved from bed, to another bed, to couch, to recliner. :^)
hi i’m 7 weeks post op, have you tried cold spray, it helped my knee, i am now sleeping better with less pain but wake up several times with stiffness, it does get better, , sue
Hello Melissa, I really do think you should take your pain medication as prescribed, especially as you say it helps you to sleep too; while you probably don’t want to become too reliant on them, it may be best to take them only as and when they’re needed rather than on a regular 4-6 hourly cycle. As for a natural medication to help with sleep, I can recommend WilKo
Sleep Aid which I found helped me after a friend told me about them; these are herbal and can be bought over the counter at WilKo for a very reasonable price. I hope this helps.
hi melissa
i have had 2 reasonable nights in 4 weeks post TKR
i cant take strong meds…cant lay on back…still cry with tiredness frustration and pain some nights.
i am most comfy on my right side the op side with knee against not on a pillow then bring good leg over op leg and put on pillow but after a couple of hrs my hip hurts lol x dont think there is an easy answer…reg change of position get up for a walk to bathroom every couple of hrs ..cos i need to and ice xx hope it gets better for us xx
Oh Penny the sleep is tortuous.. The position you describe sounds like my most comfy position also. Like you said only lasts for a short while then eyes wide open trying new things. I am going to go see my GP, I need a sleep aid. However hes closed the weekend then next week being Thanksgiving I’m sure will be hard to get an appointment. Maybe for now I will try tylenol pm or something. I hope we can get some decent sleep soon!
Good luck!
Hi! Do you mean like biofreeze?
Take your pain meds at regular intervals, they work better then . Also quite normal not sleeping well , I used to give up trying and watch tv and then sleep during day or whenever . I found at about 8 weeks a dramatic improvement in pain .
i know the agony& frustration of trying to sleep when ur in pain! I am 8 months post op& im having so many issues still! To the point that I’m scheduled for my 2nd surgery on the same knee Dec 4th,less than a yr apart! I’m really dreading going through the pain& therapy again
yep,after tossing and turning all night,ur hips get sore then ur even more frustrated!! I hope u find that comfy position &get some rest bc it’s very important for ur healing! best wishes
Hi Melissa,
“Bangkok-Johnny” from Thailand. Recovering from a TKA/TKR Two-stage revision. Due to deep infection of the prosthesis back in 2014 Stockholm, Sweden my primary TKA operation.
The revision. First-stage of the 2-stage operation April 2018. Removal of the infected implant and in with the antibiotic spacer. Thereafter six weeks Vancomycin IV drip ( PICC-line). Without Gabapentin 300 mg every night it would have been impossible to sleep. However, there were minor side effects: weird dreams and slight dizziness when waking up. Apart from that Gabapentin worked for me.
Second-Stage of the 2-stage operation. Out with the spacer in with the new implant ( DePUY Sigma) and Clindamycin IV three weeks. PICC-line, again. (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) PICC- line is recommended if you want avoid “needle sticks” every two days.) Post operation. Tramadol 50 mg 3 x day pain medication. Sleep medication: Ativan a benzodiazepine. Compared to Gabapentin Ativan is faster acting with less side effects.
TKA/TKR is a brutal operation. Rest and sleep is important. I would recommend Gabapentin, Ativan is an option. Ask your surgeon.
Best regards,
Bangkok-Johnny
Hi Melissa. I’m 1 week post op with my 2nd TKR so I completely understand your frustration with the sleep issue. First, I agree with others who have recommended that you take your pain meds as prescribed, as this will help your body relax and heal more efficiently. When our body is stressed (i.e. pain) it’s a distraction from everything else it’s suppose to be doing. Secondly, I’m not sure what kind of relationship you have with your GP, but they may be able to provide a short term sleeping prescription with a phone call instead of needing an appointment.
Lastly, some things that helped me sleep were audio books (pick a boring one that does not interest you), relaxing music, herbal (decaf) tea or “sleepy time” tea. Also watch what you’re putting in your body, caffeine, high sugar diet or even heavy meals late in the evening can derail a good night rest. It will get better, but it is frustrating. Best wishes!!
Hi Dee, Thank you for your advice and hope you are recovering well. It’s been difficult with my pain meds because I’m afraid to take them as prescribed because my surgeon is giving me a hard time about still needing them. So I’m tryn to take as little as possible. When I do take them I get about 4 consistent hours of sleep then wake up. So I’m just trying to do what he wants and cut back on the pain meds!
I will be scheduling a manipulation for scar tissue build up. not looking forward to it, but cant take the constant ache when walking. I keep waiting for the time when I will say it was worth it…I feel no better than before the surgery. Still limping ( because I can fully extend), still hurts ( because I cant fully bend).
I agree with Penny about a pillow and where to put it.
It helps if you can put some ice on the knee but wrap the ice in something.
Even a cold flannel will be better than nothing.
Also if you are comfortable sleeping on your back have a cardboard box and put your leg through the box like the old bed cradles they used to have in hospital.
This will keep the weight of the bedding off your knee.
Hope this helps.
Sarah
Gm .im in the same boat as u
I’m 8 months out &I’m scheduled fir manipulation & He’s reopening my scar to clean it out on December 4th! not looking forward to it though bc of the pain& therapy! good luck with everything
I had the same thing done at 9 months and did fine…