Muscle spasms

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I am at day 14 of total knee replacement.  At night the whole leg goes into muscle spasms!  I cannot get to sleep.  Any else had this?

2

Hi Carol

i had exactly the same as you 

I.m just on week 5 and had my first nights decent sleep last night 

I can understand how you're feeling right now but I can assure you it does get better 

it takes time and I didn't realise that but there is light at the end of the Tunnel 

hang in there ...take it easy sleep when you can it's a major op and time is a great healer 

all the best 

Jean 

 

3

Hi Carol,

i haven't had spasms during the night, more a constant dull ache that gets aggravated by movement.

having said that though, during the day if I have done a lot of moving around, I get shooting pains through the side of my knee when I rest. These can sometimes literally take my breath away when they come. It feels like a steel bar being driven up the side of the joint.😨

its only a passing pain but it does make me know it's there.

4

hi carol --- i didn't have muscle spasms, just a looooong drawn out pulling and aching, sometimes radiating from under my bum all the way to the top of my foot. it has improved hugely, but i still cannot sleep through the night. if you read this forum, you will see that many (or most?) of us suffer from this initially. but as jean has pointed out, it does get better. really.

you may need a magnesium supplement, you can get this at any chemists. this is what is recommended if your legs cramp up during the night which many people have, even without an op! magnesium is great for any muscle cramps, so it may help you now too. and it wouldn't clash with any medication but ask your chemist just to be on the safe side.

hang in there, it gets better (4 weeks 3 days post op)!

5

Hi carol,haven't had muscle spasms but the early nights are excruciating in bed. The leg is red hot, can't get it comfortable no matter what. It does get slowly better but I had to resort to a small sleeping tablet from the doctor. It has helped me such a lot. Think about giving them a go. I feel so sorry for you carol. This op is horrendous and it is taking a great toll on our bodies. Although I am now 9weeks, I am far from pain free. I can however walk unaided, but as yet afraid to go too far I don't like being out of my comfort zone.i don't know when my confidence will return, at the moment I feel that I will never be my old self again. Take care my friend its a tough battle. Love tucks x

6

Hi Tucks 

i'm 5 weeks post op and have yet not dared to go out.

I do my grocery shop online and get it delivered.

i used to love to wander round the shops and went out most days now I only feel comfortable indoors

my daughter keeps offering to take me out and I make excuses not to go.

i wish I could get my confidence back because I'm usually such a confident person.

roll on the time when I dare go out

Jean 

7

They are so painful and right down scary. Make sure you hydrate well during the day and that your diet includes potassium and calcium. If you have someone with you, p

Have them push your toes slowly upward till you really feel the stretch. Hold to a countvof 10 and repeat several times.then ice. You might see if your doc would prescribe a mils muscle relaxant. I could feel th coming on a almost panicked. My wife has Parkinson's and is too weak to apply the necessary pressure so I had to experiment with different things. I kept a web type strap handy and has her put it around my toes and pulled up on it. Good luck.....leg cramps are vwr unnerving.

8

Magnesium is very critical.....I still get some spasms from hip replacement 4 yrs ago but it would be worse if I didn't take higher doses of mag thru the day.

9

Carol. .. you have my complete sympathy. .. I am week 5 into a TKR  and have had muscle spasms from day one.. so severe I couldn't walk for first 3 days.. couldn'tdo any physio. ..  was in hospital for 8 days... since I have been home .. They haven't got much better.. They last for about 3 hours.!!.. I haven't been out .. so getting a bit down.. I have read spasms are normal especially if like me... The knee has now been straightened after years of being out of shape. .. take care and hopefully we will both get over this and back to normal life soon... x

10

Me too...!!  I'm going stir crazy..

but too scared to go out.. don't trust this new knee yet    spasms are  so painful. .. Can't wait to feel normal again. .. take care x

11

Mary, do you not go out to have physio?  Its a treat to get out in the car.  The pain is less while concentrating in walking.  Just to get fresh air is good.

12

No Carol. . The only physio I had was in hospital... They just gave me a booklet... and I do them at home. .. seeing the consultant in 2 weeks   .... so see what he says...

13

Where are you? Ni am in Glasgow and have had 2 physio sessions.  Yesterday was good so I feel I am improving.  I am going to get magnesium for cramps.  Worth a try

14

i am in Greenock. ... no one has mentioned physio to me..... What sort of exercises  have they got you doing? 

15

I had my tkrs 18 months ago and am still in pain. Don't think life will ever be the same again. The night cramps were awful until my doctor gave me quinine tablets to take at night. This completely stopped them. Hope that helps.

16

Quinine is a POOR remedy for spasms....Quininee is best for malaria....Magnesium is what you NEED..... Read the side effects of quinine....hearing loss is one of them....I know that one from a family personal experience....MOST Docs sorry don't go to what our bodies need Minerals...

17

Hello all

i had physio today and came back in horrific pain from the manipulation the girl at physio did.

the pain so bad it made me sick and it feels as bad as it did just after the op

i'm 5 weeks post op and my bend not great 79%

is it natural for the physio to cause such horrendous pain?

next week I'm going in the pool I hope I feel better after that

has anyone else suffered from physio like this 

Jean 

18

oh no jean!!  this is doesn't sound good you poor thing.  personally my physio has never, ever hurt me.  i didn't think that this is what physio was all about.  do you think she gave it some welly as your bend is relatively low?  not that i think that is the way to go at all, i don't think that should be her decisions.  hope you feel better soon, jean. 

19

Thank you

yes she gave it some wellie but I'm sure she went too far...my knee is still badly bruised and swollen so I presume that's hindering the bend 

I ice on a regular basis and do the home exercises I really don't know what else to do 

jean 

 

20

no physio????????? i have three sessions per week!  and exercises at home and the bendy machine at home.  but physio is so important as they do excercises you cannot do at home, they offer emotionl support as they have such a lot of experience and they egg me on to do better and more.  i just cannot imagine how you can get through this without physio.  a mystery to me.