Last night I took my last Norco! I am 6 weeks post op and have been taking one at night time. They help me fall asleep. I don't stay asleep very long though. I am getting about two to three hours of sleep each night. I am headed to the store to get SOMETHING to help me sleep! What should I get?
Do you sleep like a baby? How do you do it?
👶🏻💤👶🏻💤
Hate to say it but lots of people experience broken sleep post TKR. Three hours at a time isn't bad. Take it easy in daytime. It will improve.. I am fine at 13 weeks. Relaxation techniques can help. Whole body gets tense I think after major operation!
When I ran out of my tramadol I started taking Tylenol PM and that seems to help. If I forget to take it some nights, oh boy no sleep at all. Good luck!!
I had 0 problem with sleep from the beginning. First week, my husband set his alarm ever 4 hrs to keep me ahead of the pain and would change my ice bag. Slept like a rock. I ended up off meds and, because of allergies, took 2 benedryl at bedtime. Lights out!!!! Works great.
Melanton and Valerian natural or Benadryl! Someone mention a banana at bedtime! Years ago when I had insomnia from High Blood Pressure medications suggested tuna sandwich and milk because of the Tryptophan in the foods! I think the supplement is available too! Good luck and I hope whatever method used is successful with letting you sleep!
Try Benadryl
Benadryl is the expensive brand name for cheap generic diphenhydramine. Save some money. As an antihistamine, it just makes you drowsy so you have to use it as part of your sleep regimen. It is also the additional med in all the "PM" products. Again, instead of expensive Tylenol PM, take cheap acetaminophen along with generic Diphenhydramine (50mg) to get the exact same painkiller plus sleep-inducing effects as the brand name.
Yes...L-Tryptophan is great for sleep. Also, very high doses in turkey which is why we all fall asleep after Thanksgiving dinner. You cannot buy the tablets anymore in the US. Off the market for decades.
I buy the generic CVS brand.
Like you I'm getting 2/3 hours a night I'm on morphine but even this doesn't particularly help - maybe go see your gp and explain the situation
Hi
I only slept better after 10 weeks , after right knee TKR
Good healing
That is encouraging I am out 14 days before by 8 weeks post surgery and sleeping is still difficult along with pain! Got out today but did not drive to buy a new Serta Mattress to see if a firm new matttress will make my recovery better! It seems this will be a while because it is my right leg not comfortable yet to drive waiting until my 8 week check up! Sleep when you can if awake busy self writing or watch television! Good luck with sleeping
We have a tempuropedic mattress and Used to put a bed pillow lengthwise from my thigh on down and a second pillow sideways at the end of the pillow near my foot on the TKR side. My PT told me to do this and I used to sleep with an ice bag on my knee with a towel under it. Perfectly comfortable.
Thanks for the tip about the pillow will try that too! I will let you know if sleeping is better!
At first I took catnaps throughout the day and night-- maybe ten minutes at a time.
Around nine weeks I figured out how to make it to my side when in bed. That helped. I got a good hour at a time then which was a big improvement.
Twelve weeks was SPECTACULAR because I was finally able to sleep on my stomach. Ahhhhh! I remember getting FOUR HOURS at one time!😁
I'm nearly two years post-surgery with my left TKR and will be two years with my right TKR in October. I get about five to six hours in a row before my arthritis wakes me up! Knees are great, but I have arthritis in many other body parts which can be real buggers!😬😰☹️
A bowl of cereal is good before bed so that hunger doesn't wake me up. I take Ibuprofen and roll on IcyHot on my lower back a few minutes before heading to bed . I go to bed when I'm TIRED. If I'm not tired I visit this site, read, or watch TV. I never just go lay down because it is a certain time. I have never taken any sleep aids.
I hope you will drift off to Dreamland when you want to very soon!😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴
Try nytol - at least it's natural ingredients and you can buy it in large supermarkets x
I am now 15 days post op. The nights are the worst. I'm taking cocodamol. Tramadol and morphine in the evening to help ease the pain which does help. I am now experiencing horrendous pain in my calf and my physio starts next week. My morphine is about to run out which I mentioned to my District nurse this week. She advised me to ask my GP to prescribe me more morphine as only getting a couple of hours sleep per night would be no good for me when trying to do my physio.
I contacted my GP who advised me that the hospital informed them in the discharge papers that they do not want me to continue with the morphine once the initial batch had run out
I have questioned this and they have said that they will speak to the hospital ward and get back to me
Does anyone think that I should be able to manage the pain with the cocodamol and Tramadol alone or am I just being soft? Does the district nurse have a say in my pain control?
Thank you
Sorry...not natural...
Medical Ingredients: Diphenhydramine HCL 50 mg.
Nonmedicinal ingredients: Cornstarch, FD&C Blue No. 1, Aluminum Lake, lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, opadry light blue YS-1-4004, silicon dioxide, and stearic acid
And you can buy a ton of generic Diphenhydramine cheap instead of the brand name Nytol. Same as Benadryl. And all the "PM" products. Just plain Diphenhydramine at a bigger price.
Holy Guacamole, Batman!!!
- Co-codamol is acetaminophen and PURE codeine
- Tramadol is a synthetic opioid derivative
- Morphine is, well, freaking morphine!!!
If these together don't kill your pain, take them to your local zoo...they'll knock down an elephant!!!!!!
But no worry...I also have a high tolerance to opioids. I took 10mg Percocet plus the muscle relaxer Flexeril and they only took the edge off. We all react to the drugs differently. The most important thing is not to bear the brunt of the initial painful month. After that, it starts getting easier. Most are off the opioids in the 30-60 day range. You're two weeks post-op...enjoy the buzz...it's all normal. I was drooling all over myself for weeks...not a pretty sight...
Sleep...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/trouble-sleeping-post-tkr--539591
This will be helpful as you control the pain better. Also this...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/staying-ahead-of-the-pain-563395
Take your meds at the correct dosages AT THE CORRECT TIMES!!!
Thanks for your response Chico Marx which made me laugh but also worry!
I feel like a junkie with the drugs I've been put on but most of the time. Usually during the day when I take them at the correct time does control my pain.
I only take the morphine during the night as I am in so much pain I just don't know what to do with myself and I'm lucky to get 3 hours sleep
I've noticed some people on here have said that moving walking around helps and yes it does but as soon as I get back into bed the pain starts again.
Thanks for the links, I'll have a look now.
Regards