Cramping

I'm 2 weeks out,but I don't have the cramps.Just can't sleep & feel exhausted all the time.

taking a Tramidol 50 1 hr before bed helps,but pain killers make you feel bad too

Im 7wk tkr and im not getting the cramps anymore unless i get to warm but i found iceing before i went to sleep helped me alot but everyo es diffrent.xx

Stretch out your legs before going to bed and also during the night while In bed. This helped me after bilateral tkr. Remember that everyone heals differently. Keep doing your exercises and stretches at home. Everyday gets better. Hang in there.

I am 6 weeks tkr and I also was getting the leg cramps.  I now take 3 Hyland's leg cramp medicine before bed and it works.  It's all natural and you can buy it at Walmart or drug store.  I am still very tired and have to rest some during the day.  My knee is still very swollen and I'm still iceing it.

According to my Doctor, expect to donate a WHOLE YEAR to your complete recovery.

As far as cramps go, ask for muscle relaxers. So much better than pain meds.

I was feeling pretty good at 4 months post TKR but all of a sudden behind my knee kills me. It's all muscle pain, but I have no idea why this is happening. Didn't over do it etc. Anyway, it's already been about 3 weeks and it doesn't feel much better. Doctor says, "give it time"

I hope my other knee never needs replacing, I don't think I'd do it again!

The cramps are horrible. I tried having a banana every couple days; the potassium helps. And as Jen said, stretches. I've never been so good at touching my hands to the ground, the bend also felt good to my back. I hung out on my bed a lot, and did lifts and stretches there too (great at helping get your knees to straightening better too. Sleep should slowly start to get better.

Hi i found that if you stand on a bottom stair on your toes and gently go up and down on your toes to strech the calf muscles helps with the cramping may also be worth taking a multi vit tab body needs a bit of help after this op has taken me a good six to eight weeks before things start to settle my first tkr took about a year to feel anywear like normal dont forget to ice and take the pain meds on time dont rush it will come good when its ready

Hi Valerie!

Bananas...a couple each day and adding some extra salt and plenty of water helps.

Vitamins with minerals help, too.

I'm 14 weeks post op and sleep has been getting easier the past 6 weeks, I still have a few  Uncomfortable nights, but generally feel I'm getting there, I exercise at home daily and do physio 3 times a week at hospital, it feel great not to  constant pain, I still use ice but only once a day now, I used to take my cool bag to bed filled with bags of frozen peas this really helped with sleeping in the early days, good luck

Hi Valerie .. I was suffering with leg cramps too .. bad enough with your normal knee but when recovering from a TKR they are horrendous.  My dr put me on 'Crampeze' however I was still getting slight cramps and had to massage my calves alot.  Now I take one megadose capsule of "Swisse Magnesium' daily and have noticed a huge difference .. no cramping just tightness which my pt works on and I do special exercises for it too.

Take care and good luck... Tracey

Tthanks for all cyour comments they have been most helpful

It's an intensive surgery so all you are feeling is normal.   Just take one day at a time, use the pain meds as tools to be able to exercise through the pain that is controlled.  Sleeping is a challenge especially if you weren't a back sleeper.  I use pillows to prop up sometimes to vary the position.  Take magnesium before you go to bed to help with the cramping and dose yourself with Calcuim that includes magnesium during the day.  You could try drinking quinine water when you get a cramp and there's also healthfood store supplements just for leg cramps.