1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Knee Problems

4 months out tkr. Up all night with pain still does it ever stop. Can't sleep.

Posted , 13 users are following.

johnna28057
johnna28057

4 months out tkr. Will it get better. Can't sleep, knee still hurts, hip still hurts. This is aweful. Any sleeping suggestions?

1 like, 16 replies

16 Replies

Next
  • wayne1231953
    wayne1231953 johnna28057

    Posted

    Buy yourself a Cyro Cuff ..?   The best £40 I have spent... Had my TKR on Jan 19th and MUA on April 13th.... Was given advice to buy Cuff to help with swelling and over the past 72hrs it has made a great improvement on the knee. I wish I had brought it after my TKR. I use it for 10 to 15mins every 2 to 2.5hrs..beware of putting the gel bag directly onto the skin if its too cold. I have noticed the last couple of nights I have slept better (not the best of sleepers as it is) because of less pain and discomfort of the knee.

    Moderator comment: I have removed the link(s) directing to site(s) unsuitable for inclusion in the forums. If users want this information please use the Private Message service to request the details.

  • gloria12849
    gloria12849 johnna28057

    Posted

    I sleep best on my side with a pillow between my legs. I can then bend my leg and that helps me. Also Tylenol when it gets too uncomfortable. I hope this helps.
  • peter77427
    peter77427 johnna28057

    Posted

    hi johnna, i am 13 weeks post op. not sleeping very well i wake about 2 or 3 times a night, maybe once thu pain, but just wake up, try to have nap during the day. i am really doing ok, my thighs really ache, icing 3 or 4 times for 20 min will help, i am having today off doing exercises, do not over do the exercises, you might try 4 or 5 exercises bending your knee at different positions, as for sleeping sometimes laying on your side with a pillow between your knees can help. it is a long proccess, frustrating. you will come good, try to be patient. good luck
    • maggiemaybe
      maggiemaybe peter77427

      Posted

      Thanks for the pillow tip! All suggestions gratefully received. 🙃

  • nwf477
    nwf477 johnna28057

    Posted

    The pain should ease up over time the question is when unfortunately everyone is different. There have been times that my knee is hurting bad enough I put an ice wrap on my knee to help with the pain. You would think after 4 months the pain would ease up and yes it does but lets face it you use your knees daily and the more you do the worse it feels. as long as your not showing signs of infection it will get better.
  • susan47321
    susan47321 johnna28057

    Posted

    So sorry, I know how you feel.

    Try co codamol pain killers. I used to take my Aircast ice pack and ice/water container to bed with me.

    You can get this on Physio room .co uk.

    I can't always sleep with my bad knee in bed so have to have it on the bed.

    I also have a flat feather pillow each side for my knee to rest against.

    Hope this help, or try large bottle of wine......

  • lorraine58772
    lorraine58772 johnna28057

    Posted

    I hope you have a recliner. My first two months i slept on a recliner.  You can’t go without muscle  relaxers, it will help you get a few hours sleep. 
    • maggiemaybe
      maggiemaybe lorraine58772

      Posted

      Hi Lorraine, yes I have my recliner and use it! I was so tired from pain this afternoon, I lay down on my bed and fell asleep! A gift indeed! Wish it was always so simple. I treasure these little things though. 🙃

  • missmagwumps
    missmagwumps johnna28057

    Posted

    Hi - I am almost 5 months post op and still have considerable pain after exercise but it has just improved a little more recently - especially on the sleeping front! Yes - do try pillows between your legs, that helps and practice heel slides in bed - until you can ease that knee bend a bit, sleeping will always be tough. I still sometimes have to get up and walk around a little before I can get comfy again and yes - you still need to ice. I do mostly at the end of a busy day if I have done a lot of walking and it helps the swelling go down fairly quickly. I still can't manage stairs in the normal way - still doing one at a time and I too had expected to be much further down the recovery road than this.....this forum has been a real eye opener for me, only wished I'd seen it before my surgery as I may have opted out for sure - despite my pain levels - I managed adequately - but this recovery pain is worse than my pre-op pain....but am ever hopeful that it will get better within the year !!!

    Oh and my hips hurts too but am still trying to strengthen all those muscles and tendons......

    Hope you feel better soon x 

    • johnna28057
      johnna28057 missmagwumps

      Posted

      Me too I wish I would have known alot before surgery. Praying I haven't made a huge mistake. My hip hurts so bad. Dr said if I got my other knee done it would help the hip pain but I'm scared I'll only hurt more. As far as pain meds haven't had any since 2 months. So hard to control pain after a long day at work standing for 8 or 9 hours. Today I napped after work but that just means worst sleep tonight, and work tomorrow. Its a never ending cycle. Suggestions,

    • anna59931
      anna59931 missmagwumps

      Posted

      Can you please let me k is what the heel slid is as I have it been shown it thank u.
  • susan47321
    susan47321 johnna28057

    Posted

    You can also call your doctor and get 'controlled' pain relief. I found these tablets really helpful. Sorry can't remember what there called, but you have to sign for them.

    Make sure you tell Dr how bad the pain is.

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX johnna28057

    Posted

    Of course it will get better if you do three things: 1. give the knee time to heal; 2. do all the PT and gym work necessary to get your ROM back plus rebuild your dead quads, glutes and core to support the knee; and 3. have patience...this is all normal.

    Home ROM work...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-rom-work-at-home-620053

    Muscle rebuild...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527

    Sleeping...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/trouble-sleeping-post-tkr--539591

     

  • Snoozy69
    Snoozy69 johnna28057

    Posted

    10mg of amitriptyline at night sorted my insomnia. Sleep like a baby now 💤

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.