Posted , 4 users are following.
I had my Achilles Tendon lengthen yesterday. I had general anesthesia and a nerve block.
Tonight the cramps / spasms are very, very painful.
Does this go away - any medication recommended?
Is this the nerve block wearing off, or side effect of the Achilles surgery?
MISSY
0 likes, 9 replies
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elizabeth50766 Missy1969
Posted
Hello Missy, I had a peroneal tendon repair on the 26th of April. I had general anesthesia and a nerve block as well. As the nerve clock wore off the nerve pain, spasms, pain from the incision started. I experienced rough days for about the first week. Take the medication prescribed as it is prescribed. Don't wait for the pain to start up before taking another pain pill because they take about 45 minutes to kick in. Rest a lot and let your body heal. Ice helps a lot. Hope you start to feel better soon.
Missy1969 elizabeth50766
Posted
thanks for the info...and i was waiting a bit too long for medication. those spasms just take control and i cant stop them! its only been 24 hours since my surgery ...
missy
elizabeth50766 Missy1969
Posted
Thankfully they won't last forever but when you have never felt something like it, it makes you feel like something is wrong but from what my Dr told me is that when they make an incision they cut through a lot of nerves, so pretty much your nerves are short circuiting right now because where they used to send information too no longer exists. As your wound heals the nerves will too, just takes time.
melissa91009 Missy1969
Posted
Hi. i had a Z lengthening of Achilles Tendon for a plantar flexion deformity at the end end of November 2018. (I was 36). I have sciatic nerve damage (two open sciatic nerve release surgeries, 2013 and 2017). My pain was so excruciating, pre-op we decided to put an infusion block in for a week, which pumps local anesthetic to the sciatic nerve every 30 minutes, a PCA of morphine and endone. I was screaming and trying to rip the back slab cast off day 2. Day 3, I was rating my pain 20/10. It was hell, literally, partly because they put the nerve infusion at the wrong spot. Should have been in my spine, above the damaged nerve so my whole leg would be blocked but they did the wrong thing and put it in my thigh. I had terrible cramping, spasms and pain. It WILL settle. I have full body dystonia too mainly caused by pain so I suffered with them 3-4 times a day for hours. Wetting the bed due to the pain...
[A normal nerve block (which I had for two other ankle surgeries) usually takes 24-48 hrs to wear off. All the symptoms you have are normal and will improve but make sure you take your pain relief regularly and if needed, ask for something like valium to help the spasms if they really bother you. They put me on something low dose. Keep it elevated and deep breathe when the waves come. The way I got through it (I literally wanted to die), was to remember and tell myself that bodies heal. I was in ICU for a week and struggled on the ward. I had to stay in hospital for the next cast which they did under general. Hope you start feeling better soon! Melissa
melissa91009 Missy1969
Posted
I came home on Christmas Day and the surgeon cut my cast off in February I'm still in a moon boot a) because my brain dystonia causes my ankle to get push out of its range of motion b) my surgeon also did a capsular repair and re alined my ankle bones c) I'm very weak d) I've just found out my entire foot has osteoporosis and almost all of it has arthritis e) when I put weight through I cry due to the pain f) my tibia and fibula have shrunk and bowed (gracile bone) causing it to be at such a high fracture risk, my surgeon says I have to kept to boot on indefinitely. Sorry for my rant, it's just nice to talk to someone whose had similar surgery
How old are you? Why did you need it done? Was it done as open or arthroscopic?
Melissa
Missy1969 melissa91009
Posted
August 10, 2018 - Trimaellor fracture left ankle
August 16, 2018 - ORIF (plate, 11 screws)
Almost a year later, still in a lot of pain, limping, swelling and limited range of motion
Yesterday, it was a scheduled ankle arthroscopy, debriment and hardware removal...worst case scenario would be that
I would need Achilles Tendon surgery (lengthening).
I wake up in recovery quite a few hours later to the nurse telling me that I ended up getting my achilles lengthened.
OUCH.
I was told these 48 hours are going to be bad.
They are very bad. The spasms and shooting pain is the worse.
I take small naps instead of real sleep.
AND, I have a two story house, so I WILL be living on the sofa for a while.
MISSY
melissa91009 Missy1969
Posted
awww. How did you fracture it originally? Yeah, that is agonising situation.
Missy1969 melissa91009
Posted
I fell in the bathroom. Foot got stuck under the vanity.
I just turned 50; so I think thats a factor in all this too.
Missy
amy1057 Missy1969
Posted
Hello! Missy,
Some have the cramping, spasms and pain others do not.
My 1st surgery, I had no pain, cramping, or spasms. Bone spur removal and small tear in my Achilles repaired. 4 1/2 months later, I had
2nd surgery, I have had pain, cramping, spasms, burning, tingling, swelling. But my 2nd surgery was much more involved: Complete Tendon lengthening, reconstruction, grafting and calcaneous (heel) fracture repair. My tendon snapped in half and took half of my heel bone with it, all from stepping in a hole. Anyway, once the nerve block wore off, I had cramping and spasms. Do exactly as your Doctor tells you, take your pain medication exactly as prescribed, elevate as much as possible, ice as directed and rest. Elevation and icing will help tremendously. As the nerves heal, you will have some cramping and spasms.
But don't get discouraged not everyone is the same and not everyone continues to have symptoms after. I'm just one of those unlucky ones that is continuing to have symptoms; otherwise, I am very fortunate to be able to walk again. It was so bad that my Ortho surgeon was not sure he could repair everything, thankfully he was able to.
I think if my heel had not been involved my recovery would have been much easier, much faster and much less painful. It will be a year next month since the last surgery and still not 100%, and probably will never be.
Good luck to you. I hope you have a speedy recovery.