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Leg pain while sleeping

Posted , 5 users are following.

lindyjane
lindyjane

Hi all - I am in a moon boot for vertical tears in my Achilles' tendon. I find I can cope with the discomfort during the day but wearing it while sleeping (which I have been instructed to do, I wear it 24/7) is causing me great pain.

I am ok until I have be n sleeping around 3 hours, and then I wake in agony with pain in my ankle and my lower leg and knee. The only help is to them sleep in a chair for the rest of the night so that legs are in a normal seated position.

Is this normal? If so I will tough it out but is there any advice you can give me to decrease my discomfort?

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • neil64709
    neil64709 lindyjane

    Posted

    Hello,

    I am 11 days after operation for rupture. I have similar in the night, waking up with a hot, heavy burning foot. The only way I can make the pain go away is sleep on the back with the leg elevated.  

    Looking forward to getting to the more active rehab stage. Been doing some reading on supplments for achilles recovery, and two that keep popping up are glucosamine(1000mg a day) and vitamin C (1000mg a day). 

    Good luck with the recovery,

    Neil.

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    • lindyjane
      lindyjane neil64709

      Posted

      Thanks Neil - I will try sleeping on my back - I tend to keep turning on my side but I will prop myself up.

      Good luck with your recovery too.

      Lindy

    • neil64709
      neil64709 lindyjane

      Posted

      I started heavy doses of vitamin C (1500 mg) today, as well as pyridoxine (vitamin B6 2x25mg per day) , as well as glucosamine supplement. It may be a placebo effect, but I don't get that rushing of blood to the toes sensation, when I have the foot down now.

      Will take  25mg B6 and glucosamine before going to sleep, and want to see if I can sleep trough the night for a change.

    • neil64709
      neil64709

      Posted

      Just an update 're supplements.

      Been bombing in 2000mg of vitamin C

      1000mg of glucosamine

      500mg of vitamin B6 for last each of the last 3 days

      My achilles and foot feels fantastic.

      No pain, no cramps or spasms, no burning foot.

      Wish I had started doing it earlier.

      Slept like a baby for 9.5 hours last night.

      Good luck with recovery

    • sandy29182
      sandy29182 neil64709

      Posted

      glad to hear that Vit C and Glucosamine are working. It was a great reminder to me.  I used to take Glucosamine years ago for a leg injury.  I have started again. I have been taking Vit C regularly, but am amping up the dosage.  Anything to speed up healing.

      I made a mistake on the stairs last week and put the good foot down first without thinking.  A terrible wrenching pain occurred.  While the pain subsided within half an hour, I now find that my whole ankle area is quite stiff, especially when first getting up in the morning. Not sure if this is part of the healing or not. Or part of using the stairs wrong. I am trying to massage the area to loosen it up, without a lot of success. If I walk constantly, the stiffness seems to be not so bad, but then the heel of my foot begins hurting a lot, so I rest the foot and the whole process starts all over.

      Has anyone else had this kind of stiffening in the foot?

  • sandy29182
    sandy29182 lindyjane

    Posted

    Hello.  I did not have as severe discomfort as you are describing.  What worked for me was putting a pillow under my leg, from foot to knee.  It helped me, then and now. After 3 weeks post injury my PT advised that it was ok to remove cast at night. Which I tried. At first I had too many foot spasms, so kept cast on full time for another 2 weeks, then removed it again for sleeping.  At all time kept the pillow under my leg.  Even now I still have pillow and when I sleep on my side, the pillow is between my legs for support. I found this very helpful.  I am now 2 days shy of 9 weeks post injury.

     

  • Rob9700
    Rob9700 lindyjane

    Posted

    Sorry to hear about your injury, Lindy.  After surgery and a week in a plaster splint, I wore the boot 24/7 and had to sleep with it as well--no weight bearing for several weeks, but only slept with the boot about 3 weeks, Don't know how long you have been "sentenced" to the boot.

    This was about 9 months ago, but I remember occasionally waking to "shooters"--sharp, but very rief, stabbing pains in my ankle and particularly in the heel. These episodes would pass after a few minutes, but I was able to sleep between.  

    It was certainly uncomfortable trying to sleep in the stupid boot, and knees, feet, and sleeping position were all adversely affected.

    I didn't have exactly the same experience as you; others are likely to chime in who can shed more light.

    Hope you can get some relief and some sleep! The healing process is frustratingly slow, but iit will get better with time.

    Best wishes for a complete recovery

    • bobbers9
      bobbers9 Rob9700

      Posted

      Hi lindyjane

      sorry to butt in

      Hi rob .its interesting you speak about stabbing pains in your

      Ankle and heel ,i also have been experiacing this ,intermittant

      And after research i think it might be tendonitas .?

  • bobbers9
    bobbers9 lindyjane

    Posted

    Hi lindyjane ,sorry to hear about your injury, im in week 7 with the

    moon boot 5 wedges 24/7after complete tendon rupture and sympathise

    totally, its a necessary but frustrating contraption, mine is very heavy

    especially in bed ,the only way is to have it outside the covers as getting it

    caught amongst the covers can be painfull i think sleeping in a seated

    positioned isnt advised as the injury has to be rested elevated ,i find

    2 paracetamol half an hour before settling down helps ,best wishes .

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