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Lower calf discomfort after THR

Posted , 18 users are following.

sue96661
sue96661

I am having significant discomfort in my lower calf. Mainly at night when i cant sleep. I sleep on my non op side with a pillow. Op was on 21/11/16

i can only describe the discomfort as muscle spasm. Pain killers do little for it.

is this something others have problems with ?

how do you cope with it.

Driving me mad so hope someone can advise. Thankyou.

0 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

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  • mimic
    mimic sue96661

    Posted

    Hi Sue, I had my thr on the 7th November 2016 so I am just about two weeks ahead of you. I can tell you I had exactly the same problem, my calf was so sore I convinced myself that I had a blood clot,( I didn't by the way) 

    sometimes the pain in my leg was worse than the operation pain! Are you still doing your excersises and elevating your legs ? You should be due for your six weeks check up soon, if you haven't already had it tell your surgeon  how you feel,  I don't know where you are, I'm in Liverpool and my surgeon is fantastic and listened to me when I told him about my calf. 

    • sue96661
      sue96661 mimic

      Posted

      Thanks for replying. Your right i have no pain from the op site at all.

      i am actually in Australia. I couldent find any forum like this locally. Finding it so helpful.

      i see my surgeon on 13/1 so will chat to him. I do my exercises regularly and walk as much as I can. Very hot here right now so walkings not easy..

      so has the pain in your calf subsided ? 3.30 in the morning here and mine is bouncing right now 😔.

      thanks heaps I feel much better knowing its "normal".

      i had convinced myself about blood clots too. I 

    • mimic
      mimic sue96661

      Posted

      Hi, yes the pain in my calf is much improved, what I still have is a tightness of the skin which I don't like , it feels like a sausage skin, that if I pricked it with a fork it would burst😀 It must be very uncomfortable having to deal with the heat on top of going through such an operation, hope that you feel better in the coming weeks.

  • Saltspringer48
    Saltspringer48 sue96661

    Posted

    I have some discomfort in my calf. I too was convinced it was a blood clot! I do my exercises diligently. I can only imagine it is my body getting used to the new hip. I use an analgesic rub. Ice helps. So does heat. I sleep on my good side with a pillow. And my op was Dec 7. Perhaps speaking to your surgeon and physio therapist? Good luck with your recovery.

  • olwen83027
    olwen83027 sue96661

    Posted

    So did I. I got in touch with my physio and she sent me some stretching exercises for the calves. They worked brilliantly. Took a few days but the pain went away. All the best.
    • OzLO21
      OzLO21 olwen83027

      Posted

      Is anyone still reading this forum? I am so happy to have found it - you all describe exactly my experience so I'm not alone! I plan to try a combination of everything, including magnesium, analgesic rub (my lovely partner applies it as a deep calf massage), tonic water, and if necessary a muscle relaxant.

      Olwen83027, any chance of hearing more about the stretching exercises which you think helped most? When it really comes on in the wee hours I can't lie still anyway, so I'd love to know which stretches you think worked best.

      Would also love to hear if any of you have now moved on past the calf pain, since for me everything else from my thr has progressed very well. Thanks, everyone.

    • judy74371
      judy74371 OzLO21

      Posted

      I had my hip replacement surgery 9 months ago. but since the surgery, i have so much pain in my calf, especially when going upstairs. i too, cannot sleep at night, as my knee and calf painfully throb all night. i have tried physical therapy for weeks, but i think it is making it worse.

      sounds like it has been awhile back since you wrote this. did you ever find out the problem? i will be my regular doctor today to discuss. it is frustrating not to know the cause.

  • madla39168
    madla39168 sue96661

    Posted

    Hi Sue,

    I had muscle spasm after hip replecement and Some time I still have some. I went to see my GPA and I got Antenex tablets to

    take tham 3 times a day . I was told it's normal. Im 3 months

    after hip replecement and I'm from Australia, Adelaide.

    Good luck I hope this will help you.

    Take care Hug Madla 💗

  • miele55255ch
    miele55255ch sue96661

    Posted

    I had "restless leg syndrome' in both legs after surgery for about a year. I had the need to keep moving my legs. I also had the same feeling in my arms.I would just get up and try to walk it off and if that didn't work I'd take a Vicodin

    I only had those feeling for about six months after my surgery.

    I still get a little lower calf swelling if I'm sitting too long or on my feet too long.

    Good luck to you Sue!

  • renee01952
    renee01952 sue96661

    Posted

    dear sue

    warm welcome to this wonderful hippies forum and a happy new year ..

    muscle spasms, cramps and discomfort in calf of operated leg sre quite normal ..annoying and sometimes very painful, but normal part of the healing process -

    Drinking tonic water has helped me and I understand that you can get muscle relaxants prescribed - 

    Please come back and let us know how you are getting on otherwise, okay ...

    big warm hug

    renee

     

     

  • beth2509
    beth2509 sue96661

    Posted

    Being perverse, I had these from the arthritis before the op. I was prescribed methacarmbomal as a muscle relaxant and they worked fine to stop the spasms.
    • mimic
      mimic beth2509

      Posted

      I have had restless leg syndrome for years and take amitriptyline to help, it doesn't seem as bad since I had my hip replacement so I shall keep taking the tablets as they say 😀I am in terrible pain today because I overdid things yesterday, I woke up feeling really good so tackled some of the Christmas clutter which involved many trips up and down the stairs!  so I am taking things easy today.

  • Msky
    Msky sue96661

    Posted

    Hi there. Did they rule out blood clot?.if not they should assess it further to rule that out.Saying that you might also research Magnesium.You can take it as a capsule,gelcap or as a gel to help relax your muscles.Might also try Flexing and extending your calf before going to sleep at night just to improve circulation to the area .
  • m0rningangel1
    m0rningangel1 sue96661

    Posted

    Have you talked to your dr?  That could be something besides the hip problem it could even be the pain meds. I was taking tramadol and it was causing pain in my lower calf. Also any statin drugs can cause that, being dehydrated if you are taking lasix it can cause issues or even vitaminD3 or low potassium. I sleep in a recliner feels better and i feel safer. 
  • tim86121
    tim86121 sue96661

    Posted

    Hi Sue, My husband had his thr on July 15th. We will be 2 weeks post op tomorrow. His calf pain is terrible. How long did yours last? So glad I found this discussion board, was just getting ready to take him to the ER.

    Thanks so much!!

    • ric22112
      ric22112 tim86121

      Posted

      any updates on this tight calf situation. I have the same 6 weeks post op.

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