tiredness after hip opp

I've been on v strong painkillers pre-op and regularly sleep for 12 hours.

Some is due to anti-nerve damage, to alleviate severe cramp and horrendous pins and needles stuff.

Feel v lazy and have to battle against social expectations, but, after several years have realised it's what is necessary for me to function. Has caused dissent within my family who simply can't understand.

Tried to cut back on said meds but just kept me awake with awful symptoms, so have conceded. Got to the point now where I listen to what my body is telling me and trust it.

Understand the whole 'activity/exercise' stuff, but my body is telling me different at the moment. If/when that changes, I'll reconsider.

yes, it was the biggest surpride to me how tired I would get as I am usually pretty hyperactive.  Now almost 5 months post op, am much better but still seem to need more sleep than I use to.  I put it down to the time of year now and lack of sunshine !!!!  I was also anemic after surgery but have managed to deal with it through diet not supplements.

 

Hi Lynne

you sound just like I was at 8 weeks.  Fortunately i live on my own so have nobody to please but myself so I had a rest in the afternoons, this seemed to help as i was in bed for 12 hrs at night but the quality of sleep wasn't good hence the tiredness during   the day.  Try and cut down the pain meds too as they make you more tired, but overall just listen to your body and rest when you need to.  I did the exercises they gave me but found that walking was just too difficult, but after my 8 week check was given the all clear to go to the pool and do aquajogging  which helped a lot.  

regarding the low iron count, I also had that and found that the iron tablets gave me other problems so i cooked liver, spinach etc and this brought the count up and made me feel less tired, worth a try to avoid constipation!

i am now 12 weeks post op and can honestly say that the first 8 weeks were hell, but after that i have just got better - but all this extra activity has made my other hip weak, like yours, and now have an appointment for review to get that one done, so fingers crossed that doesn't happen to you.  Unfortunately after meeting up with others at physio and the pool it does appear that once one has been done the other soon follows!

hope this helps, at least you know you are not alone.

take care, jennifernz

Before and after a couple of replacements I've taken extra B12, folate , Vit C and magnesium. Seems to help the fatigue. Also make sure you eat iron containing foods like meat and leafy greens- you can a list of them online. Proper diet helps as much as anything I think. And remember, surgery like THR is a big insult to the body and it takes time to rest & recover- 8 wks is not long at all.

Hope you start feeling better soon.

Hi Lynne,  I am 14 weeks post op with right hip and 6 weeks post op with left hip. I found I am more tired after second surgery than the first, probably because there were only eight weeks between surgeries. You have to remember your body has been through major trauma and 8 weeks is really not long at all. Rather than take iron pills which don't agree with me I have been eating lots of green leafy veg and good wholesome home made soups.  I have found taking magnesium, calcium and fish oil capsules with vitamins A and D have helped with the energy levels, and as a bonus banish the dreaded constipation !!!!!  Just remember it is very early days yet and your body needs lots of rest to heal itself. Although the outer scar heals in afew weeks, inside takes much longer, usually 6 to 8 months. Do what you can and don't beat yourself up about it, stress doesn't help !!!! For 8 weeks post op you sound as if you are doing really good. I know we all want to be back to normal sooner than later but remember, Rome wasn't built in a day !!!! Wishing you good luck with your progress, take care.  Love Maggie xxxx

What a lot of consensus we girls have on this topic.  The fatigue post op has not abated as far as this lady is concerned. "Shadow of former self" (that came out as "firmer"!). My bed is my favourite place now which means more reading - no bad thing. And as for  pain on the other side being now just about equal, yes yes and yes. Having chiro frequently to re align pelvis which looks as if it's to be a lifelong affliction. Altering diet seems to be natural inclination. B12 has actually made a slight difference esp since I cannot tolerate animal flesh any longer.  Don't know if MSM helps. If you've got OA it can't do any harm and may have put off my symptoms which started 18 yrs ago and only needed surgery a yr ago. But anticipating my stairs once I'm up is  something I never entertained, springing up and down them as I did. Thinking of new lady posting getting out of bed without help first days post op...well I could do with that even now at 15 months! It is certainly life changing. One thing I am messianic about is D3. Sublingual with some K2.  The chiro said a lot of my pain may be coming from calcified bone remaining in surrounding muscle. That originates from the damaged hip laying down "protective" bone in the wrong places. So too much calcium with the support elements given with supplements may not be helpful. Apparently those areas were visible on X-ray.  Also TATT is the most written abbreviation on GP notes. Tired All The Time. I have invested in some goose down pillows and silk sheets if it's to be more than 1/3 of life spent supine!

Hi Lynne ,I am also 8week on Tuesday post op..I also have the dreaded tiredness   Going to bed on a night fidgeting up an down then when I do get off I sleep well.or better than I did for the first few weeks .i can get up in morning and I've sometime nodded off again by 10.30 for half an hour......depending on what I've done the day before. I can do a few more little jobs then I snooze in the afternoon again. Unbelievable!! I'm used to being very active an always on the go,so this for me is strange. On a brighter side I have been for a swim this week I done about 40minutes just swimming up and down gently breast stroke without the leg action a sort of flapping up an down. But after one swim I could tell a difference in the stiffness in my legs they felt so much better. Haven't been today but I'm going back again tomorrow. I'm on no pain killers haven't been for a good 4 week. Just need to learn to be patient. and I've watched more to than ever in my life. And read some good books which I never have had time to do ..we will get there think positive!!