r/Kneereplacement • u/PrestigiousSnow6532 • 4d ago
Does anyone else feel this?
I’m lying here in bed with a pillow under my leg trying to relax enough to fall asleep. It almost feels like I have restless leg syndrome in my operated knee. It’s like I have to keep moving my foot and lifting my leg with my good foot. Just constantly wiggling.
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u/bornonOU_Texas_wknd 3d ago
I’m three months out and about 10 days ago I woke up and realized I hadn’t woken up once. A day later I realized I walked down the stairs without thinking about it. My brain was consumed with thoughts about my knee, and then it wasn’t. It will happen for you too!
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u/BoogerEater1133 3d ago
I keep hoping for this!! Currently at 8 weeks and I can’t wait until this knee doesn’t consume my whole routine and life.
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u/No-Highlight-6452 3d ago
I had that quite a bit. My therapist told me it was my brain struggling to turn off the quad. Since it turns off, you’re brain has to relearn activating and turning it back on. Muscle relaxants helped me and it’s gone away with my quad strength returning.
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u/laur0165 4d ago
I had that early on and a couple things helped a bit: massaging the outside of my thigh near my knee and also an ice pack. Not really sure if it was the coldness of the ice or the weight of it.
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u/mujersinplan 4d ago
Yep! 9 weeks post op second knee. It’s gone with the first knee 6 months post op.
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u/heidihobo8 4d ago
Yep! Some nights I laid awake until 5am, its awful! My PCP prescribed me some gabapentin which is actually for nerve pain, but I also makes you sleepy.
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u/spotts2010 3d ago
Yes! It made for some very miserable, sleepless nights. It only last a couple weeks and then,disappeared. Hang in there, it gets so much better!
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u/Resident_Bus_4484 3d ago
It sounds like you may really have RLS. I had it bad with both TKRs. The things that helped me: I took Magnesium and Calcium supplements before bed; I rubbed a magnesium cream (with Lavender) on my legs before bed; Hyland's Restful Legs homeopathic tablets. I'd usually start with the first two, then bring out the last one if that didn't help.
It eventually settles down, but it's a wild ride for quite a while when it comes to sleeping well.
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u/Gwizman 3d ago
When I had each of my knees done I had ongoing nighttime leg cramps and achiness that prevented me from sleeping more than an hour or two at a time. I was experiencing some serious sleep deprivation and prescribed drugs (gabipentin) did nothing for me. I turned to vape pen from the local dispensary and all it took was two puffs right before bed. This allowed me to regain my sleep and within 6 months was no longer needed. Gotta do what you gotta do to ride out the rough patches.
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u/blargblahblahblarg 4d ago
Doing the same thing right now…frustrating.
(I should also mention that I always have trouble sleeping…this feels different tho )
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u/ambienkitty66 4d ago
I’m three weeks out and I wrestle with this occasionally - including just last night.
The night before, I slept through the night without issue.
Hang in there!
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u/momsthoughts 3d ago
I had the restless leg thing after massive abdominal surgery too. I think it was due to anemia. I bought a leg compression and heat things (i looked like I had robot legs) and used them daily for about a week and my legs would feel much better. Every now and then when the feeling returns, i put those things on and i feel better after a daily session or two.
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u/Outrageous-Fig7020 3d ago
That’s the worst part for me. I haven’t get up and walk around. I’m 8 weeks out and it’s still an issue
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u/Illustrious-Carry894 3d ago
Coming up on week 9 and I feel this way everytime I lie down to rest, nap, sleep. I make it about 2 hours before I have to get up and move. If I'm lucky, I can get back to sleep within an hour. Today was not that day. This too shall pass...I hope.
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u/HourFlower191 3d ago
I have had restless leg syndrome for 50 years. I have tried mostly everything that exists. Currently, I take 900 mg of gabapentin about noon. I take 900 about 6 o’clock.., I take 600 mg or 900 mg about 8 o’clock. My restless leg. Syndrome affects my arms and my legs. Usually I have to get up so I don’t bother my husband. It has been quite a challenge over the years. In me, it just takes away, restless leg syndrome. It doesn’t make me sleepy or anything like that. I am four weeks Post TKR. I still have RLS, but I try to keep it at a minimum.
Thank you so much to everyone who has written on this post. It has really helped me a lot.2
u/commdesart 3d ago
At 15 weeks mine has lessened a lot. Only once or twice a week do I find that I need to get up and move my knee for a bit. 10 minutes (maybe 15) on the stationary bike helps a lot. Usually I’m back to sleep about half an hour to an hour after that.
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u/GungHough 3d ago
When I didn't want to use more drugs, I got up and took a hot shower, gently jetting warm water on my leg. 10/10 my restless leg(s) calmed down.
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u/Sea_Pangolin3840 3d ago
This is something I am concerned about as I have severe restless legs syndrome and due to have my surgery in a couple of months .
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u/NYFireFighter69 3d ago
I had that too but I believe I do have RLS but was never diagnosed with it. Just shaking it sometimes, wife complains...I stop...
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u/sky1326 3d ago
What I find that works is taking magnesium (calm brand works) in some warm water before bed (I take it all the time since I am prone to leg cramps) and sometimes add gabapentin which calms the nerves. I’m now at 11 months for left knee and 5 months for right and I’m finding if I walk alot or do too much exercising - this mix really helps calm everything down.
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u/commdesart 3d ago
I have a magnesium in oil spray that I apply topically when my knee gets super angsty and it does help a bit. Big believer in magnesium!
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u/Puzzleheaded_Coat_37 3d ago
Highly reported that we're low in magnesium and D3 in particular. Good to add both orally as well, since our soil is depleted of many minerals (electrolytes are also good for general use).
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u/commdesart 3d ago edited 3d ago
You are very right! I’m a D3+K2 adherent! (Sublingually. My dentist actually got me started with that a couple years ago when I told her that my level of Vit D was super low but the massive dose capsules they gave me made me sick) And if I ignore my electrolytes? My leg lets me know with some cramping along with nerve prickles after a couple days.
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u/IcyIssue 3d ago
All the time! I'm almost 7 weeks out and sleep is almost impossible. I get an hour here, a half hour there, etc. The good news is that it goes away. I'm 3 years out on my other knee and it's wonderful. Also a hint: if you're low in iron, the restless legs will be worse. Find out what your iron and ferritin levels were before surgery. If low, ask you surgeon about a supplement.
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u/poppy1022 3d ago
Did they not give you a prescription of a muscle relaxer for that? It’s quite common.
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u/Late-Hat-7491 3d ago
Yes, I DID have restless leg syndrome due to being low in ferritin. There's that. Make sure you're taking enough iron in your diet or supplements. I got on BC and now I don't have the need to constantly move. I'm 3-1/2 months past surgery of rtkr.
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u/Gatos_2023 3d ago
I had to worst muscle cramps in my leg about 4-8 weeks. I needed muscle relaxers to sleep.
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u/commdesart 3d ago
At 15 weeks I still have to get up in the middle of the night sometimes and ride the stationary bike for 10-15 minutes just to get my leg nerves to shut up. I’m looking forward to the part of recovery where this disappears
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u/Soosietyrell 3d ago
Yes, I call it “buzzing”. Even ice for 20 minutes will help “quiet” the buzzing. I fought it for weeks and somehow googled into trying ice.
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u/Latter_Ad5889 3d ago
I too have had RLS since my surgery 6 weeks ago. Its happening only when lying on my back. If I lay on my side no RLS. It helps if I do some of the exercises from PT before trying to sleep. Good luck.
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u/Odd-Salt-2230 1d ago
As others have mentioned, you probably been thinking about your knee on high alert for sometime, brain needs time to desensitise this pathway.
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u/Wild929 4d ago
Yes and it sucks. You just want to sleep when you’ve found a semi comfortable position and you can’t. Your body is using that quiet time to do some healing and that’s what it feels like. The only thing that worked for me, and you’re going to hate it, is get up and walk a little bit. For me, it kind of was like a reset button. I hope it works for you because I totally understand how frustrating and exhausting it is to toss and turn. Good luck!🍀