Please help with sleep!

[RickB]

YO! Gang,

Please help me in getting some sleep. It is now 3AM EST and I am writing this. What do you do to sleep, my knees just will not let me do it they keep me a wake with this aching pain. Please what is the best way to counter this?

Thanks a million,
Rick

 

[Josephine]

What meds are you taking? Seems you aren't taking enough if you're in that state.

 

[Doug]

Rick,
The sleeplessness is something we've all been through. My Dr. gave me a heavier drug for nights. Hodromorphine. I took oxycodone during the day.

 

[RickB]

JO,

I try not to take many, but I have been taken Oxycodone, two (2) tablets
every 4-6 hours for pain.

Rick

 

[hess]

Rick,
I ALWAYS made sure to take pain meds before I went to bed because I had these same problems. I would use ice at night also, and fall asleep this way! I have also found that Advil PM works for me. Sleep was such a HUGE problem for me, but believe it or not, it does get better! Good luck, and sweet dreams!

Hess

 

[RickB]

Thanks Hess and all,

I quess I'll just need to put my time in. Maybe in another week I can get some kind of rest.

Rick

 

[Doug]

Rick,
I had my right TKR on Jan 17, I as well as many others had to learn not to try and stretch the pain meds out. If your body needs them, take them. Don't worry about becoming a drug addict. Unless you have an addictive personality it isn't an issue. I took pain meds for the most part of four months. Especially as I pushed myself harder in my own workouts.
Towards the end, I would go with 1/2 pill every 4-6, then 1/4 in the same time frame.

 

[carolinagirl]

Hi Rick,
I am 10 weeks post op as of today. I have had the hardest time with sleep.
I could not seem to sleep more than 2 -2 1/2 hours at the time.
I am taking Vicodin for pain, but for the last 3 days have been on tylenol
during the day. I still take my Vicodin at night, and I have finally hit on something that is allowing me to sleep! I take two Vicodin then about
10 minutes later take my 3mg of Lunesta. Last night I fell asleep just before
10 pm and did not wake up until the alarm went off at 6 am!!!
I was tickled pink when I realized I had FINALLY slept all night.
I think that all of us here have had some kind of problem with sleeping.
I checked with my family doc first before taking the Lunesta with the Vicodin and he gave me the ok. One day I will be able to sleep again without
any aids, but for now that is what is working for me.

 

[Nursepair]

Hi Rick, I am more than 8 months post RTKR now, but also had trouble sleeping some weeks out. I was going nuts with tiredness. Then Skeet told me about trying a body pillow. I used to lay with my leg draped along the pillow. I also took 2 Sleep MD's
(natural pills), it really helped me get at least a few hours more sleep a night.

Sweet dreams!!

 

[Linda2]

I use a body pillow, too. It helps me to put the entire operated leg--butt included--on the pillow when I'm on my back. I also have a king size pillow next to my non-operated leg. When I sleep on either side, my body is in the hole in the middle and my "up" leg is bent at the knee and up on the pillow in front of it. I still don't sleep through the night, but I'm much better know at going back to sleep.