Charlie horse

Hey All,

I have a question.  It seems like since the surgery I have been getting really bad charlie horse type pains in the back of both legs.  The pain seems to get worse at night but never really goes away.  Even now as I am typing, I can feel the cramp behind both knees down to my calves.  Just wanted to know if anyone else had ever experienced it or have any ideas as to what could be the cause?

Thanks!

If your early out I would highly suggest you go to ER to get checked out for a blood clot, at the very least call your surgeon.

Are you 3 months post op?

Call your doctor !

frisco

I am about 9 weeks post-op.  Thanks for your response, I sent an email to my doc so hopefully I will hear back soon!

I get them if I use caffeine.  I gave it up completely. 

A quick way to relieve them is to reach down and pull your toes up towards your knees.  It relaxes the muscle and they will stop.  If I can't reach my toes with my hands, I will push against a wall to get them pointing upward.

Thanks!  I will definitely try that bc it hurts soooo bad when it is happening.  I have a cup of coffee just about every morning so I will see what happens if I stop for a while.

A heating pad works wonders

Thanks for your reply!  That sounds like a good idea to me!

Are you walking more than you used to be?  I recommend getting new shoes and preferably by going to a real running store and getting fitted.  You might also consider going to a podiatrist and getting fitted for custom orthotics (although I'd wait until you're under 250, since they're made slightly differently if you're over 250 and insurance normally only covers one pair per lifetime).  

My best guess is that you're more active now than you were and your biomechanics are screwed up from obesity and, likely, your shoes are either degraded since they're old or your shoes aren't good for your body in the first place.  (This is based on my own experience and my studies.)

To relieve the pain, a heating pad tends to help me, or a hot bath!

I am DEFINITELY walking more than I used to.  My shoes are "ratty" but I didn't think about that being the cause...lol!  Thanks for your reply!  I am almost at the 250 mark and will look into seeing a podiatrist to have custom fitted shoes.

Custom orthotics, not shoes :D  

Try to find a running store to get fitted for some good shoes - you don't need to be a runner for this.  When I first went to mine, I was ~300 pounds and only walked, but boy did those shoes make a difference.