cramping before surgery

[danebuxbaum]

About a year ago, before I actually started experiencing constant pain associated with walking, I began to develop a tendency to cramp in my right thigh - the side that needs hip resurfacing. The cramp always occurs at night in bed with seemingly no provocation.   I can sometimes even feel a hardness where the cramp originates kind of like the muscle there is tied in a knot and desperately needs to relax but cannot fully do so. I now know how to avoid it when I feel the sensation coming on but I can't help but wonder if it is related to he bad hip and the avoidance of certain muscles when I walk and the misuse of others as I try to compensate. I am scheduled to get a RBHH replacement with Dr. Brooks in late July. I have asked his assistant Phil if he has ever heard of this and the answer was negative. I am also afraid that it might present during surgery.

Does anyone have a similar experience and/or knowledge of the likely cause for this?

[Lopsided]

I am also afraid that it might present during surgery.

Tell your anesthetist about this before surgery, and he will ensure there is no problem.

[Margie]

I do not know the cause, but I do know that I had the same problem in both legs. I would cramp in almost every muscle at different times in both legs for years. The cramps would be so bad at night they would take my breath away. I worried about being in a bed after surgery and how I would deal with the cramps when they happened. Happy to  tell you that I never did get even one after the surgery.It has been 2 and a half months cramp free! I also can not tell you why they went away. Maybe the exercises after surgery helped or the difference in the way I walk now, I don't know why, but they are gone.
Hope you have the same out come. Good luck and let us know how you do. I would be interested to see if yours go away too. I think more people out there probably have the same issue.

[danebuxbaum]

Thanks for the replies folks. I figure the muscles get so relaxed under anesthesia that they forget how to cramp. Never thought about post op cramping, but like I said, I can usually avoid them when I feel them creeping up. I can't wait to get this over with. I am going to be the model rehab patient.

[fenceman]

Before surgery I had my hip lock-up a couple times.  I had some cramping hit when this happened.  No problems after surgery.

Your in good hands with Dr. Books.  He did mine in August of 08.  Good luck.