Pain in Middle of the night

[Asalisbu]

A little over four weeks on a bi-lat.  Has anyone experienced an intense pain that wakes you from sleep in the middle of the night. 

I get it only in the right side only, not every night but to guess maybe every other night.  It’s like an intense pulsing pain right in the front on groin where the hip joint is. Never lasts long and tonight was the worst at maybe three minutes and most intense yet (probably most intense pain yet to be honest) before it dies down to a dull ache.    Seems to get better when I do a few little heel slides in bed and gets better in the morning when I am up and about moving. 

Sign I’m doing to much? Frustrating as I am coming off a day that was probably my best day of walking yet and was feeling really good until the 3am wake up call. 

Just curious if others have experienced the same or similar.   

[Rus]

Yes.  Not as painful as yours sounds, but enough to wake me up.  Likewise, a few heel slides/knee lifts, and it was OK for dropping back off to sleep.  I'm now 9.5 weeks, and still not sleeping great, but it eased up over the weeks.

[jimbone]

Just noticed this thread, the title sounds a bit dire.  Wish I'd seen it closer to published date.  Middle of the night pain is a special kind of self composure.  It sounds from your post the pain was substantial and I found that kind of discomfort tended to be unnerving, leaving us with anxiety and emotional stress that is hard to navigate.  I do hope this has calmed down and turned a better corner in the last week and a half.  You mentioned activity seems to ease things for you- I hope that continues to be so-  I certainly find a similar issue with one of my own symptoms.  Using the proper amount of activity and not overdoing it seems to support the tissue healing that needs to get done without having repercussions.  On one of the established surgeons websites discussing recovery it was mentioned that if pain reduction or equivalent function [prior to an exercise interim] was returned within 24 hours, all was considered to be well and not to worry but carry on.  There's going to be some pain but we will heal.  Hope you're feeling and getting better

[Asalisbu]

Thanks for response. It will be six weeks tomorrow and prepping for my check up. 

It amazing what a couple of weeks does and the new the new things as weeks progress.   Happy to say no night pain in last two weeks and my activity is increasing. 

I am just at one mile with no crutches and maybe a slight limp at the end of it.   I will say that is the peak of physical performance at the moment.   I see some people ready to blow past the mile mark at six weeks but not yet for me.  I do the mile and gotta give myself a break. 

Current focus is the ridiculous waddle I have for about five to twenty steps when first getting up from sitting or laying down for awhile.  No real pain just super tight when first trying to move.  Sometimes even grab a crutch for the first step or three until I loosen up and regain control.  Be happy when that goes away. 

I also took a little stumble and caught myself moving backwards into the elevator.   It wasn’t bad caught myself with my back and hands on the elevator and braced some withbthe legs.   Wasn’t bad at all but of course the exertion has made that groin hip flexor area a little tender.   Nothing obnoxious but with the stumble it’s enough to make me obsess.  It what I do and I’m sure it will pass.   

So it seems there is always a steady flow of throngs to focus on while recovering.  In general think I’m on pace and eager to light gym, bike stuff at six weeks after I get cleared.   

[jimbone]

A-

Congratulations on your progress.  Your experience mirrors so many other people after hip replacement.  Initial difficulties,very small steps getting better [so small they can be overlooked], small set backs that can be unnerving and then larger steps forward that almost seem overnight in their progress.  I think a lot of us have had those experiences, I know I have.  Regarding the elevator stumble and groin pain.  Again I think it is perfectly natural- you continue to have muscle and tissue that is still healing and vulnerable- you jolt it or stretch it beyond it's unhealed capacity and it reminds you it's not ready for that yet.  It maybe lingers a few days or a week to continue to remind you and you continue to nurse it and pay attention to it and challenge it very gently until one day it says OK, I'm good, who's next, and we get to the next challenge.  Glad to hear you're healing.

[blinky]

Good job!

Those feelings will continue. I hope you have a good check up. Remember that just because you are released to do more, you might not be able to. I throw out the example of siting on the floor. I was dying to break 90 degrees and sit on the floor again. When I tried to do it, man, I was so stiff and awkward it was hard. Not at all the fun experience I was expecting. So try out those new things, but don't worry if they aren't what you expected.