Hey y’all… First off, happy mother’s day to all you mom’s out there Okay, for at least the past week, on & off, I’ve been experiencing some muscle pain in my right thigh & what feels like muscle twitches randomly in my right calf, sometimes both. My surgery was on Feb 6, and I came home at Feb 17. I don’t know if I’ve just been doing too much (went back to work 16 hrs per week on Apr 2) or what, but this muscle pain is a little concerning. When I look at my calves, and I’ve had my mom look at them too, the right one is visibly a bit bigger than the left. It doesn’t seem swollen, red, or feel painful… Just bigger. I know our bodies aren’t symmetrical anyways, so maybe it’s always been this way & I’ve never noticed it? Anyways, recently I’ve added some more hours at work and I’m up to around 25 as I’ve felt my energy levels are higher. I’m just wondering if maybe I’m overdoing it… I work in retail, two different jobs, and I’m on my feet for at least 4 hours a day the 5 days a week I work.
My surgery took place on the right side. Could this be fluid draining & maybe even building up, still? I quit taking naps maybe a month after I came home, but I was pretty inactive still just resting. Is this all a part of my body readjusting? I’ve taken warm baths & gotten some comfort from those. But today I know I need a nap. I’m a little grouchy & obviously in some discomfort. I told my neurosurgeon about the muscle twitches I had quite a bit when I first came home & he said that should get better with time. It did go away, but seems to have made a reappearance.
Thank you for your time & answers.
Oh, and if it makes a difference… I was ruptured and clipped. Had no idea that little time bomb was ticking away…
Well, I forgot to add that I’m currently taking Claritin for my allergies, Protonix for acid reflux issues (just started this late Apron or early May), and albuterol inhaler for my asthma. I was only discharged with Norco 10/325 for the pain, but I haven’t felt the need to take any since March. Plain Tylenol controls my headaches. Thankfully. I’ve never had muscle aches like this unless I’ve been working out… Which I haven’t, just working like normal. Hmm, I’ve also taken Claritin & albuterol for years without any kinds of issues. Maybe the Protonix? I have been trying to stay hydrated and eating little meals since my appetite isn’t the greatest.
Thanks, y’all! Gonna try & get a nap. Surgery was 15 weeks ago, tomorrow, I think!
Please call your doctor and explain the symptoms to his/her nurse. It's probably nothing but please check it out to make sure that it isn't something. It'll also make your mom feel better. :-)
You may also want to go to Drugs.com to check the side effects of the medicines that you have taken since your surgery plus those you are continuing to take.
Thanks for your responses. Went to the doctor at my mom’s clinic today after my primary doctor’s nurse called & said she thinks it’s muscle related & just take Advil or Aleve. Umm I might be overreacting (seriously think I have some PTSD,now) but I didn’t feel comfortable with her diagnosis having not seen me. I went with my gut & went to a clinic here. The doctor who saw me examined my legs, got my symptoms, and talked with me. He then ordered blood tests, a CBC, CMP (checks electrolytes) and a TSH (thyroid) my potassium is on the high end of the normal range, as is my total protein. The thyroid & complete blood count tests haven’t come back yet… I had to go to a different lab to have them done. But he said he doesn’t think it’s DVT. He said I’m too young & don’t present with classic symptoms. He thinks it’s an electrolyte thing. I also told him about my lack of appetite & he asked if I was depressed, I told him I think I might be. He wrote me a prescription for an anti depressant but I didn’t fill it, because I want to try therapy first, then take medicine if needed.
I just don’t feel well, or like myself. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with, and I know being positive aids in recovery, but I just get so scared that if the aneurysm rupture didn’t kill me, something else will. Like working myself up to this DVT thing & every “little” thing becoming a life threatening illness . I guess I do that because headaches were minor, too & look what happened. Ah! I don’t know, guys… I just want to get better.
Hi Robin,
You’re absolutely right that if the Annie didn’t kill you something else willl. Let’s just hope and pray that whatever it is will won’t happen for 90 or more years from now. Of course, this is true for all of us.
I encourage you to try to think positive thoughts. Check out the things that worry you and then thank God that it was nothing serious. I am a believer in “feel good” medicine. If I don’t feel good, I see my doctor :-).
Personally, I applaud your decision to try therapy instead of meds, mostly because I don’t handle them well. Others on this site report good experiences. Please consider trying mediation or prayer along with the therapy.
A number of years ago I had a “minor” car accident. Someone hit me from behind. There was not much damage to the car but the after effects of that accident, on a day to day basis, have been greater than those from my Annie surgery.
One thing that stands out in my memory of that time was how, after the accident, I would tense up at every stop light for fear that the car behind me wouldn’t stop. Others who’ve I’ve talked with have also described having similar experiences after their accidents. I think your post surgery anxiety is something similar. It’s probably the minds way of expressing caution. The good news is that it should pass soon.
Please know that we all want you to get better. Living through what you’ve (we’ve) experienced takes courage and patience.
Hi Robin, I know that when my body is over tired I get muscle twitches and aches. You did do the right thing by going and having the doctor check for a dvt. Try to relax and prop up your leg while doing so.
And yes therapy is a great idea. I go to therapy and she is a wonderful listener and advise giver. Carole G. is also a wonderful advise giver. But remember if you need the meds start at a LOW dose. They can help I did need a little help dealing with my anxiety and my everyday life. I have 2 little monsters! LOL So I did get a little help from the medication. And I am not a medication person I hate Meds. But if it works Praise God for it!!!!!! lol
Hey y’all, just wanted to stop by & update everyone. I’ve been doing okay… Having a “good day streak” and enjoying it. I had some more blood work done to check my thyroid (T3) since that can influence depression, my triglycerides, and vitamin b-day12 for the muscle twitches. Everything was within normal ranges, praise God. Then, my legs quit hurting with that achey feeling except sometimes, and now they twitch occasionally… I’ve been trying to stay hydrated & I’ve been eating much better the past I’d say 4-5 days. Feels good to have a bit of an appetite back. I occasionally take one Advil for the pain, funny thing is after I took 2 the pain started wearing off… So maybe I really did just have a strain or something. Who knows? I had some twitching when I first came home (freaked me out thinking it was a seizure of some kind–then I’m sure the anxiety didn’t help) and told my surgeon about it on March 6 at my first follow up. He said it should get better over time, and it did. Just comes in spurts, I guess. I’ll see him for my second follow up on June 5. But… Yesterday I checked myself into a counseling center to help me deal with all of this. I think it will be very beneficial to me, and I’m glad I’m doing it. I never did fill the anti depressant medication, because I want to try talking to a professional first. I just have this adversion to medicine, now . That it’ll somehow mess up my brain’s ability to heal itself & when I go off of it, I’ll be back at square one. I know it can help, and I’m not against it at all… I just want to see how talking with the therapist goes, first.
Just wanted to update, Carole had written me a message to check in (thank you, again) so I thought I’d post for all to see! Plus a picture I took yesterday, haha I barely have anything about myself on the site… But I’ll get to it! I hope everyone is feeling okay!
Aww, well I thank y’all for checking in on me! I’ve been MIA, got busy with work, then doing things with my friends & enjoying feeling normal for once! Had a little knock me down last week, had to cancel my GI appointment with the gastroenterology doctor since my insurance (limited benefit plan-VERY limited insurance, definitely not designed for catastrophe illnesses like this) is maxed out for the year & I don’t currently have the money to pay for treatment out of pocket. That really upset me, because we need to know what’s been causing my stomach/acid issues, & there’s something going on with my throat too. But I know one of the respiratory techs from the hospital in Dallas said I had a lot of lacerations from the tube they put in at the ER here in Wichita Falls. Sigh! So maybe ut didn’t heal,
Then the acid from reflux/whatever is going on with my stomach has irtitated it? I don’t know. I’ve been on Prilosec & Protonix since Feb 28. They help, but I still get breakthrough attacks, I think the chocolate is to blame haha. But I’m not gonna worry myself. I’ll just keep taking the medicine, and reschedule my appointment with the GI when I can afford it!
The chocolate could be causing problems with your GI. Conventional wisdom is that it is the milk chocolate that causes the problem, however, for me it is the dark chocolate. The higher the cocoa the more problems that I had. Once stopped eating the dark chocolate, my reflux problems went away. :-)
Please do be careful of what you eat, because if you are experiencing reflux regularly you can damage your esophagus. You may want to try keeping a food diary, nothing to fancy, to link what you've eaten to when you experience reflux.
Good luck!
Carole
Okay, for at least the past week, on & off, I’ve been experiencing some muscle pain in my right thigh & what feels like muscle twitches randomly in my right calf, sometimes both. My surgery was on Feb 6, and I came home at Feb 17. I don’t know if I’ve just been doing too much (went back to work 16 hrs per week on Apr 2) or what, but this muscle pain is a little concerning. When I look at my calves, and I’ve had my mom look at them too, the right one is visibly a bit bigger than the left. It doesn’t seem swollen, red, or feel painful… Just bigger. I know our bodies aren’t symmetrical anyways, so maybe it’s always been this way & I’ve never noticed it? Anyways, recently I’ve added some more hours at work and I’m up to around 25 as I’ve felt my energy levels are higher. I’m just wondering if maybe I’m overdoing it… I work in retail, two different jobs, and I’m on my feet for at least 4 hours a day the 5 days a week I work.
