How natural is feeling fatigue/muscle cramps 3 weeks in?
JohnM042
Posts: 2
I am 3 weeks into this new life post-surgery and I have noticed a couple of times that after walking to the point of starting to feel tired, I have experienced some minor sore muscles/leg cramps in both of my legs. I have been drinking plenty of fluids so I don't think I'm dehydrated and the cramps aren't particularly painful or even long lasting, but this is a relatively new feeling for me as I have pretty strong legs and the length of my walks isn't anything I haven't always been able to do.
Is this something that I can chalk up the overall general fatigue that follows the surgery? In other words, it's normal?
John
Is this something that I can chalk up the overall general fatigue that follows the surgery? In other words, it's normal?
John
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Replies
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I'm only 2 weeks out and I have the same thing happen, but only in my left calf. I attribute it to still being fatigued after surgery. Also, I think it takes a while for the anesthesia to really leave our bodies.0
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I had the same thing happen to me last week (which was 3 weeks out).
The first two weeks I felt like SuperGirl, but last week I started having cramping around my incisions (the bigger one they pulled my tummy out of). I took it easier for a few days, and feel much better now!0 -
I had a lot of calf pain at about the same point and thought maybe it was sighns of a vitamen deficincy- but my MD said it was too soon for that- and it did stop shortly after. I also started really excercizing about 3 weeks out and I think it was my body getting used to being worked.0
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Very normal, most likely lactic acid. Drink more.
Your body is actually eating itself at this point. If you keep your protein up (higher than reccomend), keep sugars very low and keep fluids up your body will burn the fat stores for energy. That fat is stored all over our bodies and burining it off can cause fatigue.
Even though you may have had active exercise and walks prior to surgery you most likely fueld up before, or ate right after, and consumed sugar and carbs. I only say this because most of us who got into this boat has similar eating habits.
The body needs to break everything down to simple sugars to burn for energy. The body will always take the easiest path an dlook for sugars first, then carbs, then fats and finally proteins. Each level up takes more calories to break down so eating proteins has the added benefit of taking more calories to break down! If you consume sugars and carbs in large amounts the body will burn them and convert extra to fat stores (for later survival).
When you drastically reduce caloric intake (like we do after sungery) and those calories are primarily protein, you will shred the fat off your frame. I am down to 20.5% body fat 10 months out.
Good luck0 -
I have been taking one potasium tablet a day for several years now because I get cramps in my feet. Muscle cramping can be a sign of dehydration as you mentioned but can also be a sign of potasium deficiency. Truth is now that we no longer eat much in the way of potasium rich foods like potatos and bananas (potatoes actually have more than a banana does), we are prone to those things. You can find potasium in with the vitamins. Of course, ask your doctor/nutritionist. Mine said this was fine.0
