Ankle Fracture - when will the pain stop??

[HippyKayYay]

I fractured my ankle (Weber A) 10 days ago and the pain has been significantly worse over the past three days. It's so painful at night in bed that I can't get to sleep and when I do I wake up an hour later. It's odd because it wasn't that painful at the beginning, so I stopped taking painkillers about a 6 days ago (I was just taking Ibuprofen and paracetamol). Swelling and bruising has mostly gone down, although my skin is quite red at the fracture site.

I hate the boot too - it's giving me pain in other bits of my foot/ ankle and my whole foot/ ankle is very tender to touch. I'm so fed-up, tired and in pain most of the time.

Has anyone had a similar injury? When did the pain ease up? Give me some hope!!

I have the same fracture, I'm 11 days in. The pain had reduced but still very sore. My pain was agonising when it happened then eased slightly, then, like you, got worse!! I was told I could walk in a boot but I still need crutches. I'm frustrated that I can't drop the crutches when they've told me I can. It's far too painful and I just can't do it, despite really trying. How is your recovery? Are you using crutches?

Are you keeping your leg elevated at night? Different injury, but I fractured my foot a few weeks ago and ended up needing pins and a plate inserted. Still in a cast and on crutches, hoping to move to a boot soon.

I elevate my leg with three pillows at night and it definitely eases the pain and swelling for me. I’m having to work entirely from home atm so I also elevate as much as possible during the day- work on my laptop while sitting on the sofa with my leg on three cushions.

I also try to keep my circulation going by doing leg circles and raising it up and down.

I hope you feel better soon, it’s so restricting and annoying. 💐

Oh, and I was told that I’d be off crutches by four weeks…and that was extended. 😡

Hang in there, it does get better. I am 6 months down the line from my ankle fracture so can't remember exactly when the pain reduced. Are you wearing your boot at night? I loosened the boot fittings in bed, but not too much, and used cushions to prop up my ankle to be supported whilst sleeping. Keep taking painkillers if you need them, and rest up. It's frustrating but it will get easier.

Keep taking pain killers regularly, you will need them as the ankle heals and you get more mobile. See the GP if they don't work,I was on Tramadol for weeks,no way would paracetamol and ibuprofen have cut it!

Hey @Abidabido. My fracture was 7 weeks ago, so I'm completely out of the boot now (as of 6 weeks, as instructed) and can walk around ok. It gets sore if I'm on it for too long and it's still a bit swollen (so much so that I can't wear my regular shoes. The only things i can get on are Ugg-type slippers). I've booked myself in to see a private physio in a few weeks, once the bone should be fully healed, as it's the tendons which are the issue at this point - it's quite stiff and mobility is restricted). But it's definitely getting there!

So hang on in there. Pain was worse for me about 7-14 days after the break. I think the boot was putting a lot of pressure on different nerves on top of my foot, so it would be agony in bed at night, almost as if the skin was cramping. I had to go back on the painkillers and also found that a hot water bottle helped. But I had nearly a week of very broken sleep and I was very fed up then. But after then the pain eased off significantly.

I think if you need the crutches, then use them! I still used them out and about for quite a few weeks, especially if it was rainy. I think it was probably at least 4 weeks in before I was completely off the crutches.

@HippyKayYay Glad to hear that you’re improving, it sounds like a slow process though. I’m a couple of weeks behind you with my foot…thanks for warning me about shoes, I have a feeling that I’ll be in Ugg's for a while too.