Is it possible to sprain your ankle while you are asleep?

About 0400 I woke up with a tremendous pain in my right ankle. Now I've been through the wars medically in the last few months but this is a whole new level of pain in a part of my body that hasn't really hurt to date.

I did note that my foot was hanging over the edge of the bed at in an awkward position and I'm wondering whether I have managed to sprain my ankle while sleeping.

When I wake up in the morning with pain like that it is gout.

I have had limbs in awkward positions (arm outstretched for instance) when I fell asleep that hurt terribly when I woke up, but I attribute it to hyperextension of tendons/ligaments and the pain passes after a short time. I suppose yours could be a kind of sprain. If the pain persists, treat it the same way.

quote:

Originally posted by vandrv:
When I wake up in the morning with pain like that it is gout.

Yep^^^

I've only had a few episodes over the years but it can be excruciatingly painful. The first time I woke up with it I thought I had somehow managed to break my foot in my sleep. I was scheduled to be a groomsman in a wedding that day and honestly thought I was going to have to back out.

Made it through but it was very uncomfortable to say the least.

Thanksgiving related gout?

I don't know about ankles but I'd swear I took a fast knee to the shoulder , while asleep, last tuesday.

I could almost not use it for 30 minutes after climbing out of bed

Although it's possible to hurt yourself (any parts of your body) while sleeping, it's also more than possible that's it a gout attack.

Gout attack can vary from very mild to exquisitely painful. And, it's painful even when you're not moving around at all. I have gout myself, and used to have extremely painful attacks every other months. Even with dietary restrictions, my uric acid level was super high. I finally got tired of it and got on a low dose allopurinol, and my attacks are down to maybe once a year, if that, and they have been very mild, now. Gout attacks most commonly happen at the big toe joint, but it can affect any other joints in your body. I had it all, big toe, ankle, heel, knee, elbow, wrist. When it's at extreme, it can look just like a skin infection (cellulitis).

In contrast, a sprained ankle, in general, is not very painful when you're just laying around doing nothing. But, don't discount the possibility of really hurting yourself during sleep. I saw a lady years ago who broke her shoulder blade during sleep. And, one of our clinic nurses broke her neck during sleep and became quadriplegic.

Good luck, Dave.

If you've never dealt with gout before, get yourself some Apple Cider Vinegar "with the mother".

One Tbls mixed in with a glass of water once a day until it subsides. May want to continue doing this to help stave off future flare ups.

The stuff tastes nasty the first couple of times you drink it, but after awhile you get used to it.

Go see your doctor. Some advice from a gout victim. Stay away from beer. Abstain from all alchohol. Drink water, water, water. Do some homework on foods to stay away from. Good luck.

I had a relative break his leg while in bed....he was drunk, fell out and his leg got caught somehow...lol

See your primary care, a blood clot is a remote possibility.

We know we're getting old when we hurt ourselves sleeping.

Gout, I woke with a horribly sprained wrist once it was the gout. I'd had more than one mystery injury over the years. They stopped with medication.

It sounds like gout to me also. Don't ignore it and don't rely on home remedies for the long term. Go see your doctor. If you have gout it is also doing damage when you are not having a painful flareup. I also take allopurinol and my attacks stopped totally going in ten years now.

quote:

Serious question: Is it possible to sprain your ankle while you are asleep?

Are you sure your not sleep walking?

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:

quote:

Serious question: Is it possible to sprain your ankle while you are asleep?

Are you sure your not sleep walking?

I thought of that, too. Not likely, though.

I had to take allopurinol some years ago for a while. I guess my uric acid is OK now because I'm not being told to take it any more.

flashguy

I had a patient who fractured her wrist in her sleep so I guess anything is possible

quote:

Originally posted by Lunasee:
We know we're getting old when we hurt ourselves sleeping.

Used to be you'd go to bed sore and wake up feeling great. Nowadays you go to bed feeling well and wake up sore.

Getting old ain't for pussies.

quote:

I had a patient who fractured her wrist in her sleep so I guess anything is possible

The real story would have been embarassing.