Any suggestions for handling leg cramps
DazedandConfused said:
Hi, Rose!
Wow..there are so many possible causes of leg cramps that it's difficult to share my experiences and compare them to yours without perhaps a bit more information.
When do you experience your leg cramp (Day, night, all the time, after exercise, standing/walking, during or after IVIg infusion, etc.)?
What kind of leg cramps do they feel like...muscle spasms-generalized, or local "Charlie horses"? Do they happen only in your calves or in your thighs, too?
I'm not a doctor...but I get leg cramps, too...and different types of cramping in different areas of my legs are usually from different sources (such as thigh pain is from my low back, but calf cramps happen during/after IVIg infusions).
A bit more information, please? Thank you!
Rose48 said:
DazedandConfused said:Hi, Rose!
Wow..there are so many possible causes of leg cramps that it's difficult to share my experiences and compare them to yours without perhaps a bit more information.
When do you experience your leg cramp (Day, night, all the time, after exercise, standing/walking, during or after IVIg infusion, etc.)?
What kind of leg cramps do they feel like...muscle spasms-generalized, or local "Charlie horses"? Do they happen only in your calves or in your thighs, too?
I'm not a doctor...but I get leg cramps, too...and different types of cramping in different areas of my legs are usually from different sources (such as thigh pain is from my low back, but calf cramps happen during/after IVIg infusions).
A bit more information, please? Thank you!
What works for me is 1- stretching the muscles in the opposite direction as the cramp is pulling e.g. Pull foot up for calf cramps. 2- stay well hydrated with an electrolyte solution like Zero or gatorade. 3- do a stretching routine at least twice a day of all your major joints & muscles especially the lower extremity. 4- get out of the chair and walk some. I’m getting out of my own chair now to take my own advice on all 4! Geepster
Sounds a little diagnostic to me? Barring any serious disease processes, they are treated pretty much the same.
DazedandConfused said:
Hi, Rose!
Wow…there are so many possible causes of leg cramps that it’s difficult to share my experiences and compare them to yours without perhaps a bit more information.
When do you experience your leg cramp (Day, night, all the time, after exercise, standing/walking, during or after IVIg infusion, etc.)?
What kind of leg cramps do they feel like…muscle spasms-generalized, or local “Charlie horses”? Do they happen only in your calves or in your thighs, too?
I’m not a doctor…but I get leg cramps, too…and different types of cramping in different areas of my legs are usually from different sources (such as thigh pain is from my low back, but calf cramps happen during/after IVIg infusions).
A bit more information, please? Thank you!
I get cramps at night in odd places in my lower legs and feet such as the side of my ankle. I'm trying magnesium but I see lots of opinions on the best time to take it. I also hear that people take tonic water.
My muscles receive signals sometimes correct other times not co correct. This causes the muscles to be under contractions and not at rest. This gives me cramps. In my back arms legs even in my face. I have been learning to isolate muscles to force relaxation as much as I can. It is a learning process. There are many things that help your body keep from cramping.
For me our minds are the most powerful tool we have. Learning to use it can be a challenge.
For myself i tend to get them during the night mostly, or about 30 mins or so after doing say a reasonable amount of walking or general moving around, but not always. mostly mine are at night
I find that the worst cause for me is alcohol and in particular red wine. This causes dehydration and hence cramps. A very quick solution (only when serious) is some salt.
Drink lots of water and I take magnesium tablets every morning which seems to keep it in check.
Good luck
Glen Merryweather said:
I find that the worst cause for me is alcohol and in particular red wine. This causes dehydration and hence cramps. A very quick solution (only when serious) is some salt.
Drink lots of water and I take magnesium tablets every morning which seems to keep it in check.
Good luck
I find that adding more potassium to my diet helped reduce the leg cramps. Also applying heat at the spot for a few minutes and then trying to walk it out workedds,.
I found that none of the normal electrolyte supplements (calcium, magnesium, etc.) helped at all unless you are truly deficient in these. What does work wonderfully for me is a prescription drug - carbamazepine (Tegretol). I don't notice being on it at all - except that the cramps go away. Like anything, I only take it when I need it, which thankfully is less often than it used to be.
I have excruciating muscle spasms especially in my calves, ankles and right arm. I have been checked for circulatory and it's not that. When they go off and they go off mostly at night but even daytime my arm or leg twists into a stiff pretzel and It's immobile the pain enough to make me scream. I have increasing problems with foot and hand strength, numbness and fiery pain. I know some of this is caused by disk problems and the trigger seems to be any normal extended activity especially walking where I am struggling with tight calves and painful feet. Neurontin helps and Valium calms these spasms down but Valium takes time to work and I don't want to take it all the time. When my calf or arm goes into spasms at night I keep an electric heat pad by my bed, turn it on and wrap it around the painful muscle. This seems to help as much as the Valium. At times I wake up screaming with pain usually in my calves and, if both calves are affected I keep the heating pad between my calves. I don't know why this works but it does. At this time I have a script for prednisone which I was advised not to take regularly and I try not to taking small amounts daily (5 mg.) I was told by my rheumetologist to take 10 mg 2x per day for 10 days "to get you back on your feet" and then stop. This was disastrous as I felt the side effects of the drug and when I stopped the pain came back full force. I have been waiting for an appointment with a neurologist in NYC to be assessed for the increasing peripheral neuropathy I am experiencing. (At this time I am losing the power in my feet and finding that I cannot exert enough pressure on my brake pedal if I don't take the prednisone.) I don't know what to expect. My symptoms have now gone on for years with increasing ligament and joint destruction while all my blood tests stay normal. Swimming is the only exercise that seems to help walking (which I used to do religiously) makes me worse. As I still have to wait two weeks for the neurologist and am taking small amounts of prednisone to function as well as pain meds I am wondering if she will be able to assess what is really going on with me. Years ago I was told I had mild peripheral neuropathy after nerve tests now I am becoming increasingly crippled by it. Any advice welcomed.
I will look into it roseThanks
nirvis said:
I found that none of the normal electrolyte supplements (calcium, magnesium, etc.) helped at all unless you are truly deficient in these. What does work wonderfully for me is a prescription drug - carbamazepine (Tegretol). I don’t notice being on it at all - except that the cramps go away. Like anything, I only take it when I need it, which thankfully is less often than it used to be.
I get leg cramps from time to time, and very occasionally cramps in other places. The worst was one incidence of stomach cramps. I thought I would never work it out. I get them in a big toe once in a while, which seems very odd to me. It curls back up toward my head, further than I would have thought possible. They usually, but not always, come on at night. They seem to be worst when I have gotten myself very tired.
My family doctor suspected potassium or magnesium deficiency, but my neurologist says it is common with CIDP. Judging from the number of comments here, I suspect he is right. He prescribed Ropinirole, which helped quite a bit. However, it really upset my stomach, and I stopped taking it.
This is hard to describe, but I have learned to avoid motions that lead to cramps. For example, I would occasionally yawn and stretch in bed, and that stretching motion would lead to a cramp in one calf. I can now usually avoid that, although when I am in that never-never land between being asleep and awake, I will sometimes still do it without thinking. When I do get a cramp, the best solution for me is to just get out of bed and walk it off.
I have found relief using Tonic Water 4 oz twice a day. I mix it in something based on my neurologist's recommendations.
I suffer a great deal from cramps, mainly in my calf's and legs generally. I also at times have them in my chest and stomach muscles, However, as many have already said there are many types and causes of cramps. I Myself personally was introduced by my Local Doctor to Cramp-EX, which I have fond to help a great deal , I personally take two at night before bed, and if I have a bad attack in the day I do the same again, I have found it has greatly reduced the cramps and time length of bad attacks. You can get them from a local Chemist or I buy them from Amazon within their Personal Health and Care section, as this medication is none prescription required i.e. over the counter. However, it is always best to seek the advice of your Doctor, but for me I just wanted rest bite from the cramps and Cramp-EX has achieved this for me. yours respectfully Mark A, / England
My pain Doctor put me on Migraine medication which stopped the cramps.
As Barbara said, my father-in-law swore by tonic water with quanine to relieve his nightly leg cramps. The active ingredient being quanine. Be careful though. Quanine is much more potent than I thought. Make sure you can take it and in what amount.
I find that a little rum, and a squeeze of lime in the tonic water helps, too. Just kidding! But, I have talked to several neurologists, and all said that alcohol in moderation is not a problem for CIDP.
Rev. Mark Matthew said:
As Barbara said, my father-in-law swore by tonic water with quanine to relieve his nightly leg cramps. The active ingredient being quanine. Be careful though. Quanine is much more potent than I thought. Make sure you can take it and in what amount.