Alrighty....................so..............
Your body produces the equivalent of 5mg of pred, something like each day. Whatever. Point is that’s a base, normal amount. The idea for us, and anyone with chronic inflammation is that we do not produce that natural pred anymore – or at least we don’t produce enough EXTRA to combat the swelling.
Justin gets TERRIBLE leg cramps when he takes pred. I know there are other people who deal with muscle cramping as well, its one of “those” side effects. So this is what I’ve noticed and this is my theory:
Before Justin flares he seems to have lower leg and feet cramping on a daily basis, and they only get worse and worse and worse. Then he flares. I never really noticed it before, but I started thinking…..what if the reason he’s having these cramps right before he flares, is because his body is naturally upping his “equivalent of pred” to combat the inflammation? And in doing so, causes the cramping as a side effect, just like when he takes the pred. And then, the cramps stop and he flares because his body just can’t keep up with the swelling.
AM I NUTS?!?!? I really think this may make sense……..Tell me if I’m way off base here though…
Hi Katie, oh what a terrible puzzle to try to figure out. What other medications is he taking? With these meds we never know if is them or the disease, but you can see a nasty pattern to the pain.
I haven't had those leg cramps in quite a while , months, and that was before the Remicade. I'm sorry to say I didn't see a connection . That restless leg syndrom was a mystery to me, but my friend had it with her MS and it 'ruined her life' , she couldn't sleep. (she ended up driving her car into a tree one early morning on her way to our art group. she hadn't slept and they think she feel asleep at the wheel).
I'm so sorry this is so painful, Your theory makes sense to me. Lynda
I would go as far as to say you are nuts
I do think that you are on to something. It is kind of like the pattern all of us experience if we get sick. It does seem that our bodies try to compensate, but are too overwhelmed to do so effectively.
I don't know much about the drug other than what I have seen years of using it can do to a body. I myself will beg the docs to never put me on it if it can be avoided.
Keep up checking it out you may really be onto something.
Hi Katie, just thought I would add a little bit of info, my GP says people with RA very often have lowered potassium levels and this causes cramps, which I have been suffering with lately, she told me to try eating bananas adn tomatoes, so I have and hey presto the cramps are gone. Best of luck, hope you feel better soon, hugs Janie.Katie -
What if its not the pred but the hormones? I used to get RLS really bad just before I started mense. Men don't mense - but they do get surges in their hormones. Years ago I saw a report on TSS - Testosterone Surge Syndrome - which I thought was a joke. But I checked into it further and...lo and behold...men have monthlies too.
This would tie into both what Jane said about how AI people have lower potassium levels. We also have lower magnesium levels and calcium. All things that he would have trouble absorbing with IBS/Crohns. Because Pred works on the adrenal's - which is tied to the thyroid - which regulated EVERYTHING!
Just a thought!
Pip
Hi Katie,
It seems like you have a working theory there. I don't think you're crazy. You're noticing something that could very well explain his leg cramps.
My first thought was he needs to take calcium/magnesium supplements.I don't know, but another "theory" you might consider is that just before the flare, his bowel is not properly absorbing minerals, and he is experiencing cramping from vitamin deficiency, in particular, magnesium and potassium.
Well that was our ORIGINAL theory - that he wasn't getting enough potas and magnes. And he's not, every time we take him in, he has to have it added in his drip.Katie - can he eat the sulpherated protein mix? I sent the recipe to GS. It takes a while to kick in...but in theory he'll start absorbing more nutrients.
Pip
What is it?? Is it cheap? LOL Does it taste like ass????????? Hi, it seemed I got serious leg cramps when I took potassium pills, I've forgotten why I thought I needed them (something to do with pred?) any way I stopped and the charlie horse/leg cramps stopped.Lynda