Leg Cramps | Arthritis Information

 

The more prednisone I take, the more leg cramps I get. Anyone get this?

I have so much twitching in my leg all the time, the kind of twitching that FEELs like I'm going to have a leg cramp - even if I'm standing up and walking.  When i finally lay down to go to bed... it HURTS.  Yes, the TWITCHING hurts.

I used to have solid legs... all muscle.   In the last year, I have these black bruise like things where my veins are.. and it's mushy.  It's like i"m loosing my muscle... and this twitching, and the leg cramps. 

I know that prednisone can cause what they call "bone death".  Is this it??   My leg is constantly sore from the charlie horses at night, and the twitching is just WIERD.

Is this part of RA?  Or is this some whole other THING that I have wrong.  

ok - am i making sense?

Jane

 

Hi woobs

You definitly are making sense.  Been there and had them and felt exactly like you do now.

That's why I thought you could use this information on Prednisone. 

Much better for you to read the information than me trying to explain what might be happening to you.  Hope this helps you.

http://www.myasthenia.org/information/Prednisone.htm

 

Hope your weekend is pain free.

 

Toni

Woobie,  My legs were all muscle before ra from my job and hiking.  They look like they have atrophied now, all flabby looking

 

hey gina - i see you take the mtx shots - do they burn?   do you take the shots on the same day you take the humira??
and do the shots work better?  I have to start taking the shots on Monday, and i've been taking the pills forever.   NOW he says - lets try the shots.

thanks
woobie

i like your saying.

he didn't seem too concerned and told me to get support socks.   I did, and I wore them.   The actually felt good on my calf, and ankles... but after a full night at work, my knee was swollen and hurting and it was messed up for a week.

So - I didnt' wear them again until my knee felt "normal".  Then = as an experiment - I wore them again.  Same thing happened.

I do not wear those .00 socks anymore.  I think they cut off the circulation to my knee........LMAO

If they didn't hurt my knees, they would have been good.  My calfs and ankles DID feel better.

anyone ever try these "support" socks?

woobs

 

 

edited to add some color...........

I woke up with THREE of them last night - in the same leg... and the knot there today is huge and sore........

someone at work told me to put a bar of soap under my sheets?????   anyone ever heard of this?  an old wives tale that "really works!"  RIGHT!

someone else told me to eat bananas - that leg cramps mean you need potassium?????   And, someone else said that means you're dehydrated and need to drink more water????

I drink 80-120 ounces of water a day.............isn't THAT enough?   And I cannot DO bananas........ (they make me gag!  LOL)

Is it dehydration, or lack of potassium or lack of soap under my sheets?   Or is it RA?   LOL

Gotta call my doc monday - but i was just wondering everyone elses experience with these things.  

I'm scared to go to bed.

ok - LOL - rant over...........

woobie

 

 

Woobie,  I totally relate to leg cramps at night.  Especially if I am on my feet much.  I take a muscle relaxer before I go to bed.  I have never had them when I take muscle relaxer.  I know there are several kinds of muscle relaxers, the one I take is Soma.  You might look into it.  Those leg cramps and I get them in my feet hurt like hell and once they start you just have to wait it out. 

I'm going to ask my doc for something - soma, potassium, something.  As soon as monday comes.     I hate these things.  

 

OK _ POLL

What do you do when you get a charlie horse?

I stand up on it... it takes it away.  

The TRICK is, getting out from under the blankets QUICKLY without falling over and taking the nightstand with you........... screeming "OW OW OW OW OW OW.. sh*t OUCH OW OW OW... sh*t..OW OW "

That's my new nightly ritual.   I broke the lamp.  My clock radio may or may not work after last night.

But - I noticed when I'm having a flare... I cannot get out of bed quickly enough.   Is there something else you can do to make them go away besides standing on them??

God, I hope I get something from my doc to stop these... so I dont have to worry about it ...

 

sorry wo whine..........LOL
woobie

 

Not sure if this will help but I had an Aunt, who swore by tonic water for her leg cramps. She drank some everynight. she called it quinine, which is the same thing. She also rubbed her legs down with Vicks vapo rub too! She lived to be 91 so she must have done something right!

Good luck

Pam

You guys.  I don't like taking it every night, but if I take Soma I never wake up with leg cramps.  I get them bad sometimes if I don't take Soma.

Thanks for bringing back this thread, I have been really suffering with the cramps in my feet and legs. And now I feel like a big dummy b/c I asked my RD about it and he told me to take the quinine or drink tonic water. I just forgot all about that entire conversation---duh! I needed a little memory jogger.( I am going to ask you all about that on another thread)

As for the soap, I work with a nurse who told me that her dad swears by that, but I think it has to be a certain kind of soap. I dont know. I am going to try getting in more avacados, bananas, greens and then the tonic water. Maybe it will work. For tonight, I am going to put those Salon-pas patches on my calves and the arches of my feet. Ill let yall know how it pans out.

 

When it comes on, if I arch my foot upward, it helps relieve the pain, and you can even prevent it if you catch it quickly.  I had them during pregnancy.  Just lift your toes and foot toward your body as if you were only on your heel.  You can do it laying down too.


I have to do the whole foot massage thing with mine---my foot just kind of freezes when I get a cramp.
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