Hi all!
Just wondering if any of you suffer with intermittent cramps?.A few months ago I was having trouble with painful biceps muscles . Also shoulder muscles and joints. Over the past few weeks I have started to suffer cramps in side and fronts of shins and ankles .I rarely suffered with cramps until this and cannot understand why I am getting them so often now. oh! By the way. I am forever getting toes literally crossing over each other or splaying out when feet go into cramps. It doesn't make any difference whether I am wearing shoes or not either. Has anyone got a similar thing going on and have they got any hints on how to stop them. ( I am already taking Vit D/Omega 3 Fish Oil/Vit C/Zinc/Vit B complex/ and drink lots of milk etc .Oh and i eat lots of strawberries/apples/bananas so can't see how I could be lacking in anything..Over to you!??.
Low sodium maybe?
Kimberly
I used to get a lot more cramped muscle pain but it has been much better since taking Plaquenil. I have found that when these act up CALM (magnesium citrate) helps a lot. This helps my dad's RLS too. Start with 1/2 tsp and work your way up. Too much can. Have can a laxative effect.
When I get muscle cramps, historically it has proven to be my calcium is running low or electrolytes. HOWEVER, somewhere along the way I came up with the lightbulb of an idea that even though I was supplementing calcium and D, no magnesium. Well magnesium is needed for calcium absorbsion (how is that spelled?)
So under the supervison of my endo and rheumy, I added magnesium supplement. Last rheumy visit he upped it to 500mg a day.
Even though the serum Mg showed normal, and has remained at the same level midrange normal, I must have been deficient as since adding that my muscle cramps/spasms (and they were horrid fixed spasms) have alleviated, and overall my pain issues (from multiple other medical issues) have significantly improved. Seriously improved to the point that I rarely need pain meds, have not had to use my TENS device in recent months and have not needed trigger point injections since adding Mg supplement.
So that's something you may want to discuss with your doctor. Apparently my Endo presumed I was taking Cal/Mag/D supplement, when I actually take oyster calcium and separate D3 supplement (on higher D3 @10,000 IU daily).
Amanda
Low levels of calcium, magnesium, and potassium are all known causes/triggers for muscle cramps. Calcium/magnesium is more common and you can test yourself, but potassium you really should get checked by your GP first, as potassium levels getting too high can be fatal.
I used to get late night muscle cramps in calves/feet, and they wouldn't respond to calcium supplements. I can't take magnesium supplements (gut issues) - but blood tests have always shown both magnesium and calcium levels to be ok. When I finally got my potassium levels tested, they were at the very bottom of the "normal" range (only slightly above "deficient") - and potassium supplements eliminated the cramps. Has happened a couple of times now, so I work with my GP to keep an eye on my potassium levels now.
Quote from: Dawnmist on April 03, 2015, 11:30:54 PM
Low levels of calcium, magnesium, and potassium are all known causes/triggers for muscle cramps. Calcium/magnesium is more common and you can test yourself, but potassium you really should get checked by your GP first, as potassium levels getting too high can be fatal.
I used to get late night muscle cramps in calves/feet, and they wouldn't respond to calcium supplements. I can't take magnesium supplements (gut issues) - but blood tests have always shown both magnesium and calcium levels to be ok. When I finally got my potassium levels tested, they were at the very bottom of the "normal" range (only slightly above "deficient") - and potassium supplements eliminated the cramps. Has happened a couple of times now, so I work with my GP to keep an eye on my potassium levels now.
Calcium level should also be checked by doctor - too much serum calcium can be detrimental as can be too little calcium.
Thank you all for your interesting replies. I will try and see my GP about the problem in the near future. The last time i was low on potassium was when i was hospitalised with cholecystitis ( severely inflamed and infected gall bladder) The nurse gave my a huge tablet to dissolve in water and drink and the nick-name in the hospital was salt and pepper tablets. A few years ago i was suffering with severe restless leg syndrome and under active thyroid and my GP did blood tests and i was very low in iron. A course of iron for quite a few months got my levels back to normal and helped my restless leg problem, but even though after a good while i started to suffer again my iron levels were deemed to be ok so no treatment was given. Oh well! These things are sent to try us as my old mum always says. I will post back on here if i have any luck with my Doctor.
Hi, I also take potassium capsules on and off,always eat 2 bannanas for breakfast,taht helps a lot with muscle cramps,specially in calves.