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Calf cramps

Posted , 4 users are following.

jennissw
jennissw

For two days now I have had really painful calf cramps - they wake me up, but also come on while I am walking too. This is new - its not like the pain of PMR. Could it be the pred, the pmr in another form or unknown?

0 likes, 19 replies

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  • EileenH
    EileenH

    Posted

    When they come on when walking is it after a similar distance each time, do they go away when you stop and rest and then return when you start again?

    If so - that is claudication and suggests the blood vessel inflammation is affecting the supply of blood to your legs.

    Otherwise, low potassium and magnesium can cause cramps too.

    Tell me more!!!!!

  • jennissw
    jennissw

    Posted

    No it does not go away. It stays and nothing seems to help. I sprayed magnesium oil on the calves but nothing as yet.

    I am on D3 for my low D - maybe its depleting my mag and pot?

  • EileenH
    EileenH

    Posted

    Magnesium tablets would be better - I'm not really convinced that spray-on magnesium would get to the muscles through the skin! Very dodgy physiology!
  • jennissw
    jennissw

    Posted

    Yeah...Im not sure about it. I have slept better since Ive been spraying!
  • christine26681
    christine26681

    Posted

    Hi jenissw. I used to get this a lot in the early days of taking pred. I upped my potassium foods, especially lots of celery, and I don't get it any more.
  • Light
    Light

    Posted

    I was prescribed Tryptomer (Amitriptyline) - 25mg (10 Tablets) for cramps and though it's a anti-depressant essentially, it worked like a dream.

    I don't take it any more.

    Mine were night cramps and they do still come and go periodically. I've been on preds for years.

    Magnesium is the supplement of choice for cramps, but doesn't always work. Tonic water and its tiny amount of quinine worked for me too, but less reliably.

    Avoid quinine in any other form, though. I got hallucinations with the tablet.

  • jennissw
    jennissw

    Posted

    Thanks, I will buy some mag tabs.

    I had amitriptyline once and I had a really bad reaction.

    Sadly, also, I cannot have quinie as I have low platelets and have been told to avoid tonic water.

  • jennissw
    jennissw

    Posted

    I bought some mag, so will wait and see what happens.

    I have also bought some banana's for some potassium.

    On the up side, I had a great sleep with it.

  • marilynn09072
    marilynn09072 jennissw

    Posted

    Epsom salts baths may help if there is a magnesium deficit, metabolically. Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate. Couple the mag. with warm water bath submersion of the majority of the body and there may be muscle relaxation from the warmth and from mag. absorption through the skin.
    • jennissw
      jennissw marilynn09072

      Posted

      Thanks - oddly I bought some epsom salts last week. My only problem with that is for it to work they recommend no soap - so that's two baths, one to soak. The other thing with that is its best at night. It all takes up so much time that its not the quickest way to get mag. I will try mag glycinate as its supposed to be easier on the stomach.
    • EileenH
      EileenH jennissw

      Posted

      All I can say to that is - anyone with PMR who can get in a bath and get out again is very lucky! Several of us have suffered the indignity of getting stuck! I still wouldn't dare get in a bath even though at the moment I'd say I was symptom-free! Thank goodness for showers!

      I also do wonder about the logic behind "absorb through the skin" claims. Skin is a very efficient organ - it keeps fluids and stuff in and tends not to allow much in the way of anything to travel the other way, from outside to inside. It's the nature of the beast medically/scientifically speaking.

    • jennissw
      jennissw EileenH

      Posted

      There are patches for certain meds which definately work, so it is possible for some things to penetrate and get into the blood stream. How well that works with mag I am unsure.
    • EileenH
      EileenH jennissw

      Posted

      "

      Any talk about transdermal absorption requires at least a fundamental understanding of the nature of our skin. It is made up of several layers: the epidermis (the part we can touch), an outermost waterproof layer; the dermis (where blood vessels live); and subcutaneous tissue called the hypodermis. A medication patch adheres to the skin and delivers medication through the bloodstream. This is made possible in some cases when drugs are combined with substances like alcohol to increase their ability to penetrate the skin. The molecules of the medication also must be small enough to penetrate. However, not all drugs can be administered this way because the barrier properties of the skin still provide a significant challenge.

       

      Substances like medication patches must remain in contact with the skin for quite a while to be absorbed. Likewise, repeated applications of lotion or body oil may absorb as well. This becomes a problem with many body products that contain ingredients like synthetic fragrance and preservatives, which we would rather not be absorbed into our bloodstream. Interestingly, the longer that skin is exposed to water, the more permeable it becomes. When fingers prune after a long soak in the tub, that’s because water has seeped through its many layers. Studies show hydrated skin is 3.3 times more likely to absorb substances.

       

      In the case of synthetic fragrance, which has been shown to disrupt normal hormonal function, we can assume that a certain percentage of these molecules become absorbed through the skin. However, not all ingredients are capable of getting in because they may be too heavy, their molecular weight too large to penetrate."

      I know there are drug patches, but they have transport systems built in to them, often nanoparticle carriers, and as this bit from an article says they need a long time in contact with the skin and even then the amount absorbed can vary. I would have thought mag was a bit big...

    • Light
      Light EileenH

      Posted

      Thanks for all that info about skin absorption.... I always wondered about that. Very informative.

      A bit off the cramps topic, but any advice about using body lotion daily? I can't get the unscented variety and cant afford the natural perfumes...

    • EileenH
      EileenH Light

      Posted

      Is it for pred skin? Are you in the UK? If so your GP can prescribe Diprobase/Double base or whatever they use as an emollient for eczema. That makes it cheaper, especially if you are over 60 or have a pre-pay card - and you can get it OTC I think. Any country will have the equivalent. Personally I hate the feel of lotions on my skin, don't even like hand cream. I NEVER use soap products (and the Doublebase stuff can be used for showering by the way). I don't care if it says it is "organic", "natural", "soap substitute" - anything that makes bubbles robs the skin of its natural oils - don't take them out and you will have less in the way of dry skin problems. 
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