Thigh muscle cramp

This is my first time entering this discussion.  It is such a relief to know I'm not alone. NOBODY know how excruciating they are unless you've experienced them yourself.  I was getting cramps in my thighs, shins, and calves almost every night until I read comments in this forum and started taking Magnesium Taurate and B-12 (Methylcobalamin) every day for the past two weeks. (I live in NY and had to get the vitamins via the internet, they were not available at the pharmacy).   I still get cramps,but not as severe.  I'm interested in hearing from others as to whether they know of common triggers that start the cramps.  For example, I know I'm going to get lower leg and thigh cramps if I lay on the couch on my side.  I only get them when I'm at rest.  I get them if I wear flat shoes. I get them if I stand too long.   I'm thinking along the lines of Samantha and think its a body structure problem too.  I've had every blood test and nerve and muscle test and they were all normal.  My MRI shows arthritis of the spine.  I'm 60 years old and healthy in every other aspect than these cramps.  I also have to say that I get lower leg cramps more frequently than thigh cramps but the symptoms are the same.  Excruciating pain that lasts up to 20 minutes. On bad nights, I get both in both legs.  Its comforting to know that among us all, maybe we can find the cure. 

 

linda: i know your pain!!  I noticed that you commented that you couldn't buy calcium pills at the pharmacy in NY

I buy my Jamieson Calcium Magnesium tablets at Walmart in the vitamin section.

 100 tablets for just a couple dollars.They are just over-the counter vitamins.

good luck 

tom

I buy calcium citrate at Walmart but the magnesium taurate I can only get on the internet.  I think they may be working on the thigh cramps but I had 2 horrendous episodes of cramping in both calves and shins last night.  Each episode occurred 20 minutes apart and lasted about 15 minutes.  Does anyone else get the lower leg cramping in addition to the thighs?

Oh my gosh.  I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to have them all your life.  There's got to be a reason and I plan on finding it.  I'm a nurse by profession and have been keeping close track of triggers, the time it happens, any similarities with others, etc.  I'l keep at it.

 

I am 58 years old, slightly overweight but mostly healthy.  I need to take cholesterol medicine but I am afraid it may be the culprit for the cramps.  I have been have these horrific thigh cramps for years.  The first time I had one was on Thanksgiving.I attributed it to the fact that I had been on my feet cooking all day.  Went to see my doctor (I work for an endocrinoligist) and he prescribed Quinine (as I said this was a long time ago).  Seemed to help a little but the cramps kept coming.  I can count on having a cramp every holiday.  I am now having them nightly.  Mine start in either thigh, mostly the left and radiate up to my right buttock.  While this is happening I have the need to have a bowel movement, which is hard to do while having the cramp since I can't sit down during the cramp.  I break out in a clamy sweat and feel like I'm going to pass out.  I was taken by ambulance to the ER once and given Valium which releived the cramp.  Now when I get a cramp that is what I take.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes all I have to do is bend my leg in an unfamiliar position and boom it starts.  I sit at a compiter ALL day so I'm pretty sure that does't help.  I have had a venous flow doppler test done and there were no abnormalities.  I read on this post about going to a chiropractor.  This makes sense to me and I will be making an appointment next week.  I'm so tired of jumping up out of bed and having these cramps.  I also get them in my feet now.  Right in the front part where my feet meet my legs.  They are so bad that I can't walk because my feet won't bend!  No one understands the severity of these cramps unless they experience it or are witness to me having one. The remaining muscle pain after the cramp is a whole other problem.  Sorry for the long post, I am just about at my wits end!

My thigh cramps came back last week, this time in the back of them, and I just jumped out of bed and started walking around - this time they went away pretty quicily. So I went to an acupuncurist who has a degree in nutrition too.  He asked me if i drank water and I said not a lot,  so he told me to drink, drink, drink - water.  Alcohol dehydrates the body.  He also tod me to start more magnedium than I am presently taking so I bought a combo of magnesium/calcium with a 1:2 ratio.  I am returning to him on Friday and I trying to drink more so we shall see what happens.

I'll write back in a month or so.  I had hurt my knee and couldn't do much exercise but am returning to it.  We shall see.

Its been a week with 4 visits to the chriopractor and I'm feeling optimistic.    Yesterday I spent time walking and standing on concrete floors, usually a trigger for cramping at night.  No cramps.  I continue to take Magnesium and B-12 too.  I'll keep posting as to my progress.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

Its been about 5 weeks since I started to see a chiropractor.  I started out going 3 times per week, now I'm down to once a week.  Since then I have had only one severe cramp down the front of my shin, which coincided with the day she tried using traction.  Other than that, (and keeping my fingers crossed as to not tempt fate), I have been cramp free.  This is the longest I have gone without severe cramping in years.  I continue to take Magnesium and B-12 chewables.  I continue to report my progress as I decrease my visits.

Linda, i too went to the chiropractor, at first no cramps...then they were back. I have cut out artificial sweetner, i used splenda and truvia.  I really think I am on to something.  I have gone the last 2 nights cramp free!  The only problem is that I keep waking up thinking to myself that I haven't had any cramps!  Time will tell!  Glad you are doing better!  I have started taking coq10 and a multi vitamin recommended by my chiropractor.

Kim, how long did you see the chiropractor for?  Most of the manipulation the chiropractor is doing is the lumbar region of the back and my left hip and leg. Had a cramp down my left shin last nite around 45 minutes after going to bed, which is the most frequent time they occur, but on a scale of 1-10, the pain was only about a 5 and lasted only a few minutes. That's real progress for me and keeps me hopeful. I use about three packs of Splenda per day. I'm not going to cut out yet because I still think the issue is bio mechanical but if the cramps return again in frequency and intensity, I'll try cutting it out.  Hope it doesn't come to that. 

Well i think i have, at least for me found something that helps to eliminate or at least lesson them, ive started strength traing and started useing "Creatine" is helps pull water and minerals into the muscle to assist in performance, And it has helped a bonus is i havnt had a thigh cramp in months, normally i get one or more a week, plus Creatine has other positive, health benefit: Its helped me chk it out