upper thigh muscle cramps

Hi Roberta

I have been to my doctors and he has given me Quinine tablets, which touch wood its working so far. I was drinking a litre of tonic water before I got the tablets, and still occasionally drink that as well.

I have had a couple of twinges but they haven't gone to full attacks , so not had one for about 4 months now.

I have had groin and upper thigh cramps for the last five years, and I find it is because I live a very sedentary life. My work entails sitting and working so I have a real problem with this. When they come, it can be in the middle of the night, or as last evening, all of a sudden.  They are so excruciating that I scream and I mean scream in pain.  I hit my thigh to stop the pain.  What I have found that makes it easier now is that if I take two paracetamols and chew them the pain dissipates within 3-4 mins and the cramping starts to stop. What also really helps is a half full hot water bottle clamped between the thighs (yes I present quite a comical sight) and walking up and down the room.  Within around 10 mins the cramps subside and stay that way, otherwise they come in 5 second spasms and are really horrible. It is especially bad when I wake up every 2 hours to empty by bladder so you can imagine what happens when my bladder calls and I get out of bed and sudden get a cramp in my upper inner thigh. I have a high pain threshold but this is beyond anything I have experienced. Yesterday evening it was bad because I had been sitting for 5 hours non-stop.  Eventually, it stopped and I put on one of my 10 min Qi Gong videos. It worked and although as a precautionary measure I slept with a hot water bottle tucked between my lower thighs I didn't get a cramp.  I also find Indian Tonic water stops the cramps within a minute or so as I get a lot of upper body cramps again due to no exercise and it helps. I tried the Schweppes range but a pharmacist recommended a cheaper range called Lifestyle a bottle of which can be purchased for 50p (I am in the UK) and it contains a higher dose of quinine. It works but yesterday, it a lot longer.  

I tend to forget to do the Qi Gong exercises and when I do exercise this way for 10 mins once a day, it keeps the cramps away.  I use the Lee Holden exercises and they are free on youtube, although in zeal I bought his videos. 

I hope this helps others.  One thing I have noticed that it is connected with my circulation.  

Oh another thing that helped, before I started the Qi Gong in order to sleep better last night, is I have a Scholls thumper percussion massager, and I held the massager at its highest setting and although I could feel the cramp to a lesser degree, the massager worked. I kept on pressing it into the cramp and after around 5 mins of pressing it around the cramps they lessened and I was able to get off the bed. I had to sit down to use the massager and that is when the cramps got worse normally. 

Summary:

* Qi Gong (even the 10 mins morning session works beautifully in pumping the blood around).

*  Indian Tonic water that has quinine in it (fizzy and sweet to taste)

*  Normal pain killers - one or two tabs chewed and swallowed with water

Oh and not to forget the yesterday-discovered percussion massager which works when all else fails. 

I wish you guys good luck as I know how bad this can be When I had these in succession every day, I did want to die.  I have also had then 3-6 times a night and each time has been literally crippling as the after effects on the muscle are horrid.  You almost feel like it is about cramp again although that is just the after effect. 

Hello Roberta,

I have been having upper thigh pains in my right inner thigh but sporadically,  and not as severely as you describe. Thank God! Your pain sounds horrible--bless your heart. Interestingly enough, A male friend of my husband's dropped by today and told this story:

"I had begun drinking tea in the mornings before work instead of coffee and decided to try Equal that my wife uses sometimes. After this routine for a few days, I developed an excruciating pain in my right upper inner thigh. Backtracking, I realized that I had no opportunity to pull the musle, so I quit the tea with artificial sweetener and the pain stopped. It has not returned."

I found this fascinating and will check all of my mints, yogurt, and all things sweet to see if I can find any Aspartame. It must be the very devil. Hope you're better soon, Roberta.

ROBERTA: try calcium magnesium pills( over the counter) I take one pill every couple of weeks and this prevents me from getting those horrible upper thigh cramps! if you do get a cramp, crush a calcium magnesium pill and take it right away. this will relieve the cramp within minutes!!!

This has worked for me for years 

Try it and let me know if it works for you

tom

I too suffer from these same unbearably painful spasms. The pain is indescribable! No doctor has been able to help me. It's been some time since I've had an episode, but I've had 2 in the past 2 days. I get them up the front of my shin from my ankle to my knee. They actually deform my ankle the are so severe. I also get then from just above my knee, inner thigh up into my groin. I take calcium and magnesium every night before bed I also drink the Schepps tonic water during an episode. It's the quinine in it that helps, not all tunic water has it.I've soaked in the tub with Epsom salts. You name it I've tried it, including the heating pad. I have been really cold the last couple days so I don't know if that has anything to do with it?

I am curiuos, have any of you had gastric bypass surgery? Wondering if there is a connection there? my PC did prescribe a muscle relaxer that I take at bedtime when I'm feeling twinges.

I just want to be normal. I can't even sleep normal. I can no longer lay on my side with my legs on top of each other. There seems to be a pressure point by my knees that brings on a spasm. In not even 50 but this makes me feel so much older. I drink water, I've had my blood tested for deficiencies... Everything is normal? I'm begging for help just like you. Just know you are not alone.