Night Cramps

Has anyone else notice and increase of night cramps after starting using asthma control drugs? I am cursed with them increasingly. I take Quinine 300mg a day but to little or no effect, the neighbours must think I do midnight dance classes I am up so often scampering around, coupled with hubby constant 'farm yard' impressions I think I am suffering from sleep deprivation!!

[Hidden]

Sandy, the funky chicken dance as the dance of the night cramps is known is very cery common. How long have you been on the quinine cos it can take a while to really work (upto a month I seem to recall) The only other things I can suggest are a nice warm relaxing bath before you go to bed and hubby doing a really good massage to make sure the muscles are nice and relaxed. Do you take a theophylline (slopyllin uniphyllin phyllocontin) cos in conjunction with the increased salbutamol use it can sometimes lower your potassium. You can ask your GP to do a blood test or try eating a couple of extra bananas a day or drinking a glass or 2 of tomato juice both are rich in potassuim and should help bring your levels back to normal.

Bex

[Hidden]

Wotcher Bex, I have been on Quinine for about 6 months, I don't recognize the other medication you mentioned so obviously am not taking it!! I am a banana and tomato addict so recon my potassium level is pretty ok, I also take Calcium with vitamin D (surprised I don't rattle), as for you bath and massage suggestion, well, being massaged by hubby - bless his cottons would be less painful if a steam roller ran over me - twice!, bath good idea it the kids hadn't pinched all the hot water, also if I take the Quinine later than usual I get it during the day time too - bit of a problem getting that relaxing bath in the middle of Sainsbury's!!.

It seems to start in the little toes on each foot, they either turn under or up depending on their mood, and any effort to correct them send the calf muscle into a spasm. I also drink a litre bottle of tonic water a night as this was offered as a suggestion for relief - guess I am just doomed!!!

[Hidden]

Much as I would love to advocate the addition of a GIn and Tonic before bed you would need to drink huge amounts a couple of hundred I seem to recall for it to have a theaputic effect. These days the amount of quinine in tonic water is tiny, sorry.

Anyway, sorry but I can't offer anymore help. I know just what you mean about the toes big one goes up little one goes down and my gods it hurts.

Bex

[Hidden]

No gin with the tonic I am afraid - occasionally slip in a voddie though. I know that there is very little quinine in tonic water, but oddly enough even my doctor suggested it, I drink it on the off chance it may help a tiny bit and also I am sort of suspicious that dehydration may well be a factor .