do anyone know

[music]

i now get cramp bad in every part of my body fingers..toes..legs ..back..belly..neck is this because of the COPD i have or is it because of the round purple sertide 500 acuhaler i am useing for this COPD

[Hidden]

I think it a good idea if you paid a visit to your Doctor.or practice nurse.

[HeatherS-UK]

I think muscle cramps can be one of the more rare side effects, well the Internet says that, so I agree a visit to your gp sounds a good idea.

[limbobimbo]

Hi music,

I get cramps in my right hand but put it down to steroids.

Liz

[music in reply to limbobimbo]

thanks liz... thats what i think

[Hidden]

Hi Music,

I too suffer sevre cramp in the top of my arm, and less so in my fingers and toes. i also use seretide 500, but i have stopped using this to see if this is the cause of the problem, but after 3 months its still the same.

Docdoes seem to have a clue, have tried exercise, heat rubs but all to no avail - it you come up with a cure give me a shout so i can beat the doc round the head with it

Take Care

Mucks

[music in reply to Hidden]

lol will do

[sillywitch]

i thought i was getting cramp in hands & feet due to lack of oxygen in bloodstream so went to gp, i now have apt next month to see orthopaedic team as mine is caused by the ligaments being so loose that my fingers dislocate! my toes also have same problem but thankfully they don,t dislocate as i couldn,t bend to put them back

however i cant see how ligament problem could make me jump out of bed cause it feels like the muscle is being torn from the bone, i,ll ask ortho doc but it will be 15th april before i might have answer to problem, in meantime banana or soda water might help,

[music in reply to sillywitch]

ok thanks sillywitch

[Airhunter]

I have been getting cramp in my legs, feet and hands this last few months, I have been taking seretide for years with no ill effects so do not think that may be a cause in my case. I only get them when I am off oxygen

[music in reply to Airhunter]

ok thanks for info

[Puffthemagicdragon]

I get cramps now and again in my instep and sometimes my fingers and, on the odd occasion, my thumb. I'm on Seretide 250. I haven't seen my doc about the cramps yet.

[copdber]

I get cramps in my feet and legs I posted on another site and was told to eat a banana every day so I did and I haven't had many cramps since I started eating them. It's something to do with them having potassium in them.

[chopsticks]

My doctor prescribed Quinine Bisulphate 300 mg I take one at night and only get cramps now if I forget to take my pill, hope this helps

[VivienneC]

I also get bad cramp in every part of my body, hands fingers , inside of forearm, stomach, side, feet, toes, legs, neck and I think the most painful of all, in the shoulder blades. This last one is a killer because with the others you can flex the affected part or stand up or something, but I’ve found nothing to help the agony of cramp in the shoulder blades.

I was diagnosed with COPD some time ago and gave up smoking almost a year ago. I was on oxygen 24/7 but since August, off oxygen completely. I don’t remember getting cramp whilst on oxygen, so maybe that’s a clue as someone else suggested?

I’m on a nebuliser three times a day and I think the cramp was the worst when I was taking Ventolin in a nebuliser, I now take Ipratropium 500mcg/2mls 3 times a day, as well as seretide500 accuhaler and tiotropium bromide 18mcg inhalation powder caps and its much better than it was.

I’ve tried all the tonic water, bananas thing and also asked the Dr and my Community Nurse but they say there is no reason for it and no cure as far as they know. I also take 2 x Crampex tablets every day and have done for a long while.

I’ve researched online too and sometimes it can be caused by poor circulation (which I do suffer from) or dehydration (I drink plenty, so don’t think its that).

Sorry this has turned out to be so long, its my first post too, but if anyone has any other ideas I would be most interested to hear from them. Very many thanks.

[music in reply to VivienneC]

thanks for info viviennec.... may i ask when you were diagnosed with copd and its good that you are off oxegen has i never thought that you could come off oxegen once you are on that so you must be doing ok... i know it may sound strange but i was wondering if i am getting cramp from if i have a few beers has mostly happens when i have a beer or two and i seem to get cramp the next morning, but it seems i am not the only one getting cramp so it must be to do with this COPD

take care

[VivienneC in reply to music]

Hi music - I was diagnosed about 4 years ago. I had to go onto oxygen following hospital admission for phnemonia in April last year. It took me until August to gradually get well again.

I should have given up smoking straight away after diagnosis but had smoked since I was 12 and I'm now 66 - so it was very, very hard. Almost a year, I can't believe it but it can be done - only problem now is that I've put on a lot fo weight but thats steroids as well - I find they make me so hungry - but only have to take them during a chest infection, as well as anti-biotics. Sob is my worst problem at the moment.

I'm no expert, but I would have thought a few beers now and again helps to keep you sane and therefore does you good? Make sure you drink plenty of other liquids on the "beer" days as maybe there is something in the dehydrated and getting cramp theory?

Best wishes to you and hope you have less cramp in the future, its so painful. Take care.

[music in reply to VivienneC]

many thanks for this has you have answed my next question i to have put on so much weight and just wonderd if it is the steroids that make you fat or the steroids that just make you eat more..i was diagnosed in january just gone... moderate COPD and this i had never heard of but had heard of emphysema and it was being told that word that just scared me into giveing up just like that has i am 56 and have smoked since i was 11

i dont seem to get sob at the moment and i can walk a few miles but i know that will come one day just hope thats a long way off yet

all the best

music

[Bumley]

I also get cramps usually in my thighs, lower chest and abdomen and yes the description of jumping out of bed us very apt. The paid is horrendous and moving stops it for a few seconds and back it comes. I have spent may a night up for 2 to 3 hours. I have now been prescribed Quinine Sulphate 300 mg at night and had had no repeats since. BTW I am on Spirava, Serevent and QVAR

I was once told to drink tonic water, but the amount is so small you would have to drink a few gallons a day to get the same effect. I was given quinine when I was in the army as an anti-malarial but this was changed after a short while

Regards

David

[nixy]

Try taking 1 or 2 crampex tablets before bed. It seems to help me. Oh I hate cramp, especially during the night. x

[breeve_eezi]

BE VERY CAREFUL WITH QUININE AND CRAMP. You need to read mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformati...

"Summary:

Quinine is not a routine treatment for nocturnal leg cramps, and should only be considered when cramps cause regular disruption of sleep. Quinine should only be considered: when cramps are very painful or frequent; when other treatable causes of cramp have been ruled out; and when non-pharmacological measures have not worked (eg, passive stretching exercises). After an initial trial of 4 weeks, treatment should be stopped if there is no benefit"

The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) is the government agency which is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe.

TAKE CARE and don't self medicate with this.

[dukes]

So many of us with C.O.P.D. seem to suffer from cramps of one sort or another that it looks to me like it’s down to the medication.

But which one, we all seem to have different suspects in mind!

Maybe the B.L.F. could carry out a survey to try to narrow it down and find the culprit !