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Cramps, arrggghh!

Samfa1984 profile image
26 Replies

Hi everyone,

Does anybody get cramp like pains at all? Im newly diagnosed but have had Fibro symptoms for a long time. My pains are most severe in my hips.

Im just wondering, does anybody else get strange cramp type pains? I keep getting them when Im laid in bed. The only way I can describe the pain is similar to cramp, but it feels like both my femurs (thigh bones) have really bad cramp, even though bones dont cramp!

Im laid in bed in agony and cant drop off to sleep :(

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Samfa1984 profile image
Samfa1984
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26 Replies
Ginsing profile image
Ginsing

Morning Samfa

Oh dear I do so hate having Cramp Poor You. There are several things you can do to help it a bit. Drink Tonic water which has quinine in it before bed it really reduces cramp.

Make sure you are eating enough salt in your diet, I know it is bad for us but so is cramp so on this occasion you may have a little more and your cramp will reduce. If none of these help go see Doctor and ask for quinine tablets.

Best of luck xxgins

in reply toGinsing

Hello sweet gins..isn't quinine banished in some countries

for damaging the heart valves? It is banned in the USA.

Add some potassium, (white potatoes, bananas, OJ, Oranges)

Drink as much water as you can stand to clear out the toxins,

and it will most definitely help with the cramping. Also

the best de-cramper is magnesium..nuts, seeds, beans help it a lot.

As much as it hurts, you have to try to get up and walk around..

If those things do not work for you, use Gatorade, Powerade or

one of the sports drinks..but they contain sodium..that's only good if

you sweat hard...you may do well with switching off Gatorade

or other substitute and water every other cup full. Be sure to

put a call into the doctor as well...they may have another idea or

know of a more serious reason that you are cramping. =)))

Francesgoldwater profile image
Francesgoldwater in reply to

Hi Samfa not long after I was diagnosed with Fibro I had such terrible cramps in my legs at night, It was agony someone told me to start taking Magnesium - very good advice since regally taking it my cramps have stopped.

Mdaisy profile image
Mdaisy in reply to

Hello Gins & Yikes,

Here is the information given by the UK Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformati...

Advice for healthcare professionals:

Quinine is not a routine treatment for nocturnal leg cramps, and should only be used when cramps regularly disrupt sleep

Before use of quinine for nocturnal leg cramps, the risks should be carefully considered relative to the potential benefits

After a trial of at least 4 weeks, treatment should be stopped if there is no benefit. If treatment continues, the benefits should be assessed around every 3 months

Here in the UK it seems that the above guidelines are followed and it is given in some cases for leg cramps if disrupting sleep but the medical history of the patient is taken into account for risks & the patient is monitored closely.

I hope this helps

Emma :)

Allpainedout profile image
Allpainedout

Yes I've always gotten cramp even as a child but then at least it was only in my calves but now I get it in my feet ( in the instep ) and I can't put my foot to the floor and once it start I can't stop it I just have to go with it !!! I also get itin my hands my neck I turn and all of a sudden it's cramped and its agony !!!!! When I was a child my legs would throb and my mum said it was rheumatic ?? But I believe it was the start of this fibromyalgia and a life time of pain !!!! I wonder if anyone else can remember being in pain as a child ??? It's amazing I can remember being awake lots of nights because of pain !!! That was before I was a teenager ! Its a strange one to understand !! Xx

in reply toAllpainedout

I do believe that if you are sure that dehydration and vitamin, mineral levels are all okay, it's the start of an autoimmune disease, yes..Only now they

are finding out that was once called 'Growing pains" is really the start

of these diseases...Maybe you do have some rheumatic disease

and just didn't get diagnosed..not all test blood positive for RA or

the 100 different types of inflammatory arthritis..If that is the case..

it won't get much better on it's own and needs another kind of treatment.

Do you see a rheumy as of now? If you do, he/she will be able to

recognize those symptoms and will know the right questions to ask

you. It's important that you bring up those things that bothered you

medically as a child..Your history will determine the type of treatment

that you will get...Not all are big powerful drugs such as Humira or

Remicade..there is a big chain of drugs to reach that point..that's

not anything that they would start you up on..Some of the anti-inflammatories

that Rheumy doctors have are never prescribed by a GP and they

work long and hard to keep the pain away for at least 12-24 hours.

Is the Rheumy the doctor that most of you see? I hope so because

they are pain specialists as well. They know drug combinations that

work well..they prescribe as much as a pain clinic would or close to

that level..not all is narcotic, in fact few are..I am just trying to understand

where you ladies are coming from in treatments...I believe that every

one of you need more than a GP. You need a team of doctors and

physical therapists, support groups, a councilor to talk to and the

right specialist.

Mooskie profile image
Mooskie in reply toAllpainedout

I use a heating pad and it really helps. I also hold my hands under the hot water tap.

I have to be careful whenever I streatch because it causes cramp in all parts of my body, Inner thighs and behind the knees are worst. I found that qunine tablets make my tinnitus worse so I keep them for emergencies, Then forgot to take them on holliday, when after the extra walking I needed them most.

in reply to

Drink water..a little more will help that..Stretch them slowly..

the muscles shorten up a little bit overnight. =)

Vicki081108 profile image
Vicki081108 in reply to

I too have to be careful stretching as it brings on dizzy spells... Do you get that? New to all of this and finding it all so comforting to know I'm not cracking up!

Samfa1984 profile image
Samfa1984

Thanks for the replies everyone. I feel like I have had zero sleep!

I do get these cramps in the day on and off but when Im in bed its just awful:(

I will try Quinine and see if theres any improvement.

Hope you all have a 'good' day, thanks again, Sam xxx

in reply toSamfa1984

be aware of the warnings that come with Quinine. =O

Royalspec01 profile image
Royalspec01

Hi there you really need to see your doctor for med review. Im no great expert and there may be things I don't know but what I do know is that you need some relief from that. I used to get restless legs and cramps all the time since I've been prescribed gabapentin and amyltripoline with tramadol and paracetamol things have been much better for me. A nurse said to me about my meds and this is how she put it you have this for your bone pain this for your neuro pain and then something else but it helped me to understand more about what I had and how its treated this may not help and may be your already meded so only hope given right advice gentle hugs and hope you rest.

Vicki081108 profile image
Vicki081108 in reply toRoyalspec01

I didn't know that there was any pain relief out there that consistently works???

Samfa1984 profile image
Samfa1984

Hi Roylaspec, thanks for your reply. I've beenon Trammadol, Naproxen and Paracetamol for around 8 months now. I started on Pregabalin a couple of weeks ago so will mention it all to my doc at my app next week and see if theres anything else I can try :) xxx

jillylin profile image
jillylin

Hi,

yes, I do too. And it seems permanent. My right leg always feels like cramp is about to start. I do have RLS and take ropinerole at night but my GP says nothing can be done for the sensations during the day.

Hugs

Jillxx

retiredrn profile image
retiredrn in reply tojillylin

Hi jillyin, Go to Nature's Inventory site and order their Night Time Leg Calm. You can use it anytime of the day. It can also be used for restless arms which I have at times too.

jillylin profile image
jillylin in reply toretiredrn

Thanks for the suggestion. I will have a look :-)

Hugs

Jillyxx

freespirit7 profile image
freespirit7

I too get funny cramp like spasms in toes calves hip hands and fingers. i do have a high vitamin deficiency when i looked it up that could be the cause of the painful spasms doctor just gave me calcium tabs

in reply tofreespirit7

Do you know what vitamins and minerals you are deficient of?

Vitamin D is one that should be at the higher end of normal.

It does cause great weakness, zaps any energy out of you and

yes, it does cause some spasms..but more rarely than the weakness

and energy.

Babs1620 profile image
Babs1620

Hi

I am so sorry you are suffering from cramp. I take quinine tablets and amitriptoline on an evening, I am also on Pregabalin during the day and now Zoromorph (type of morphine) but I still get leg spasms, particularly in my right leg and it is now worrying me as I do not want to give up driving. Take care and talk to your doctors about quinine etc.

Babs

Samfa1984 profile image
Samfa1984

Thanks guys, loads of good suggestions there.

Im so glad I've found this forum, everyone is so friendly and helpful :)

Ermintrude75 profile image
Ermintrude75

Yes I get cramp in my right foot, which becomes a right pain when I cant move my foot in to the position Im wanting (usually at class). I find stretching helps and if its really bad I get someone else to stretch my foot.

Did anyone find in the fibro guide or on the foundation web site that

cramping is related to Fibro? I can't find that it is..with this many people

having cramped legs and feet, it should give reference to it.

Ginsing profile image
Ginsing

Hi Yikes cramping is not related to Fibro the fact that we suffer is just a secondary symptom should it referenced why? i all the things that happen to us were referenced the site would be full! Thank you for your attention to detail

xgins

retiredrn profile image
retiredrn

Hi gins, I have RLS too. So to all you who have this condition, there is a natural oil that you can get that really works. I've been using it for 5 years now and I can count on one hand the breakthroughs I've had since I've been using it. Go to Nature's Inventory.com and get their Night time leg calm. I didn't want to use any meds so I was given a bottle by my aunt who also had it. And I've been using it ever since. I use it every night with excellent results. Hope this helps all of you!

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