Cramps

[barbieg]

Can anyone tell me if this is normal please. I wrote a little while ago about my hubby having some form of inflammatory arthritis ( I have RA ) and all the difficulties getting diagnosed. He is slowly stopping his steroids, but is getting terrible leg and foot cramps. Is this a symptom of stopping steroids or can you get this with inflammatory arthritis ?

[nomoreheels]

I'm not too sure it's because of tapering steroids, I've never had this side effect but would think he's on prednisolone & I have always taken & have tapered a different corticosteroid which may be why, don't know really not having had pred. He is drinking enough isn't he & has enough (but not too much) salt in his diet? I would suggest he sees his GP, he should be able to answer your question & if he thinks it necessary prescribe quinine or similar to help with the cramp.

[earthwitch]

I definitely get it with ankylosing spondylitis. The enthesitis (inflammation where tendon meets bone) that is common with AS and other spondyloarthropathies can mean that tendons and muscles go into spasm. I can get really bad muscle spasm in my back, as well as feet. In fact one of the first symptoms I can remember was major foot muscle cramps on trying to point my toes out. As far as it happening when you come of steroids, yes, me too again. Steroids for me never completely get rid of inflammation, they just seem to tone it down while I'm taking them, and then the moment I stop, inflammation comes back, and inflammation then leads to those spasms. For me steroids are definitely not a long term solution though - too many risks with them. I only take them as a two week course just to give myself a bit of a break if my inflammation gets out of control. Really the rheumatologist should be looking at finding long term meds to control inflammation, though I think with spondyloarthritis it seems they often use a short course of steroids as a bit of a diagnostic process as well as to give relief - if you respond well to steroids then it does help to confirm that it is an inflammatory disorder.

I'm not surprised its taken a while for your hubby to get diagnosed, particularly if it is spondy rather than RA - AS and other spondyloarthritis don't have reliable diagnostic tests (until it gets to the obvious damage point, which can happen 8-10 years down the line), so its a matter of gradually adding in bits of evidence to reach a diagnosis.

[barbieg in reply to earthwitch]

My reply seems to be hovering in cyber space , so trying again. Thank you for the replies. Earth witch, can I ask , is AS a type of inflammatory arthritis? Would it involve painful swollen hands and shoulders, including upper spine and neck? He is down to 1 steroid a day, from 2 . He has been sent another appointment for next month at the hospital we are trying to get away from, so not looking forward to that.

[nomoreheels in reply to barbieg]

Maybe taking a look at this from the NASS may help you to determine barbieg nass.co.uk/about-as/

[barbieg in reply to nomoreheels]

Thank you for that. Have had a look and it's something to think about, definitely , although not sure if it could be this as it started in his hands with the swelling and pain and then went to his shoulders and neck. All we seem to get from the consultant is lots of head scratching and telling us he's flummoxed! Doesn't bode well does it? Am busy researching rheumatologists in my hospital at the moment and considering ringing their departments to see how long there waiting lists are. There are 3, mine and 2 others . Is it ok to do this?

[nomoreheels in reply to barbieg]

I admit I don't know much about AS as I don't have it, I have seropositive RD. I posted the link as I'm not confident as I've no experience but for what it's worth from what you've told us my thoughts are it doesn't seem likely it is AS. I'm happy to be corrected though! I have back & neck issues which were confirmed at my first Rheumy appointment but they've been diagnosed as OA damage cervical & lumbar spondylosis, quite different to Ankylosing Spondylitis despite the similar name).

I was in a similar position re changing Rheumies. I didn't get to see the one I chose when I returned to the UK because my appointment was cancelled last minute. As I was needing to start my meds again (I had been diagnosed 5 years) I accepted the first available appointment. Initially I wasn't overly impressed with the one I saw & looked into changing but decided to have one more appointment with the one I did see as I considered it the Rheumy was actually good, it was the difference it treatment between what I'd had from diagnosis to the way the NHS runs. Anyway the reason I'm telling you this is at my hospital certainly I could have changed to the one I originally wanted with no problem so if your h wishes to change his Rheumy it may welll be possible for him, I suppose it depends on the Department & how they divide their patients. I talked it through with my GP though not the Rheumy Dept & she will be happy to refer me if I decide I do want to change.

[allanah]

Bless him cramps are so painful! Any chance he would see gp as a month is a long time to tolerate these symptoms? Good luck x

[barbieg in reply to allanah]

Thank you for your reply. I'm afraid my hubby is like a lot of men and needs to be dragged kicking and screaming to go to the doctors. He seems to have either had a doctors appointment or hospital appointment every week since February , so he's not a happy bunny. I will drag him though if needs must.

[allanah in reply to barbieg]

Oh I know that feeling, mine is the same!

[pdp1134]

I have been dealing with cramps just today. It seems to be related to dehydration for me. I am usually also due to have one of my three or four a day tramadol or two a day 500mg naproxen. So, when I can walk, a drink a lot of water, take a pill, and, if I have one around, eat a banana. For a while I thought it had something to do with drinking too much caffeinated soda. But when I quit soda I drank lots of water and gradually realized it has nothing to do with caffeine.