Hi everyone, I’m new on this forum. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis 3 years ago, in the family genes!, I’m currently on Methotrexate (25mg). Seem to be ok until about 2 weeks ago when I started to experience severe night cramps in my legs and feet. My consultant tells me it wasn’t a symptom of RA. Just wondered if anyone has suffered cramps.
Sue x
I suffered with night cramps for years (decades) before RA started. It all started when I worked for a company that had a coffee machine in the breakout room, with strong coffee available all day. Before then I only drunk weak tea but being lazy I started drinking the coffee rather than going out of my way to the kitchen to boil the kettle. When I left the company after a couple of years the cramps became less frequent...I was then working in a company where tea or coffee were just as easy so opted for the weak tea again. You'd think I'd have suspected that it was the coffee at this stage but it wasn't until I started commuting and picked up a coffee on my commute and the cramps came back with a vengeance that I realised. Well it turns out it's accumulation of caffeine. The weak tea isn't enough to trigger it but fresh coffee is. I now drink decaf coffee and tea most of the time and if I'm going to have a normal coffee, that will have to be first thing in the morning and not regular. I also get the cramps if I let myself get too dehydrated. I tend to have electrolyte fizzy tablets which I pop in a pint of water if I feel like I'm going to be suffering and I think they help.
I’ve had night cramps for years, since before RA. I’ve been on Quinine for years and I rarely get any now.
Thank you, I know I don’t drink enough water so maybe that could be the reason for me.
Are you drinking enough ? Mtx seems to cause a few unexpected symptoms if you are dehydrated…try upping the amount of water you drink.
I also suffered in the same way. For me a magnesium supplement fixes it, if your Dr approves. Also drink plenty of water as A C suggests. There is also the old wives tale that a bar of soap in thexbed fixes it. Funnily enough when on holiday I did not take spare soap ..and got cramp again... Who knows?? Or it might just have been less water drubk on holiday?
Thank you for your advise. I’ve received from other members too about taking magnesium supplement that has worked. I’ll be ordering those. Some old wives tales do work funny enough
I am having this same problem. My rheumy blamed it on the RA. I do drink a substantial amount of coffee (mentioned as a possible problem elsewhere on this thread), so perhaps I should cut back on that and see if it helps. I've also been trying to increase my consumption of water, but that hasn't solved the problem.
I used to get cramps all the time, but I read that magnesium tablets are for this painful condition, so I bought some off Amazon and since then I don't get any. Hope this helps Sue.
That does help, thank you. I will be ordering them today.
I’ve been plagued with cramps on and off for years. A recent GP appt didn’t shed any light, but he prescribed furosemide to treat fluid retention in my feet and ankles, and I have had no cramps since. That does seems counterintuitive as I always associated cramps with dehydration, plus I’ve only been on it a few weeks, so might just be coincidence. I am also prone to anaemia, and sometimes wonder if that is the culprit. Been back on Ferrous Fumarate for about 2 months now, so maybe that has helped the cramps? Who knows, but at least they seem to have subsided for now! 🤞🏻
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