Avastin and muscle cramps

[Manyin]

Hi all! sorry I haven’t been on here for a long while. I have my last Avastin tomorrow after 18 cycles. I would like to know if anyone on long time Avastin suffered from terrible muscle cramps. Mine have been mostly my tummy and this week my inner thighs.

I ve been having them for a few months now but gradually getting worse. Last Saturday I ended up in A&E, as the pain I was in, frightened my daughter so much. She knows I am not one to show when I’m in pain but boy was it bad. It was In my inner thighs I couldn’t sit or stand. I just hung on to her kitchen sink, trying to stretch out the muscles. It lasted for over 30 minutes. It happened again about 2hrs later when my Dr rang 999, then twice then again when I got into the ambulance and again getting in to the cubicle at the hospital.

As I’m already on Quinine the Dr advised me to up my morphine and my codine for 7 days, then lower again over the next 7 days.

I had to stay for an hour then as no further episodes I was allowed home.

Having said all this I felt a thorough fraud going through all that for cramp. I can honestly say though I’ve never felt anything as bad as that I all my years.

[Maus123]

Hi there. Yes, mostly in feet and toes and nowhere near as bad as yours I think (ouch!). The tendency seems to have subsided a bit recently... maybe having to do with me taking daily general vitamine supplements now, but who knows. I'm due my 10th Avastin next week.

Hope you won't experience any more cramps of that magnitude, or maybe your CNS can recommend something that helps? All the best. Maus

[Manyin in reply to Maus123]

Hi Maus thank you for your reply. It’s good to know it’s not just me. I will mention it to my chemo nurse when I go today.

Last one for a while until the cancer rears it’s ugly head again, then it will be time to get back on the roundabout. I do hope for my family’s sake it’s not for a while yet. My oncologist said it can be anything from 3 moths to 2yrs. Let’s hope it’s the latter x they can do with a break x

I hope your treatment is going well

Love Marion

[govanhill]

I have had several rounds of chemo and each time I suffered cramp in my legs and feet my magnesium has been low. Magnesium sachets have helped. Wondered if it might be that. Morag

[Manyin in reply to govanhill]

Thanks Moran x I’ll get some of the sachets see if that helps x

[govanhill in reply to Manyin]

Hi again. I think the sachets have to be precribed. My oncologist said the tablets you can buy are not well absorbed. The low magnesium shows up in my pre chemo bloods.

[Hidden]

Hi there have you got your magnesium levels checked recently as low mag can cause cramps. Pains are usual with Avastin but yours do seem severe. A warm bath with Epsom salts added will also help you you need to soak for about twently minutes. Alternatively soak feet in a bowl of water with the salts added. You can get them in any chemist.

[Manyin in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Suzuki I have Epsom salts but can’t get in a bath, didn’t realise it would work soaking my feet in ir I will definitely give it a go x

[January-2016-UK]

Hello, apart from feet and hands, I've been having really strange cramps in unexpected places. There were two up my sides which I couldn't relieve however I twisted but I don't believe were as bad as yours although I was worried about the pain as I hadn't then related it to cramp until I happened to get one at the same time as in my leg.

I would imagine it needs investigating further, as there can be all sorts of imbalances in your blood that cause cramps, not just the usual magnesium, calcium, etc. too much of this and not enough of the other seems to sum it up. I'm assuming that some of these imbalances, in addition to causing painful cramps can have other serious effects.

Good luck!

[Manyin in reply to January-2016-UK]

Thank you so much x this site is full of cracking ideas from such wonderful people x

[Neona]

Have you had magnesium and calcium levels checked?

[sticky3006]

Hello Manyin,

I too have had terribly aching inner thighs, mainly only on left side. Also a really stiff neck when I wake in the mornings. I was blaming the aching thighs on varicose veins which I have but I think the Avastin has made any previous aches and pains more significant. I keep exercising though and elevate my legs whenever I sit down. Hopefully all these things will resolve when the Avastin is over x