Since last week, I've been having a lot of deep pain in both shins, but because it's deep, I can't honestly tell if it's muscle, bone or veins. Hot and swollen, which affects veins, but if I had to guess would say deep muscle pain. A bit like growing pains (remember them, anyone ?) and driving me to distraction.
I don't know whether this is a new symptom or something to do with recent osteoporosis treatment (Risedronate), and wondered if anyone could advise me on that. Can't see it as a side-effect on the instructions. I'm trying to log any new symptoms, since I'm having a bit of a struggle on 1 injection a month. Anyone got any ideas on how to eliminate or minimise this pain ? Any tips would be very welcome.
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Cherylclaire
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However, it sounds like you might be as well to report this to your Practice Nurse or GP - maybe a chat with your pharmacist? The NOS might be able to advise you on how to minimise any side-effects associated with the medication (they have a helpline)? nos.org.uk/media/1595/drug-...
Can you have shin splints without exercise? I don't know much about it but thought it was only sportspeople who got this, and I'm certainly not that, at least not these days. Muscles have definitely disappeared since I've been off work. Not sure if this happens because of B12 deficiency or because of lack of energy caused by deficiency, if you know what I mean.
I think you're right about discussing it with osteoporosis nurse just in case. She may well recognise it as a side-effect. Thanks for your help.
I have experienced shin splints both as a result of exercise and in episodes completely unrelated to activity but it's a distinctive pain and swelling.
Good news, ITYFIALMCTT - it's completely gone ! So sounds like it could easily have been bones absorbing minerals and, like you said, a good thing after all! Nice change. Still will get some magnesium oil in case it sneaks back again.
Apparently this can happen because as the bone starts absorbing more minerals (a good thing) because of the vitamin D, it starts swelling up against the more rigid outside structure of the bone and this can be painful. I know there are better references than this but can't find one at present: easy-immune-health.com/pain...
Also useful to know. Thanks, Katys1981zzz . Great when it's a POSITIVE pain for once, isn't it?
Funny thing, I have been tested for D deficiency a number of times over the past couple of years and always been quite comfortably mid-range. Did not know why they gave me D tablets in the first place, but took them just because I don't know much about osteoporosis and would rather trust the treatment.
Cherylclaire, I think I am having the same pain. I have pernicious anemia but for a year or so thought I had shin splints due to jogging. Stopped jogging, went to PT and found some relief but it still comes back. Gets so bad it will wake me up and I have to take a pain reliever to get back to sleep. I have started to associate it with the PA as it seems to go away following cyano injection. But it does return. What solved this for you?
This was four years ago now and to be honest, I couldn't remember that I ever had this condition when I read your reply just now.
I looked up when I started the Risedronate and found that around this time, I was on monthly injections reduced down from 6 months of two a week. It is likely that the burning swelling and pain in shins was because of this, but it is possible that this was because of vitamin D deficiency, causing osteoporosis of the spine.
Have you seen a neurologist ? It could be nerves not bone (B12 deficiency vs vitamin D deficiency).
I do not get this pain any more, but neither do I get NHS injections now. I self-inject at a frequency of every three days (so about the same rate as previously provided by NHS). This seems to work for me.I have been left with numb areas on both shins (outer part), and think this is permanent. I can live with that. So I am guessing that mine was nerves, although neurologist had main nerves electrically tested and reactions found to be fine. Small nerves were not checked -and I'd think outer shin area would likely come under this category.
Frequent injections seem to control symptoms now - not a cure, more a management. I was given a diagnosis of functional B12 deficiency -which is why I was given such frequent treatment for six months. When this changed to one a month as an agreed "maintenance frequency", I was unable to last that long without deteriorating.
This is not the case for everyone.
As you are on cyanocobalamin injections, I'm assuming that you are in USA ? Good that you have a diagnosis and hope this was not a long time coming.
Get blood tests if not done already: vitamin D, folate, ferritin. All of these can be affected, and can contribute to symptoms. Thyroid can also struggle.
I have vitamin D on prescription and the Risedronate got replaced with Raloxifene which seems to agree with me better.
My last blood tests (Nov last year) were the best for six years, osteoporosis has not got any worse .
Hope this helps. I am doing very well at the moment- but it took a long time to stabilise all of the above and get a life back.
Hi, I’m exactly the same. In fact now it’s the first symptom that tells me I need another Cyano B12 injection. I’ve been worrying what it could be but now I read your post and it’s the same as me. This shin pain wakes me up at night and it’s intense. Then after the injection i don’t notice it anymore.
Good news update: since the osteoporosis nurse told me to "walk, walk, walk", I have been doing just that. I have now, from latest Dexascan results, been told my osteoporosis has been reduced to osteopenia of the spine. I think this also really helps my legs. Still taking the same: vitamin D and Raloxifene. Also B12 injections, usually every three days.
Thank you for your reply Cheryl. I’ve been taking D3 &K2 for years but I do think it’s a symptom of the B12 deficiency. I inject myself every 3 days but if I try to go longer I wake up with the pain in my shins like shin splints pain but worse. The injection seems to fix it for a few days. I’m glad to know other people have had the same. As for walking, the last 2 years it was so painful and so my fitness greatly declined. Now I’m on B12 ( no thanks to the dr who insisted it was just arthritis and age) I feel better every day and trying to increase my steps. Thanks again
Thank you for all of the details and suggestions. I am glad to hear you are doing better. I work in Indonesia but return to US every few months. I will schedule both blood work and a visit to a neurologist upon my next trip back. I don’t believe that my GP knows much about this and will search for a doctor who is more familiar. I believe it was diagnosed early. It sounds like many others have much worse symptoms then I experience. It has not impacted my ability to work but it has impacted exercising and recreation. I am hopeful that this can be resolved. Thank you, angain.
I hope so too, and wish you good luck. Getting diagnosed early means at least your GP was widening the search enough to include B12 deficiency and from that pernicious anaemia.
You may find it hard to find a GP who is familiar with PA, true symptoms, treatment frequencies. Many seem to think that a couple of loading injections later, you will be back down the gym- and skipping all the way! This can be resolved but is rarely this cut-and-dried. More important to find a GP who looks, listens and has your wellbeing foremost in mind. Since there is no cure for PA, it is all about management: injection frequency, keeping an eye on symptom return, regular monitoring by blood test of folate, ferritin, vitamin d etc if problematic -but not B12, as it will be high after injections administered and likely to stay that way. B12 results at this stage are unlikely to tell a GP anything.
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