NIGHT TIME MUSCLE CRAMPS COMMON WITH PMR?

[jwb43]

Does anyone else have muscle cramps where the tendon or muscles stretch really tight? If feels like a steel cable to touch and sooo painful. They last up to 20 minutes. Is this typical of PMR? Always in lower legs or feet for me.

[ALLYMAC88]

Hi

When I was first diagnosed with PMR and prescribed pred , for a few months I suffered indescribable cramp in legs and feet , the pain was excruciating !! I then started getting in my hands! On researching, I learned that steroids can affect the absorption of certain nutrients , one of these is potassium. Since then I endure that I have a banana every day. I very rarely experience any cramp now , if I do it's very mild .

Hope this helps.

[SnazzyD]

Hi,

There was a thread recently on this. Try this

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hello jwb, this subject of painful night cramps in the legs and feet was raised here just a few days ago. If you click on this link you will find lots of suggestions to help from replies that day: healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Whittlesey]

Yes. I vet them in the upper thigh. Painful.

[GinnyMa]

Hi jwb43,

May I suggest stretching out your calf muscles each day. Stand about a foot from a wall, with hands on the wall. Put one foot back about another foot and lean hips forward. Hold at least a minute for the stretch. Then repeat with other foot. Repeat with both legs. Hope this helps!

[Whittlesey in reply to GinnyMa]

Thanks, jwb 43. I am in phys therapy and I do a lot of that.

Meralgia paresthetixa, which I have, means that the lateral femoral sub cutaneous nerve --becomes wrongfully attached to the inguenial tendon.

Needs to be surgically released. I am looking for a Neuro surgeon.

So the stretching helps -- but it is temporary.

Thanks , appreciated.

[nuigini]

Both before PMR and with PMR 100mg of elemental magnesium a day has kept the cramps away for me.

[Whittlesey in reply to nuigini]

Wonderful help. Agreed. Thanks.

[Steve2002]

I was having a lot of trouble with cramps around the time I was diagnosed, but they went away as my vitamin D level came up, so I've been thinking that might have been the cause.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

While it is something that happens in PMR too, pred makes you lose potassium and magnesium through the kidneys. Potassium tends to remain OK, the blood level is kept right, but magnesium depletion is common. Here in mainland Europe the first thing doctors ask if you have cramps is whether you have tried taking magnesium. If that doesn't work (it usually does) they will investigate further.

[nymima01]

I found it was the magnesium factor too. I now take 400 mg of mag a day and this keeps the spasms at bay. If I miss taking it, I get the cramps at night.

[Edwintweet]

Well I haven't been on here long but was diagnosed with pmr several years ago and was taking prednisolone for about 6 months but had to come off them due to very bad indigestion pain and morning head aches that were hard to move with the usual paracetamol.

The GP stopped me taking them when he was aware of the side effects.

But to come back to your question about night cramps, I have had them very bad but not lasting as long as yours.

I have discovered if I take two paracetamol before going to bed it seems to be controlling them but have only been doing this for a few weeks. From what I have read on here I don't seem to suffer as much as other people with pmr.

I did have a problem with a trapped nerve in the left leg and it's never been the same since, my left foot is half numb from left to right and it feel like there is something under the sole of my foot as if the sock is creased up but have learned to live with it. 😟

[jwb43 in reply to Edwintweet]

So if you're not taking him Prednisone for your PMR now how are you managing it?

[Edwintweet in reply to jwb43]

Well, as I say, I don't seem to get as much pain as others, my knees can be very painfull, but they were a problem long before I was diagnosed with pmr by the rheumatologist at the Manor hospital Walsall.

So, I am not taking any medication have not for at least 2 years, so I'm wondering now how can it be ?

I can tell you how it started, I woke one morning as usual, as I went to put my feet on the floor, the pain made me fall back on to the bed. My shoulders were very sore, and the Wife had to help me put my socks on and massaged my shoulders . After taking pain killers things eased some, but I had to use a stick to aid walking .

The hand I used to hold the stick swoll up and looked like a little boxing 🥊 glove so I started to use the other hand and that went the same , that's when the GP sent me to see the specialist at the hospital who made the diagnosis and put me on the steroids which was very effective but gave me the side effects that I mentioned earlier . That's about it 😄

[jwb43 in reply to Edwintweet]

So how is the pain and discomfort for you now? I've been struggling with it for four years and I have been on able to take prednisone also. It just seems to keep getting worse and spreading to different parts of my body. I'm not sure where it will end up so that's why am very curious how yours is going .

[Whittlesey in reply to jwb43]

So agreed here. Have had that.

[Meg1711b]

I take a magnesium tablet -250mg- for a couple of days if I start to get cramps. It works really well.

I also, like others have commented, think having enough vit D is really important. I take 50,000 iu D2 once a week.

[Edwintweet]

Hi,

Not been on here for quite some time, sorry.

Well, I think I mentioned taking 2 paracetamol before going bed , but just lately been having quite nasty indigestion so cut the dose to one which seemed to work for a while but now not taking any. But some thing else I do is massage the area that is prone to cramps with voltarol .