Leg cramps

[Trainy]

I am on the second week of taking 12.5mg pred down from 15. Suffering from horrendous cramp in my calves on waking in a morning. Probably lasts a few minutes. Get something similar in my forearm when I grip sometimes and can't open my hand. Can be either arm. Is this usual?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Maybe you need to try magnesium supplement…or even just try good old fashioned Epsom salts bath.

Make sure you aren’t dehydrated…..drink plenty, but avoid caffeinated drinks.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Not that unusual - try magnesium supplements or footbaths/sprays/oil. Low magnesium causes cramps and pred makes you lose magnesium through the urine.

[Trainy in reply to PMRpro]

I take a multivitamin with magnesium. Probably need to start drinking something other than coffee. My wife ditched the coffee a month ago and feels altogether healthier. Decaf tomorrow and more water. Thanks everyone.

[HeronNS in reply to Trainy]

I've been taking a small magnesium supplement for a couple of years, really since I moved as my new tub is not comfortable for soaking. However a few nights ago I kept getting bad leg cramps, even in my feet, sort of an exponential increase of recent less frequent muscle cramps. So the next evening I soaked for 15 minutes with Epson salts and it has made all the difference. Evidently the Epsom salts have been more effective than my supplement. Will be looking for a different supplement, or finding a way to make bathtub more tolerable for soaking in.

[Highlandtiger in reply to HeronNS]

I find magnesium oil spray at night before bed helpful in preventing cramps. You could maybe try it?

[HeronNS in reply to Highlandtiger]

Good idea. I'll ask the next time I'm at the store where I've been getting the other supplement.

[SnazzyD]

My muscles used to be crampy without magnesium supplement a couple of times a week.

[piglette]

I find quinine sulfate works like magic.

[jayemmemm in reply to piglette]

I, too, get great relief from quinine sulphate. I refuse to spell it the American way.Stay safe

[Viv54]

I thought mine was cramp turned out to be Tenderinits , another horrible side affect of Pred !

[Jan_Noack]

I took the usual amount of magnesium and needed more...just keep increasing to tolerability.

I also found that Epsom salt baths for some inexplicable reason work better than the tablets or capsules or powder taken orally..beats me.

I have tried most types orally..still need more than expected. I find it strange that even on 2.5mg pred I am still cramping up if I do some exercises..like pilates! (that pain during and especially a day or two after is what I was feeling doing ballet exercises before I was diagnosed with PMR..couldn't fathom why that unreasonable amount of pain...apparently I must still have PMR though I am now only a bit stiff until I try to exercise, sigh. My liver enzyme ALT raised about 5 times normal 7 days after one hr of very gentle pilates..sigh I am blaming the exercise (even though the endo I saw today scoffed) as I have just found a paper and the ALT stays elevate a bit longer than the AST and creatine kinase, so that MAY explain why the elevated ALT only... OK, off-topic sorry, and likely nothing to do with some apparent lack of magnesium, but who knows, maybe when my magnesium level is OK that will all go away??.

I also crave chocolate when my magnesium is low.

Thanks everyone for this thread as I was wondering if it was magnesium I needed, seeing as I was taking so much and my blood levels are fine. I took a little calcium also, just in case it was that but I do not like to overdo calcium.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Jan_Noack]

Blood levels aren't really a guide - they scavenge magnesium from the body tissues to keep them right. So muscles can be low but aren't measured - by the time the blood level gets low it is because there is not much left in the top-up tank.

[singingloud]

I had awful Leg cramps in the beginning. I was on vacation at the time and spent most of the night up in pain. When I returned home and looked at the magnesium bottle I found I was under dosing. I began taking the right dose and my pains went away. Maybe you just need more?