Leg Cramps

[viennagirl]

Does anyone get leg cramps and Charlie Horses while taking Letrozole and Palbociclib from Ibrance?

[Duranteg]

Hi viennagirl,

I am on palbociclib (Ibrance) and faslodex, and yes, I get them and they are excruciating. My oncologist does bloodwork for magnesium levels, and they always seem to be OK, I’ll be at on the lower side of the scale. She prescribed magnesium, and it helped some. I keep a bottle of Gatorade beside my bed and drink some when I get them and that does help too. But what I found helps most is a cream called Magilife relaxing leg cream PM.

I apply it as soon as I feel a Charlie horse coming on, and it instantly takes it away for me. Magna life is the brand. Well worth looking into.

[Duranteg in reply to Duranteg]

I should have added that it is over the counter and not by prescription.

[viennagirl in reply to Duranteg]

Thank you Duranteg. I will get some of that Magilife relaxing cream as soon as I get to the drug store. I appreciate your help. And I wish you the best success with your treatments. Marlene

[laurac1014]

I had one so bad one time my calf was a rectangle! F*<k !

[viennagirl in reply to laurac1014]

I would love to know what causes the Charlie Horses. I have heard that it is low magnesium but I have been taking magnesium and calcium and my cramps are still getting worse. But maybe the Magilife cream will help. All the best with your healing.

[Godbeforme]

It's potassium that stops charlie horses. When I get one or feel one coming on, I take a 99 mg. potassium and it goes away almost immediately. I don't take it everyday. My mother preached potassium all her life because it gave her such relief, and what can I say, it WORKS! <3 xo God bless you!

[viennagirl in reply to Godbeforme]

Thank you for this information. I had a banana this morning. It is supposed to high in potassium but I will look this up and try to include more potassium in my diet. My husband eats a banana at least three times a week and has never had a Charlie Horse. I sounds like you are on to something. Thank you again.

[Godbeforme in reply to viennagirl]

My mother brainwashed us about potassium! she used to get terrible charlie horses and she loved it when she found out how to rid herself of them! <3 xo

[Barbteeth in reply to viennagirl]

Yes bananas are the answer...I have them mashed on toast...lovely!

Barb xx

[Chico64 in reply to viennagirl]

I found out sweet potatoes has more then bananas..

[viennagirl in reply to Chico64]

Thank you for this information. I love sweet potatoes but don't eat them very often but now I will include them in my diet. I read a story about a man who ate a sweet potato every day when he had throat cancer and his cancer just disappeared suddenly. His doctors were mystified. But some later research said that there was some active ingredient in sweet potatoes that would have helped this man heal. So it was confirmed by science that sweet potatoes have special properties. So now that I know they are rich in potassium I will include them in my diet. Thank you again Chico. All the best in your healing journey.

[hdhonda]

I used to get leg cramps regularly in 2000 from tamoxifen, then I read somewhere to sleep in knee highs with a bar of soap over the muscle. It worked like a champ except the soap kept slipping so I kept it on nightstand and grabbed it and put against muscle when I got a cramp. I don't know why it worked but did. Blessings Hannah

[viennagirl in reply to hdhonda]

Thank you Hannah. My cramps come on so rapidly there is no time to put anything against the muscle. Like I said, I just holler and stretch as much as I can to release the cramp and my husband also helps massage out the cramping muscle. I am going to try to introduce more potassium into my diet.

[RLN-overcomer]

Greetings: Sister/warrior I use to have really bad leg cramps, without taking any medications. I found through blood test that my potassium, and other trace minerals, and vitamins levels were low. The most important one was potassium, and this deficiency runs in my family. I take a calcium/magnesium/zinc combo pill, and I take a potassium at night, and if I miss taking the potassium I have had some bad leg cramps that I felt were going to travel from my feet, and legs up to my heart, and cause me to have a heart attack. When this happens I get to my kitchen quickly, and I either eat a banana, or I open a potassium capsule and drop the powdered potassium in a 1 Oz glass of water, and drink it down. The cramp is gone in 15-30 seconds. Gods green earth supplements are natural remedies that have to have the right dosage for you, your body size, and your bodies absorption metabolic rate. I hope this helps XoXoXo

[viennagirl in reply to RLN-overcomer]

Thank you for the helpful advice.

[Duranteg]

Thank you all for mentioning potassium. My Oncologist has never mentioned this,

So I will talk with her when I see her next week. But in the meantime I am going to look for some at the drugstore!

[Godbeforme in reply to Duranteg]

you're welcome! it works! one friend of mine had her hands cramping up after she had surgery for a hernia and the potassium worked for her too! I don't understand why it works but I know it does. I don't take it every day, only when needed.

[Thatflowerlady]

I have found when I don’t drink enough fluids and become slightly dehydrated that I can have terrible muscle spasms .

Drink lots of water .

When having a cramp I have applied a topical muscle cream eg. voltaren and find that it helps

[viennagirl in reply to Thatflowerlady]

Thank you for the reminder to drink lots of water. It is sound advice. I am also making myself a stinging nettle drink. Here is the recipe. Put, three ounces of nettle into a quart mason jar and add very hot water. Seal the jar and put on your kitchen counter over night. In the morning, strain and drink two cups during the day and two cups the following day. Then make a new batch. It is supposed to supply minerals. So it might also help me and maybe you all with these leg cramps.

[Thatflowerlady in reply to viennagirl]

Keep me posted on the tea please .

[Ski2sea]

Hi,

I am on both of those meds and yes I get them occasionally. When I was on chemo I started soaking and slathering myself with coconut oil in a nice warm bath every night. It made me feel fabulous. I have continued this ritual every night since (it’s been 8 months) When I don’t do it, I don’t sleep as well and I have ALOT more troubles with my legs. The ritual has taken on a spa with nice candles, spa music, essential oils, and vitamin e-oil to heal my blood pricked veins. I walk ALOT and the hydro bed at Planet Fitness is great also. Not sure if this will help you but it’s what I do. Oh and I hated baths before all of this. I was a shower only gal.

Hugs

Tara

[viennagirl in reply to Ski2sea]

I read somewhere on line that rubbing down your body with coconut oil helps with leg cramps. So I am doing that now. I have tumors in my spine and I get my husband to rub the organic, cold pressed oil into my spine. It hasn't helped yet but I have only been doing this three days. So time will tell. Thank you for responding.

[Hidden]

I have leg cramps almost every night. I have Cancer in my pelvis as well as other bones so to jump out of bed in the middle of the night is not good. I have started taking a hot water bottle to bed which seems to help a bit. Also, I have night sweats so throw the duvet off then I get cramp in my feet for some unknown reason. Crazy but true.