Cramps in hands and legs?

[drz]

Sometimes I get cramps in my hands and legs, usually calf muscles, that are rather painful and may last for several minutes. No doctor seems to have a clue what causes them.

I wonder if they are related to meds i take, the WG disease, my diabetes or neuropathy, or something else?

Anyone else have trouble with cramps?

[Jack]

I have posted in the past that I went through a time when I had cramps that turned out to be due to a lack of salt. Just a tiny bit added to my food stopped them. However, that may have been a one off because I used no salt in cooking and did not use processed food.

[Doug]

Some drugs deplete potassium, among other things, from your body, and the result is these awful cramps you describe. I bet most of us have had them various times since becoming weggies. I had some just this weeks in my feet and legs, but a few bananas later, I was back on track. Take an internet "stroll" through the drugs you are prescribed. I believe you will find some answers there. You can try an Advanced Search in this site, too, for information that most likely will answer the same question. I know it's come up several times in past. There are more things on vitamins, electrolytes lost through drugs, with cramps resulting. Yeah, try the Advanced Search first, drz. If you haven't used it before, go up to the upper right hand corner of this page. It is almost directly below the Log Out, right below the box where you type in a search word or phrase. FRor that matter, just a simple search should bringt up something. I'll check and repost.

[pberggren1]

I get some cramps in my back now and then - maybe every few months. But I think it is more due to not exercising or stretching or due to the deconditioning of Wegs. Or maybe all 3.

[Doug]

Some drugs deplete potassium, among other things, from your body, and the result is these awful cramps you describe. I bet most of us have had them various times since becoming weggies. I had some just this weeks in my feet and legs, but a few bananas later, I was back on track. Take an internet "stroll" through the drugs you are prescribed. I believe you will find some answers there. You can try an Advanced Search in this site, too, for information that most likely will answer the same question. I know it's come up several times in past. There are more things on vitamins, electrolytes lost through drugs, with cramps resulting. Yeah, try the Advanced Search first, drz. If you haven't used it before, go up to the upper right hand corner of this page. It is almost directly below the Log Out, right below the box where you type in a search word or phrase. FRor that matter, just a simple search should bringt up something. I'll check and repost.
http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/general-wg-chat/970-cramps-hands-legs.html?highlight=cramps

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/medication/748-leg-cramps.html?highlight=cramps

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/medication/878-leg-hand-cramping-tonic-water.html?highlight=cramps

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/general-wg-chat/358-leg-cramps-all-night-long.html?highlight=cramps


These are the cramps threads on this forum. Hope they are informative to you!

[pberggren1]

Boy, you sure know how to put a cramp in things Doug! Ha Ha!

[Doug]

It's a talent!

[pberggren1]

You sure do have a good sense of humour Doug.

[Doug]

I can be very stuffy, too, as you recently saw...I have my moments!

[pberggren1]

Hey, we all do Doug!

[drz]

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/general-wg-chat/970-cramps-hands-legs.html?highlight=cramps

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/medication/748-leg-cramps.html?highlight=cramps

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/medication/878-leg-hand-cramping-tonic-water.html?highlight=cramps

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/general-wg-chat/358-leg-cramps-all-night-long.html?highlight=cramps


These are the cramps threads on this forum. Hope they are informative to you!

Thanks for the info. I would guess my cramps are related to my prednisone, and maybe low HGB. I have had readings where my salt, potassium were just below normal limits but last time they were just inside normal limits.

[RPylican]

I have terrible cramping in my feet, legs and hands all day and night. I've talked to my doctor's about it but they don't seem to know what is causing it either. Every time I bring it up they ask me if I'm drinking plenty of water, which I believe I am, and I eat salt on everything! I believe it's part of the WG since I've had it all along. I'd love to find a way to stop the cramps since they wake me up throughout the night and make it hard to drive sometimes.

[elephant]

How much prednisone are you on Rpylican?
DId they do a potassium level on you? Magnesium level?

[Carol]

I did a bit of research and came up with Magnesium for cramps. I started taking it and I'm sure it helped. Then I had to start taking Calcium so one of the calcium tablets have the magnesium added so that made it easy. They were strange types of cramps - not much pain but a gradual drawing up of the muscles. I would just strainghten them out with my hands. You could actually see my hands or feet drawing up into a ball in slow motion. Strange. Carol

[elephant]

Even low calcium and vitamin D can cause muscle cramps, there are other reasons that can cause muscle cramps to..disease, medicine, defiency...ect

[RPylican]

I'm currently on 20 mg of Pred. I'm not sure what my potassium and magnesium levels are right now but I go for labs on Tuesday and have an appt with my Nephrologist on Aug 2nd so I'll ask him what they are. My Ruemy just increased my Cytoxan from 50 mg to 100 mg last week because when they tried to start lowering my Pred. last month I relapsed and they had to go back to 20 mg. They are hoping that, with the slight increase in Cytoxan they'll be able to start lowering my Pred. but at a slower rate than they did last time.

[elephant]

You are probably depleted in potassium or magnesium or calcium/vit D. Just ask if you can have your electrolytes checked. I had trouble with my potassium about 6 months ago and had to take potassium pills, then I just started to make sure I eat more potassium. My potassium level is normal.
Sorry you had to go back to taking 20 mg and hopefully you will be off the cytoxan and prednisone soon.
How are your kidneys doing?

[RPylican]

I think I will ask about checking my electrolytes because recently I've noticed I'm seeing spots, which I believe is either a sign of dehydration or that your electrolytes are off. At my appt about 7 or 8 weeks ago my Kidney function was back to normal, that's what prompted my Nephrologist to start lowering my Pred. I just think he did it too fast, and maybe even too soon. I was just diagnosed in late March and in late June he lowered me from 20 mg to 10 mg when he saw how good my blood work came back. I was very excited until about a week later when I could hardly function. I was going down hill real fast so he put me back up to 20 mg and it still took about 3 - 4 weeks to get back to feeling as good as I had before we started lowering the pred. He told me he would get me stabalized again and this time he would take it a little slower. I'm very excited to get off the Pred but also nervous. I have a real Love/Hate relationship with my pred, as I'm sure everyone on this board does.

[elephant]

Usually when the Rheumatolgoist wean you from 20 prednisone, they go down to 17 1/2 mg for two weeks, 15 mg for two weeks, 12 1/2 mg for two weeks, 10 mg for a month, 9 mg for a month...ect some are doing it slower.

[RPylican]

I love both of my Dr's but it seems my Nephrologist really focuses just on my kidney's and doesn't seem to address or take into consideration my other symptoms as much so I really have to stay in touch with my Ruematologist. When they took me down on my Pred I started having bloody noses and serious fatige so, even though the bloody noses are much more infrequent (I think it's been about 2 weeks since my last one) she's sending me for a CT scan on Wednesday. I know the two of them share my records buit I'm definitely going to be in cotact with her when my Nephrologist starts adusting my meds again.

[pberggren1]

My new Wegs doctor is just the oposite. He is a nephrologist and looks at the whole body when it comes to Wegs. He looks at ear, nose, throat, lungs, joints, kidneys, etc. He looks at the whole picture. He even slowly goes over all the blood work with me including the CT scans and X-rays.

[JanW]

I wouldn't want a nephrologist recommending a course of action with my sinuses, though (I'm not assuming that's what you meant, of course). I'm surprised that he examines all those parts of your body Phil -- mine is much more like an internist, says he *could* look up my nose but would prefer to leave that to the experts. I don't have kidney involvement though, so I don't have a neph.

[Jack]

I have posted in the past that many of the top Wegs specialists here are Nephrologists. I think they get into Vasculitis research through illnesses such as Lupus.

[elephant]

Jack with that being said...that makes sense that they would have some knowledge to understanding autoimmune diseases like WG. I really think that every ENT needs to know about WG disease, how can they forget that in med school? Or their residency?

[Jack]

ENTs seem to have a very poor track record with Wegs if the posts on this forum are anything to go by. :(

[Doug]

... odd. I just ranted about this on another thread!

[pberggren1]

Your ranting is done for the day. Go to bed and get some sleep!

[Doug]

I thought you, of all people would understand, Phil, because you, too, have a cat (Sophie, is it?): people with cats are not allowed personal lives, including sleep. Everything is at the cat's pleasure.

[pberggren1]

Actually Doug, Sophie is quite pleasant to have around. She mostly sleeps and doesn't interupt our sleep. She is totally deaf in both ears so you can scream as loud as you want and she will not respond or sneak up behind her and clap your hands and she just continues to lay there. She is kind of wierd though. She sleeps in the bathroom sink quite a bit and is fussy about her food and water.

[Sangye]

She is kind of wierd though. She sleeps in the bathroom sink quite a bit and is fussy about her food and water.
She's probably just trying to get away from all the screaming, clapping and people sneaking up on her!! :D :D

[pberggren1]

You may be right Sangye. But not very many people do that any more. She is outside playing Scrabble with my parents right now. She is very inteligent.

[Doug]

There are many cats on YouTube sleeping in bathroom sinks. Thought is that it's "cat sized", therefore a comfortable place to curl up in. Personally, whatevber the reason, I find it cute! Sophie sounds charming! I'll try to locate some of these videos. Seems its some of the Japanese cat videos (to which I once was addicted...) that showed this behavior.

[Walter Wolynsky]

I brought this up some time ago. Had the same problem...my respirologist advised me to drink a cup of tonic water periodically to get benefit from the Quinine in the drink. Worked for me...don't really get the cramps anymore.
Sometimes I get cramps in my hands and legs, usually calf muscles, that are rather painful and may last for several minutes. No doctor seems to have a clue what causes them.

I wonder if they are related to meds i take, the WG disease, my diabetes or neuropathy, or something else?

Anyone else have trouble with cramps?

[pberggren1]

I have never heard of that before Walter. But then again I have never had any major problems with cramping.