Muscle cramping

**drz** · 10-02-2014, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by Thinker

I also get muscle cramps in my calves and feet. I thought they were related to my anemia or neuropathy but this gives me new insight in that prednisone may be to blame. I take calcium supplements so I don't think that is to blame. Mine seem to be most bothersome at night, as if I didn't need something else besides prednisone and getting up to use the bathroom to interfere with what little good sleep I get!

Stretching also seems to help me when they strike.

If you have osteoporosis from the pred you need a bit more calcium. I take two kinds every day and still have some bone loss and fragile teeth.

**Thinker** · 10-02-2014, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by drz

If you have osteoporosis from the pred you need a bit more calcium. I take two kinds every day and still have some bone loss and fragile teeth.

That is good advice. I had a bone density test last month and have osteopenia. I currently take 1000 mg calcium citrate with vitamin D and magnesium but I may need to I increase it.

**aewaustin** · 10-05-2014, 08:32 AM

Just ran across this article, interesting.

Cramps: A few months into my sugar-free life I realized that I hadn't had any leg or foot cramps since the diet began. Serious cramping had been a constant problem for years, mostly happening suddenly -- and painfully -- at night. I had no idea how sugar and leg cramps were related, so I began to talk about it to the doctors with whom I work. About half of them said my cramp-less nights were unrelated to sugar intake. The other half believe that it is directly related, having to do with well regulated glucose levels in the cells of my leg muscles.
A month after realizing the cramps had disappeared, I was confronted by a dessert I couldn't easily refuse. Not wanting to seem picky or demanding in front of Greg's relatives, whom he hadn't seen in 40 years, I knocked back cousin Theresa's mound of whipped cream and berry-filled meringue. Frankly, it was delicious and I was enjoying myself thoroughly -- until an epic and extremely painful charley horse in my thigh levitated me off my chair. It took 25 minutes of limping around in front of the house to ease the cramp. It was the last time I knowingly ate sugar. If I had previously doubted the impact of sugar, all doubts now disappeared. The sweetness was simply not worth the pain.

My Year off Sugar | Rick Foster

**mrtmeo** · 10-05-2014, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by aewaustin

Just ran across this article, interesting.

Cramps: A few months into my sugar-free life I realized that I hadn't had any leg or foot cramps since the diet began. Serious cramping had been a constant problem for years, mostly happening suddenly -- and painfully -- at night. I had no idea how sugar and leg cramps were related, so I began to talk about it to the doctors with whom I work. About half of them said my cramp-less nights were unrelated to sugar intake. The other half believe that it is directly related, having to do with well regulated glucose levels in the cells of my leg muscles.
A month after realizing the cramps had disappeared, I was confronted by a dessert I couldn't easily refuse. Not wanting to seem picky or demanding in front of Greg's relatives, whom he hadn't seen in 40 years, I knocked back cousin Theresa's mound of whipped cream and berry-filled meringue. Frankly, it was delicious and I was enjoying myself thoroughly -- until an epic and extremely painful charley horse in my thigh levitated me off my chair. It took 25 minutes of limping around in front of the house to ease the cramp. It was the last time I knowingly ate sugar. If I had previously doubted the impact of sugar, all doubts now disappeared. The sweetness was simply not worth the pain.

My Year off Sugar*|*Rick Foster

If you have bad kidneys, the sugar maybe the problem.
I took the sugar out of my mom's diet and trying a more ketogenic type diet and she has had no swelling in her feet since.
She only seemed to have cramps when she reduced the prednisone, so will have to see what happens when she cuts the prednisone again and is off sugar and grains.