Cramps in hands and legs?

[drz]

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.c...ghlight=cramps

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.c...ghlight=cramps

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.c...ghlight=cramps

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.c...ghlight=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.