Leg Cramps Nightmare

[letstrythatagain]

I’ve been having problems with my legs for about a month. Started off with restless legs, then on to crawling like feeling all over them and now I also have cramps. They are there all the time but particularly at night.

I’ve tried taking dehydration drinks and magnesium but nothing seems to be helping.

I’m at the point now where I’m struggling to walk to long periods of time and both my feet are permanently cold.

anyone has anything similar?

Thank you.

Yes. I have tried lots of things and what works (or mitigates) is thick long socks and a hot water bottle. I’ve seen GPs and the hwb was a GP suggestion. Others have suggested magnesium spray which does nothing for me. I do take a magnesium supplement but don’t think it does any good.

Could this be statin related? I believe it is magnesium citrate specifically which can be helpful.

I struggled with this in all 3 of my pregnancies and my OB told me to drink tonic water? Something to do with quinine I think! Also told me to eat a banana before bed as well. She was lovely but slightly eccentric to be fair but anecdotally, it did seem to help!

Thanks all. I’ve heard the tonic water thing before so might give that a try.

ive bought one of the full length hot water bottles and it has made a difference as I feel like I sleep longer before the cramps kick in.

I do suffer with slight health anxiety so in my worst moment spiral and convince myself I have some life limiting condition. Trying to keeps my thoughts positive at the moment 😕.

Im hoping this will pass soon as the lack of sleep is a killer!!

I have to jump out of bed and do the stretch with foot against the wall to ease the excruciating pain. It's horrible and although it does ease after stretching, the ache lingers on, even to next day. I wouldn't mind but I'm nearly 70 and it's just as well I can hop out as I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't! I have been known to howl with the pain.

There's very little I can do (tried a lot of things) to prevent the "Charley Horse" mad pain, but magnesium spray does help alleviate the after ache.

I'll be following in case there is a miracle I don't know about yet!

My leg cramps turned out to be explained by low potassium. Problem is you have to be careful about taking supplements as you really don’t want to end up with your Potassium being too high.

Yes! The jumping out of bed pain for me too. I felt like someone had stuck a knife in my calf the other night. The pain lingered all of the next day.

thanks for the response. I have been warned about taking supplements before getting bloods done as I could be taking things I don’t need.

So difficult to know what to do for the best x

Is leg cramps the only thing bothering you? My low potassium also made me feel physically quite weak (every day tasks felt like hard work) and I felt quite nauseous a lot of the time, plus ridiculous bloating in the evening.

@LegoInfestationi am very tired all of the time. Nothing else apart from that.

Feel like I really need to pull myself together tbh but I’m at the point now where I’m dreading going to bed.

Iron tablets.

Agree magnesium did naff all . Second knee high bed socks but I slather deep heat on bottom of legs and feet ( wash well and do NOT get on toilet roll when going for a wee - though my burning fanny did take my mind off my legs ) Of course you’re anxious , it’s awful to be tortured by no sleep as your legs stop it . My Dr gave me amitriptyline as I got so anxious and worn down which did help . Mine is now less active but will still rear up ( probs tonight as I’ve tempted fate typing this )

I would definitely talk to your GP about it (especially if you have other symptoms too). Mine prescribes Quinine Bisulfate and also suggested that I drink tonic water (for the quinine). So I drink that at the evening meal rather than wine. It does seem to keep the cramps from being so frequent (although they're still there). I tried the magnesium spray, but it's far too itchy for my skin (I mixed some with a skin cream and do use that when I'm having a really bad cramp, although I'm not convinced it does much, but at least it's more tolerable than the spray on its own).

Had exactly the same re night cramps. Was being bounced awake regularly with them. Started taking magnesium tablets probably about 10 years ago and have never had a night cramp since.

I had this and it was low iron and ferritin. Nights were unbearable. Please go to the GP and get your iron levels checked, if it’s this then it’s an easy fix.

Dehydration can be a factor too. Drink plenty of water.

Thanks all. I have sorted out bloods for this Wednesday so hopefully should point me in the right direction. Will also pick up some iron tablets today to see if they help!

Cramps are awful. I hope the iron tablets work for you. Try to take them with some vitamin C as it helps absorption. Floradix liquid is good for this.

One thing about the cramps - you can sometimes stop them before they get painful if you have good muscle control. As you feel it starting, get your leg in a comfortable position and focus on making those muscles relax completely. Make your leg go totally heavy, limp, floppy. It takes practice.

Sorry to hijack but I currently also have mildly low potassium and its being followed up to see what causes it (it was 3,3 and then 3,4 a month later) . My symptoms were extreme fatigue and weakness followed by all over twitching. The fatigue and weakness have gone for the most part but the twitching is still there. It's hard to figure out if its just the potassium or my low ferritin and anxiety. What was the cause for your low potassium, how low was it and how did you get it to rise? For the time being in advised to just eat more potassium but maybe it it stays low the doctor will give tablets.

OP- have you had your ferritin checked? This can also cause pain/cramping/crawling and cold legs