Muscle Spams and Neuropathy

I’ve been getting cramps over 3 yrs now. Started out getting them just when I woke up, doing a little body stretch in bed and bam! Could be feet or legs. Then it progressed to cramps popping up during the day. It could happen in my shins, feet, & hands. Had tried doses of potassium, drinking lots of electrolytes, taking magnesium glycinate before bed, nothing works.

What does putting a bar of soap in the bed do? I’ve been experiencing cramps for over 3 yrs now and drs have prescribed potassium & magnesium meds. No help. I also dropped a lot of weight for no reason, 20 pounds. I used to exercise a lot ( 5x/week) never had any cramps. I’ve been diagnosed with arthritis in my back L4&L5 and can not exercise anymore. This is when the cramps started. Have taken so many test to figure out weight loss, everything normal. I’ve been able to bring my weight up to 115 by eating more protein and a couple of protein shakes a day. The cramping is the most frustrating part. I don’t get cramps every night but they still happen. Also get them in the day. Tried to go to aquatic exercise class but get cramps in the pool.

I can enpathise with you Motown. There are nights when my one leg start jumping and will not lie still no matter what I do. Or electrical shock feelin in my ankles. Like yo, I am awake until the early hours of the next morning. It is a rial and I do try to offer it up with Christ's suffering but still pray that it would go away so that I can get some sleep.

One squirt or two of yellow mustard works everytime for me!

Hi @makai8
Try the soap, I use Dove, rub in on the sheets lightly, and stretch before bed. As for the water, it could be too cold. Ask about the pool's certification with the Arthritis Association and water temp. I also eat bananas for the potassium.

JFN

I've been getting cramps in my feet and legs (only) for quite a few years. It happens when I wake up in the morning, no other time. I found a way to stop them in their tracks! I sleep under a duvet (only) and when I feel a cramp coming on, I bunch up the duvet and rest my foot on it and the cramp stops! I haven't had a full-blown cramp in years. I know this sounds silly but I think it relaxes the muscles that want to cramp.

Thank you for your reply....I have found that exercise does not work..

I have PN both legs. Very painful. My doctor prescribed Bacolen 10mg 4 times a day. I no longer have any pain or cramps.

I was so desperate one night, got up to try the mustard remedy, did not work. Also tried pickle juice

I have polyneuropathy too. It's hard to know how much is from progressive osteoarthritis (or maybe it's psoriatic arthritis) and what is pain caused by the polyneuropathy. I am 70 yrs old and this began in 1990, and keeps on slowly getting worse, though certain injuries have given it jump starts every 10 years or so. Overall, the pain slowly, very slowly, get less. I couldn't tell you if it's small fiber, or big, that it's in or causing it. That would take a Neurologist to test me. Maybe someday. I just had surgery for the other foot that was messed up way back in the 80's. I am only now beginning to get decent medical care by competent doctors and surgeons. That began last year. It will take some time for them to catch up. It was falling down some stairs on my backside that ended me up with the polyneuropathy, verses just neuropathy. And the screaming muscle spasms began the day after I saw a chiropractor. I had state Medicaid back then, and that State took her to court for what it cost them too. Too bad no one bothered to diagnose me or treat any of it. Nor did that State make any of it's doctors take care of it. Except at first I was prescribed Tizanidine. No matter how small a dose I tried of that I literally fell asleep walking or standing up. Not cool when you have a 6 yr old and are a single parent. That got changed to Cyclobenzaprine, 3 times a day, and I thank God for it. Going off of it only turns me into a contortion of a human being, in constant pain. I know this because some people have different experiences with it and act like no one has 24/7 spasticity issues. That's what muscle spasms on steroid is, spasticity. I've been in Pain Management (means specially trained Anesthesiologists) twice now, that wasn't about getting onto opioids. One thing the first time I did that was they tried to change me from Cyclobenzaprine to Baclofen. Fine with me, to try it out. So, I did. I heaved the whole time, thought I had the flu and kept taking the Baclofen, until we wised up. It stopped when the Baclofen finally wore off. So, I've been taking the Cyclobenzaprine ever since 2015 and I only have spasms when it wears off (like in the early hours of the morning). We haven't found a better plan but I do plan to get on with PM, same kind, again in the near future for spinal stenosis, and interventional injections etc. Most of the time, they've worked on me, in the past for pain. They might find me a solution. Long term Cyclobenzaprine runs risks with short term memory loss. I can see that now. Who cares about some mythical hypothesis of whether it's addictive or not. It's the only way I can walk and not end up a screaming animal in some corner, instead of communicating coherently. I would much rather not lose anymore short term memory though.