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Leg cramps with Stenosis

Posted by annie1 @annie1, Jun 12 3:03am

I have painful cramps in my calf muscles, My diagnosis was Lumbar stenosis and I had minimally invasive Laminotomy surgery (not Laminectomy) on March 1 for it. I had a good response in most areas, I stand up straighter, I can stand longer and walk longer but now the cramps are returning only four months after the surgery, I don't know if it's "the nerves healing" a line the PA for the surgeon gave me about this, but I am wondering if the surgery did not completely stick. Does anyone out there have leg cramps from lumbar stenosis and what helps it ?

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annie1 | @annie1 | Jun 17 6:11am
In reply to @yrm "Do you have neurogenic claudication? I was told to stay hydrated (I do) and take tizanidine...." + (show)
@yrm

Do you have neurogenic claudication? I was told to stay hydrated (I do) and take tizanidine. Neither helped then I was diagnosed with neurogenic claudication. The only thing that helps is to lay down and get the weight off the spine. Good luck. I also take Norco (10 mg/5/day) and that barely helps.

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Sometimes standing is better than lying down now. Another question for everyone reading this, has anyone heard of getting collagen injections for DDD ? I see a homeopathic doctor sometimes who says that will slow down the DDD but I'm a little nervous about that.

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annie1 | @annie1 | Jun 17 11:50pm
In reply to @upstatephil "@annie1 - Sorry you have leg cramps! They can be painful and often interrupt sleep. I..." + (show)
@upstatephil

@annie1 - Sorry you have leg cramps! They can be painful and often interrupt sleep. I had both cervical and lumbar "big" surgeries in 2023 and leg cramping was not one of my pre-surgical symptoms. In fact, only at 12+ post surgeries did leg cramps become a problem for me. The fact that all my other DDD, stenosis, and spondy pre-surgical symptoms are gone - I can't make a connection between lumbar stenosis and leg cramps.

I have been experimenting and have found two things that seem to alleviate the cramping: (1) Greatly increase water consumption. I drink 80-100 ounces of water a day and consume at least 20 ounces of water containing concentrated electrolytes. I currently prefer Liquid IV. (2) I now take 500 mg of magnesium as a supplement. Magnesium is difficult to get through normal dietary intake yet a deficiency can create leg cramping.

So far so good. Cramping is much less frequent and when it happens, less severe. Might be worth a try for you? If you try it - let us know if it helped. Trying to build our knowledge base!

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Thanks I probably didn't drink enough water today even. Did you have fusion surgery ? Where and with what surgeon ? I think that could harm me, I have Osteoporosis.

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Phil, Alumni Mentor | @upstatephil | Jun 18 8:14am

@annie1 - I did have fusion surgery, both were four levels, and in the cervical plus lumbar spine. I always wonder why I don't set off the magnetometers at airports...

I had all my spinal work done at Mayo JAX with Dr. Pirris who is a neurosurgeon. In my case, since there was disk work done over many levels, the fusion was required to create the necessary post-surgical spinal stability/support.

Have you discussed your concerns about a fusion and how your osteoporosis might be a problem?

Go have another glass of water!

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1 reply
elizadolittle | @elizadolittle | Jun 18 10:20am
In reply to @annie1 "Yes I have neurogenic claudication along with Severe Stenosis. I think I mentioned that I had..." + (show)
@annie1

Yes I have neurogenic claudication along with Severe Stenosis. I think I mentioned that I had minimally invasive surgery on March 1, a laminotomy, not laminectomy. Anyway, after seven weeks of recovery I was doing really well, I could walk and stand much much longer than before the surgery, but then I started acting like I was "normal" again. Which means I would walk for twenty minutes without pain......until night. Then it started, the horrible cramps that go all the way up my leg, only one side, the side that has always been worse. The thing that worries me is that I started taking the Oxycodone they gave me and it helps for a few hours then I'm up again with awful spasms that go all the way through my whole body sometimes. I have alot of other fears, basically no real support system besides "I'm sorry your pain is coming back" from a few friends. My family dosen't help at all, no partner. I'm going to the surgeon this week for another post op so I hope he can offer some help. I was feeling so good I booked a flight for a conference in Europe and now I'm worried I will have to cancel. Sorry just ventilating. I'm really not up for another surgery. I have severe osteoporosis which is a huge contraindication for fusion.

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Thanks for reminding me to take my calcium, magnesium and zinc pill. I find this combination reduces or even eliminates spasms. Do your best to avoid opioids. I can't believe the difference in my thinking now that I am off them.

Best of luck.

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annie1 | @annie1 | Jul 14 12:09pm
In reply to @upstatephil "@annie1 - I did have fusion surgery, both were four levels, and in the cervical plus..." + (show)
@upstatephil

@annie1 - I did have fusion surgery, both were four levels, and in the cervical plus lumbar spine. I always wonder why I don't set off the magnetometers at airports...

I had all my spinal work done at Mayo JAX with Dr. Pirris who is a neurosurgeon. In my case, since there was disk work done over many levels, the fusion was required to create the necessary post-surgical spinal stability/support.

Have you discussed your concerns about a fusion and how your osteoporosis might be a problem?

Go have another glass of water!

Jump to this post

Yes I have discussed a little bit the fusion possibility. At first he said I don't need it and it seemed like things were going well but the last three weeks I've been in a lot of pain with my calf muscles throbbing constantly after I walk and it's very hard to get more than 2 hours of sleep without going on. I am very afraid of fusions because of the osteoporosis. I wonder how they can tell if my Spine is destabilized.

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