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CKD Stage 3B-Muscle Cramps?
Hello,
My spouse has been diagnosed with stage 3B Chronic Kidney disease.
He is also diabetic and struggles with keeping his numbers under control. He goes through phases where they are perfect, within set goals and then they get out of control.
It seems that during the times where he swings high and low with his glucose numbers, he has "muscle cramps". He gets them in his chest, hands, legs, feet. It causes a lot of pain and all we are able to do is make sure he takes magnesium and stays hydrated.
We have our next Nephro appt on Feb 3rd.
Question, is this a common thing? Do people get muscle cramps like that? What do you do for them?
It is crazy and can hit him at any time.
As shared, it is my observation that when his glucose numbers don't have as many dips and peaks and when he stays hydrated, they happen less.
Curious if others experience these and if so, what do you do?
Thank you.
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@sultanvr Ouch! Muscle cramps are simply no fun. Yes, I get them from time to time, myself. There is not the underlying factor of diabetes in my situation.
One of the things when I try to figure out the reason for the cramps, has to do with hydration and diet. Did I get enough fluids into me - water. Did I do a lot more movement or activities than "usual"? We can get a lactic acid buildup in our muscles from activity. Did I forget to eat, or eat some foods that were possibly not the best choices? All of that can play a part. And it really doesn't take much to throw our system off kilter! Also, time of year, the weather outside.
Like you, making sure I take the magnesium everyday, hydrate well, follow my renal diet all help.
Ginger
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3 Reactions@gingerw had a lot of great suggestions regarding muscle cramps and CKD. I want to hone in on the mention of diabetes. I’ve been diabetic 50ish years and I have CKD stage 4. Poorly controlled diabetes can result in DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis). It can be life threatening and also involves some muscle cramping. A slower more subtle complication is diabetic neuropathy. This can be peripheral affecting limbs, especially feet and hands. It can also be autonomic which controls the internal organs (like the stomach and heart).
Do you have specialists caring for your diabetes and kidneys? Have you told them about your muscle cramping? Make sure you do so at your next appointments. Hopefully they can check for some of the terrible things I mentioned and also make suggestions of ways to ease the cramping.
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