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Constant excruciating leg cramps
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Jul 1, 2023 | Replies (68)Comment receiving replies
Hello there @delia74, @jenatsky, @realitytest - there are a lot of helpful tips in this conversation, I'm chiming in regarding muscle cramps and spasms simply because I just witnessed my father almost go down to the ground from calf spasms (along with a few cuss words). I've experienced my share of these symptoms, and it can be brutal, but am thankful to say they are far and few between nowadays. My dad, however, he's a diabetic with terrible neuropathy, who doesn't eat well, smokes, doesn't exercise or stretch, but does drink tonic water with quinine. He swears it helps. I just bought him more today. See the picture below.
Of course, as we all know you can't put a puzzle together without all the pieces so yes, movement; walk, stretch, gentle resistance and weight exercise, in addition to massage, hydration, healthy diet, proper breathing techniques, meditation and mindfulness all help a balanced approach to manage symptoms.
Here's a bit more on quinine for anyone interested:
Medical News Today - What to know about quinine in tonic water -
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323692#is-quinine-safe
Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's and Grandpa's out there, 🍻🥂 tip your tonic waters!
Replies to "Hello there @delia74, @jenatsky, @realitytest - there are a lot of helpful tips in this conversation,..."
I drank a liter a day of tonic with Quinine for a month, it didn't have any effect. I do find that Cymbalta helps quite a bit, noticeably I feel a rush of warm blood in my feet throughout the day as long as I'm hydrated and I don't overuse my feet (too much walking mostly.) I'm taking 60mg of Cymbalta a day. I have PMR and have been taking 15mg of Prednisolone for 6 weeks. At 20mg of Prednisolone my feet were even better. But my Dr., is trying to take me down from 15mg, I'm going to discuss this with him tomorrow. He didn't seem to care less about my feet, previous Dr., recommended 1000mg of B-12, that helped a little as well. I Gotta start taking that again, maybe tomorrow now that I mentioned it. LOL
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Thank you for reaching out. I get excruciating muscle spasms, sometimes even in my torso. A primary care physician told me years ago to drink seltzer (which I can't since I have my GERD in control and have not had anything carbonated in over 30 years), and then told me about the tonic water with quinine. I researched the latter and learned that it is really not well supported, due to possible problems. I can't recall what exactly but it was serious enough to make me cross it off my "list."
I do engage in stretching exercises, and use my treadmill for walking (I don't like walking in public due to balance issues --- embarrassing, and a cane is not helpful). There are exercise movements that I cannot engage in due to still painful left knee (had smashed down onto the connected floor when I had the accident back in '21). Had to stop PT back in Feb due to Pain Level 7 pain right after sessions. Orthopedist ordered another MRI and discovered an issue with the bone. Will be getting a 3-injection treatment (over a period of time) to address that. I had the single injection treatments twice, a little over a year apart, and they just did not resolve enough of the problem. Between the injuries to the foot/ankle/lower leg and those to the knee, my ability to ambulate is difficult. My lifestyle is gluten-free which has helped reduce the intensity of several issues. My insurance covers the cost of Silver Sneakers online exercise, yoga, and other great activities. Prayer is a big component in my life🙏🏽.
I will take another look at the subject of quinine in tonic water via the link you provided. Gracias: Iris😊