Leg Cramps

August 9, 2003

Heidi that was great to read! I would like to go back and check out

some of those " treatments "

Sounds like you have been everywhere with this issue yourself!

I was up late last night reading about lactic acid and afterwards I

ate a full cup and a half of my yoghurt and my cramps were so much

better! I was able to stretch with only a cramp in my big toe! I am

thinking I just really need to be sure to get a lot of the fermented

foods! Time will tell.

Thanks,

Del

>

> This is a cross post (posted with permission!) from a celiac group.

> The poster collected responses from a bunch of people and

> posted them. She also later told me (when I asked for permission)

> that the best solution for her was OsteoPrime Forte, which worked

> for her within 24 hours. Anyway, I thought you-all might be

> interested in the variety of answers.

>

> -- Heidi

>

> ===========

> My original Inquiry: " I'd like to know what some of my fellow

celiacs

> have done to cope with or

> eliminate leg cramps. "

>

> I received 49+ responses (lost count). Most of them reported

nutritional

> solutions, but there were some interesting alternatives offered.

Some

> suggested single solutions (e.g. calcium, magnesium, etc.), but

most

> suggested multiple strategies to eliminate leg cramps. Here's the

> breakdown:

>

> calcium - 12

> gluten free diet - 8

> potassium alone - 7

> multi-mineral supplement - 7

> magnesium - 6

> calcium & magnesium - 5

> electrolytes (potassium, sodium, Gatorade, sea salt, etc.) - 4

> b vitamins - 3 (folate, B-12, B complex)

> vitamin D - 2

> Iron - 2

> drink lots of water - 2

> vitamin E - 1

> betaine hydrochloride - 1

> other - 14 (exercise (3), massage (2), aspirin, black cherry juice,

> quinine, epson salts bath, bar soap, change b.c. pills, etc.)

> Below are excerpts from the responses that contain the most detail.

[My

> comments are in brackets]:

> --------------------

> Potassium and calcium/magnesium supplements. I found I was very low

in

> magnesium and was a real life changer when I started taking it.

> --------------------

> Take Calcium/Magnesium capsules at night. In my experience the leg

> cramps come from lack of magnesium.

> --------------------

> [i started taking magnesium 500 to 1000 mg daily 4 or 5 years ago.

About

> a year after I started using it, I started having leg cramps. I

added

> potassium & the leg cramps disappeared. Aha! I thought the problem

was

> solved, but the cramps returned. I got a brief reprieve when I went

GF 2

> 1/2 years ago. Then about a year later, the leg cramps came back

with a

> vengence, worse than ever. My nutritional MD recommended a higher

> quality magnesium (magnesium aspertate). I tried it, but the cramps

> continued. I tried increasing & reducing my potassium & magnesium

> dosages, but nothing changed. Out of frustration, I STOPPED taking

> magnesium altogether & the cramps got less severe. So I thought I

was

> probably overloaded with magnesium or deficient in calcium or some

other

> vital mineral. (I'd read that an over dose of magnesium can cause a

> deficiency of calcium and vise versa.) I tried calcium/magnesium

> supplements and other multi-mineral formulas, but they didn't help

much.

> About a year ago, I finally found a complete multimineral bone

building

> formula designed by two nutritional MDs, and Alan

Gaby,

> called OsteoPrime Forte made by PhytoPharmica. OsteoPrime Forte

contains

> calcium, magnesium, zinc, plus all the trace minerals & vitamins

known to

> enhance bone mineralization. I first started taking it for

osteopenia,

> but it stopped my leg cramps after the very first day. I was

amazed. I

> couldn't believe anything could work so fast. (I know, I know. I

sound

> like a commercial, but it's true!) As long as I keep taking this

> product, I have NO leg cramps. But if I skip a week or so, the

cramps

> return.

> It only costs about $18/mo. That's really inexpensive when compared

to

> what it would cost to get all those nutrients from different

products.

> It's so simple to have only two nutritional supplements to take a

day --

> my multi-vitamin and my OsteoPrime Forte. And even if it cost more,

I'd

> still use it because it gives me a peaceful, painless night's rest

w/o

> drugs. (It's sold at some compounding pharmacies & available

online.

> Just do a Google search & several sources will pop up.)]

> -----------------------

> I'm 27 and have been GF for 4 years and taking LIQUID Calcium for 2

> years and if I miss it for a week my cramps come back. Get on

Calcium

> max. liquid dosage.P.S. The tablets or pill form don't help.

> -----------------------

> I used the electrolyte drink you can find on the specific

carbohydrate

> web-site (believe it was 1/4 real/sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking

soda, two

> tablespoons honey per 1 liter boiled water. Stores for 24 hours

only. I

> also used NOW potassium chloride baking salt substitute. I was very

weak,

> even my pulse and blood pressure became erratic, along with the leg

> cramps and weakness. I hope you aren't that bad off. Of course,

potassium

> excess is very serious as well. You should have your doctor check

and

> show you your potassium level. Though I wonder if that that doesn't

tell

> the whole picture, only blood level - not what tissues have stored.

Also,

> I think the rda is 3500 mg? day - try to get lots of things like

> spinach, potato, canteloupe, peaches, banana.

> ________________________________________________________________

> ---------------------

> I use to have leg cramps since I remember. My doctor advises me to

take

> supplement of Magnesium. Last year or so I am taking one a day pill

of

> Calcium & Magnesium with Zinc manufactured by " Nature Made " I still

> getting sometimes cramps, but rarely maybe once a month. If I do; I

take

> one ASA (aspirin) with glass of water and goes away in couple of

minutes.

> --------------------

> The day I had a diagnosis by colonoscopy/endoscopy and went GF my

leg

> cramps, which I had been experiencing for 4 years stopped! It has

been 7

> months and I have yet to have another one...knock on wood.

> I went to many doctors, tried many things and I think to some they

> thought I was imagining things. My legs would cramp so bad it would

wake

> me from a dead sleep. When I would try to stand, my heels would

> literally draw up off of the floor and I had no control from the

knees

> down. It was so very scary. I don't know if the fact they

completely

> flushed my system as part of the pre-op procedures and then I

started my

> GF diet immediately is why I showed relief so fast. All I know is I

> consider it a miracle.

> -------------------

> I take extra calcium. I am a 37 year old mom. I'm still

breastfeeding

> my twin boys. My teeth hurt first when I don't take my calcium

> regularly. If I'm very neglectful(tired and stressed I forget) the

leg

> cramps start. When lactating the calcium is taken from my body and

I must

> replace it if I'd like to keep my teeth and bones where there are,

> attached to me. ...I do find that taking calcium supplements 2

times a

> day works great for me. I use KAL extra strength. I buy it locally

at

> health food stores. If you can stretch those muscles, prior to

knowing

> it was the gluten, I'd get the leg cramps bad and would stretch,

exercise

> till the pain would ease.

> -------------------

> Potassium helps some... bananas are a good source.

> -------------------

> When that happens, I do stretching and I massage my calf. ...

Sometimes I

> get cramps in my feet and have to massage them away as well.

> -------------------

> I used to have severe leg cramps. Best treatment I found is a quick

shot

> of calcium. I keep a bottle of calcium syrup (quite sweet - yuk) in

my

> bathroom. If I get cramps I just swig down a good mouthful. As this

is

> so

> readily absorbable it works right away. Best is Calcium Sandoz but

there

> are good generic ones too.

> -------------------

> I only get leg cramps when I have ingested gluten. So, my

suggestion is

> to be very careful that you don't eat any.

> -------------------

> What I have used to help with leg cramps is Pure Black Cherry

juice. I

> drink 16 oz a day. It has a taste that you get use to, very strong.

But

> it has helped. Hope it works.

> --------------------

> I give my son magnesium tablets and calcium chews which helps to

get rid

> of the cramps. I use this as an indicator that he may have ingested

> gluten.

> ---------------------

> I had terrible leg pain and cramps. All my Potassium, Magnesium and

> Calcium levels showed to be normal, but the cramps and pain

persisted. A

> friend told me to try Vitamin E. She said take 2 vitamin E capsules

for

> 3 weeks and then 1 everyday from then on. I tried it and after two

weeks

> no results so I almost gave up. She encouraged me to continue and

after

> the 3rd week they lessened and now they are gone! Don't know why

this

> worked but it worked for me.

> [According to what I've read, blood levels of calcium, magnesium

and

> potassium are not adequate indicators for deficiency. The blood

serum

> levels of these nutrients is carefully maintained by hormonal

regulation

> even when nutritional deficits or excess is present w/i the cells,

bones,

> tissues, etc. The only way to test for true nutritional deficits is

to

> test cellular levels of various tissues. For example, blood calcium

> levels are normal even when osteoporosis is advanced.]

> --------------------

> Unfortunately, I have not been able to eliminate them [leg cramps],

but

> they have reduced greatly since I found out I was CD (8 months now)

and

> went on CD diet. Doctor says they are most probably due to

malabsorption

> that I am low on iron and calcium. I take extra iron, folic acid

and B12,

> also extra calcium which seems to have helped.

> ---------------------

> I have been using quinine tablets that I got at Wild Oats. They

seem to

> be working.

> ---------------------

> I'd say lots of Calcium, Magnesium supplements but since the issue

is

> malabsortion, maybe epsom salts in the tub might help. My son gets

them a

> lot and light massage seems to help him get to sleep. They usually

come

> at night.

> --------------------

> Vit B complex and gatorade -- followed by a good night sleep!

>

> ---------------

> -------------------

> The muscles in my whole body were tense & stiff about a year ago. I

was

> found to have folic acid deficiency anemia. I got relief after the

first

> dose of folic acid.

> ------------------

> I take a Metagenics Calapetite for the calcium, Natural Calm for

the

> magnesium and a potassium supplement. If I forget it just for a

couple

> of days I get my foot and leg cramps back, very annoying. I read

> somewhere just the other day that Celiacs need about 150% of the

vitamins

> that regular people do.

> ------------------

> Maybe not the answer you want to hear, but it took me about 4 to 6

months

> with a GF diet and the leg cramps essentially went away. I have

only had

> them a few times since and I suspect when I accidentally

> ingest gluten. [i wish it were that simple for me. I've been GF for

2

> 1/2 years & the leg cramps one year ago were worse than they had

ever

> been.]

> ------------------

> I used to have leg cramps that would shoot me out of bed at

night.They

> have stopped since I have been taking calcium suplements.I wrote to

the

> list a while back and got 100 responses.Some said potassium was the

> culprit some said magnesium was.Bananas are good sources of both

and are

> naturally wheat free.Some said electrolytes were to

blame.Personally I

> think it is probably due to all of those things being out of whack

if you

> are malabsorbing .You will need to take a good GF multi vitamin

(THERAGRAM

> is approved by our association in Balto)also gatorade is a good GF

source

> of electrolytes and KAL calcium is a GF source of that.Good luck I

know

> those cramps are killers.

> -------------------

> Sounds bizarre, but it works. Unwrap a new bar of soap and put it

under

> your bottom sheet and rest your leg on it during the night. It may

take a

> day or two to work. After you have it there for a while, if leg

cramps

> return, replace with a new bar of soap. I told my doctor about this

> method and she said there must be some ingredient in the soap that

pulls

> out toxins from the leg. Works for restless leg syndrome too.

> -----------------

> I had a lot of leg aches and pains before my diagnosis. I have

severe

> shin pains. They checked and my calcium was low and the parathyroid

> hormone (which regulates calcium) was sky high. As soon as I

started gf

> and taking

> about 2,000 mg of Calcium carbonate with Vitamin D a day the

problem went

> away.

> -----------------

> Try taking a dose of potassium, calcium also helps!

> ------------------

> I tell people this occassionally because it was so weird. Last

year, I

> started taking a different b.c. pill - alesse. and after about 2

months

> i started having leg cramps and i went to my doc because i was

worried

> about the blood clot issue. she said, for a week eat a banana

everyday

> (for potassium) and see if that helps. and start taking calcium

because

> that can do it - she recommended Viactiv - which is gluten free.

and i am

> still taking it a year later (i actually remember them because they

are

> tasty caramels!)

> BUT, after a week of this the leg cramps didn't go away. so she had

me

> start on the patch(ortho Evra birth control patch) because she said

the

> way the pill is ingested, your liver metabolises the hormones

> differently

> than when it's through the skin. and sometimes that can cause

muscle

> cramping. Totally helped. SO if you're on some other medications or

> something, check with your doc to see if it could be something

> associated with that if the vitamins and minerals don't help. i

would've

> never guessed it was from the pill! go figure.

> [An OB nurse once told me that OB-GYN docs that really know their

stuff

> routinely recommend extra calcium for people taking bc pills.]

> --------------------

> My doctor prescribed supplemental calcium. It works for me.

> --------------------

> alot of stretching and for about one minute per stretch. I also do

yoga

> twice weekly. It has helped so much.

>

> ---------------------------

May 24, 2004

Deb,

Thank you so very much for the info re: Quinine Tabs (I do not like Tonic

Water at all) and Baclofen. I am dialing my doctor immediately.

Unfortunately most doctors I know have very little knowledge if they have even

heard or

seen anyone else with CMT.

Have a Blessed Day

Candy

November 4, 2007

Thank you for the link to Magnesium Oil.

Cheers, Doug

RE: [ ] My experience with MMS

I finally decided on 12 drops last night, I stayed up a few hours to see if

I would be ok. I took 3 PB-8 and drank 3 quarts of purified water. I do

remember Jim Humble saying to drink a lot of water on one of his interviews.

I slept 8 hours, got up twice to pass water (urine) and this morning I am

fine, my bowels are normal, no diarrhea. I will take 12 more drops in an

hour and see if I can tolerate, then tomorrow up the dosage. My goal is 15

drops twice a day.

I thought I was going to have legs cramps again, which is what reminded me

to drink lots of water. I also took vitamins, especially C, and

Calcium/magnesium from Jarrow called Bone-Up. I also soaked in the hot tub

for my legs.

Has this list gone to sleep? Someone emailed me off the list, please just

talk to me here, ok?

Kathy

November 5, 2007

Hi Kathy,

Were you trying to negate the effects of the MMS? 'Cause I seem to

recall Jim Humble saying in his book that vitamin C is used as an

antidote to taking too much MMS.

Rose

>

> Thank you for the link to Magnesium Oil.

> Cheers, Doug

> RE: [ ] My experience with MMS

>

> I finally decided on 12 drops last night, I stayed up a few hours

to see if

> I would be ok. I took 3 PB-8 and drank 3 quarts of purified water.

I do

> remember Jim Humble saying to drink a lot of water on one of his

interviews.

> I slept 8 hours, got up twice to pass water (urine) and this

morning I am

> fine, my bowels are normal, no diarrhea. I will take 12 more drops

in an

> hour and see if I can tolerate, then tomorrow up the dosage. My

goal is 15

> drops twice a day.

>

> I thought I was going to have legs cramps again, which is what

reminded me

> to drink lots of water. I also took vitamins, especially C, and

> Calcium/magnesium from Jarrow called Bone-Up. I also soaked in the

hot tub

> for my legs.

>

> Has this list gone to sleep? Someone emailed me off the list,

please just

> talk to me here, ok?

>

> Kathy

>

November 5, 2007

Thanks for sharing Kathy.

Rose

>

> Hi Rose!

>

> Yes, he does say that, and I take C all the time anyway. Jim said to

> take it away from the MMS, so I do.

> I just wrote a long letter to Jim Humble with about 5 questions. It

> takes about 4 days to get an answer.

>

> I asked him about the MMS destroying the stomach acid and about the

> aversion to junk foods that we're seeing here.

>

> I asked him about the cramping and nausea and told him that taking

> Betaine hydrochloride and digestive enzymes seemed to allay any

nausea

> and diarrhea.

>

> I asked if he had any figures on how many people with HCV have been

> cured, what genotypes they had, viral loads, etc.

>

> I'll let you know as soon as I know.

>

> Kathy

>

> [ ] Re: leg cramps

>

> Hi Kathy,

>

> Were you trying to negate the effects of the MMS? 'Cause I seem to

> recall Jim Humble saying in his book that vitamin C is used as an

> antidote to taking too much MMS.

>

> Rose

>

> .

>

> <http://geo./serv?

s=97359714/grpId=21011515/grpspId=1705060814/

> msgId=147/stime=1194226720/nc1=4836034/nc2=5008808/nc3=3848644>

>

> __________ NOD32 2636 (20071103) Information __________

>

> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.

> http://www.eset.com

>

November 5, 2007

Thanks Kathy...I'll be waiting to hear.

>

> Hi Rose!

>

> Yes, he does say that, and I take C all the time anyway. Jim said to

> take it away from the MMS, so I do.

> I just wrote a long letter to Jim Humble with about 5 questions. It

> takes about 4 days to get an answer.

>

> I asked him about the MMS destroying the stomach acid and about the

> aversion to junk foods that we're seeing here.

>

> I asked him about the cramping and nausea and told him that taking

> Betaine hydrochloride and digestive enzymes seemed to allay any

nausea

> and diarrhea.

>

> I asked if he had any figures on how many people with HCV have been

> cured, what genotypes they had, viral loads, etc.

>

> I'll let you know as soon as I know.

>

> Kathy

>

> [ ] Re: leg cramps

>

> Hi Kathy,

>

> Were you trying to negate the effects of the MMS? 'Cause I seem to

> recall Jim Humble saying in his book that vitamin C is used as an

> antidote to taking too much MMS.

>

> Rose

>

> .

>

> <http://geo./serv?

s=97359714/grpId=21011515/grpspId=1705060814/

> msgId=147/stime=1194226720/nc1=4836034/nc2=5008808/nc3=3848644>

>

> __________ NOD32 2636 (20071103) Information __________

>

> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.

> http://www.eset.com

>

October 6, 2008

I have a question. I am getting really bad leg cramps, but they are

also happening in my arms. I am wondering if anyone else has had this

happen on Xolair? Or maybe Pred? I had to take a course of Pred as we

just got back from a trip to Vegas/Idaho where I got sick with in days

of being down there. I am from Alaska, so I think it was a combo of

the hot/cold extremes and all of the smoking. (not me but in the

casino's) and in Idaho all of the hay they were cutting, I am hoping

that is not the case as were are moving there next summer.

Anyway, I get my third set of shots Wed. Hopefully the dr will fix my

cough as the pred did not fix it.

Thanks

Dana

October 6, 2008

>

> I have a question. I am getting really bad leg cramps, but they are

> also happening in my arms. I am wondering if anyone else has had this

> happen on Xolair? Or maybe Pred? I had to take a course of Pred as we

> just got back from a trip to Vegas/Idaho where I got sick with in days

> of being down there. I am from Alaska, so I think it was a combo of

> the hot/cold extremes and all of the smoking. (not me but in the

> casino's) and in Idaho all of the hay they were cutting, I am hoping

> that is not the case as were are moving there next summer.

>

> Anyway, I get my third set of shots Wed. Hopefully the dr will fix my

> cough as the pred did not fix it.

>

> Thanks

> Dana

I have them too! The doctor says that they are from Lipitor. " statin "

drugs are notorious for muscle problems. He cut down my dose and they

have mostly subsided.

He also said that leg crams were a side effect of Prednisone.

Thanks to xolair, I rarely ever have to take that evil stuff anymore.

Doug

Group founder

October 6, 2008

I used to have leg cramps all the time when I was on prednisone on a regular

basis. I started taking my calcium at night and after a while it helped. I

haven't had leg cramps in quite a while.

But then thanks to xolair I haven't had to take prednisone in almost three

years. I am having to take an antibiotic, but it was because of an abscessed

damaged tooth that I had to have extracted and not for a lung or respiratory

infection.

From: uca79iii <uca79iii@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: Leg Cramps

Date: Monday, October 6, 2008, 4:27 PM