Re: Night Sweats and Leg Cramps

[Guest guest]

Yes I get the leg cramps and I have gotten hot flashes for

10 years now, the hot flashes will go away until I start

treatment and then start all over again! My poor husband

freezes all the time!

Sometimes In the winter you can see Driving down the highway

with all the windows down with a big smile on my face!!!

As far as the cramps right now they are slowing down if I

don't drink enough water during the day it will happen at

night or if I am at a wedding and I dance it will happen

during the night or if I try to wear any high heeled shoe!

It scares me every time it happens! If I feel the cramp

coming on I can stop it by sitting on the edge of the bed

with my feet on the floor! For some reason when I stretch

lying down seems to set it off!!

I did have a nuclear stress test to make sure it is ok to

exercise because I do believe it is important to my fight

against this awful disease it sure makes you suffer but we

can't give up a cure is close!

I always get the flu shot and the pneumonia when needed!

Suzanne

[Guest guest]

I find exactly the same thing. Stretching the legs while

laying down starts the cramps.

I wonder how main others experience this?

Regards,

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I have experienced leg cramps for years, long before I was

diagnosed with CLL.

After getting such severe cramps in my BOTH LEGS at the SAME

TIME while I was working in Nevada, I set out to figure out

what I can do to stop them or at least make them go away

quickly.

I found out that MUSTARD, yes the same kind you put on your

hotdog works wonders!! It is amazing.

If I have been very active during the day, I will take a

tablespoon of mustard and drink it with water. If I get the

cramp at night, or feel one coming on, I IMMEDIATELY get a

full tablespoon of mustard and drink it down with a full

glass of water. I can almost immediately feel the muscle

relaxing. Sometimes I have to take two tablespoons but most

of the time the one works. I usually try to stay up for at

least 15 min to make sure the muscle will not recramp. If

I think it will, I take another tablespoon or packet of

mustard. (PS...... When at home I like HONEY mustard

best.... ha ha)

These links are about mustard and leg cramps but there are

many, many more:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/262926-how-to-use-mustard-for-leg-cramps/

and

http://www.health911.com/cramps_%28muscle%29

From one of the articles:

Mustard

For years coaches have given mustard to their athletes with

leg cramps. Cramps are sometimes caused by a deficiency in

acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that stimulates your

muscles to work. Mustard has acetic acid, which helps the

body make more acetylcholine. Take a spoonful or two of

mustard.

Now I always travel with several packets of mustard, get

them from a restaurant, fast food store, etc. so I have it

on hand when I have had a busy day, etc. or when I travel in

an area with low humidity, etc.

I thought it an old Wives tale, but this one works! At

least it does for me!

Good luck,

Joyce

[Guest guest]

I am another who finds that stretching the legs at night

causes leg cramps. I have them a couple of times a week,

mostly in the front muscles of my legs, from knee to ankle

(forgot the name of that muscle). The pain seems to run up

and down the muscle, into the ankle area. The best I could

find to help is running hot water on a washcloth and

wringing it out. Placing this around the leg seems to help

make them go away. I was awakened with this again this

morning. I'll try the mustard, though.

Norma Oxley

[Guest guest]

Sometimes a combination of magnesium, potassium and calcium

seems to help alleviate leg and muscle cramps. Twinlab

Vitamins makes this combination and taking two tablets after

dinner or before bed may help.

[Guest guest]

I get leg cramps, usually in my calf, and when I do, I have

found that raising the front of my foot, by my toes,

immediately stops the cramp. Sometimes the pain is so

bad, that I am unable to bend down to grab my toes, so my

wife will raise the front of my foot. Believe me, try it the

next time you get a cramp in your calf, and you will be

amazed.

Also I eat bananas everyday, and when I do, I do not have

many cramps. I have found however, when I miss a day or two,

not eating bananas, I will get a cramp that night.

I have CLL but have had leg cramps over many years. Oh, and

I also get cramps in my toes, if I am not wearing slippers,

or shoes. Can't do anything about that cramp, but try to put

my foot flat on the ground, and yell.

[Guest guest]

I've gotten the same leg cramps in the calf muscle.

Sometimes get similar cramps in my feet. Pointing the toes

down while in bed also triggers that for me and it seems

like whatever I do to treat them, they last about the same

length of time. For some reason, I haven't experienced it

recently but when I do, I get some relief by stretching the

calf muscle by pointing my toes up. (Funny thing is that my

rolling around in bed trying to stop the cramping hasn't

ever awakened my wife. Hope nothing more serious happens!)

As to night sweats, drenching night sweats (changing my T-

shirt up to 3x per night and having to sleep on or between

towels) is what triggered the doctor visit that found my

SLL. The return of night sweats presage the end of my

remissions.

Lon

[Guest guest]

The reason bananas help reduce leg cramps is because bananas

are full of potassium. An easier solution is to take

supplemental potassium capsules (99 mg each) every day.

Potassium is available in any drug store or health

food/vitamin store. Take capsules (better absorbed than

tablets). I take one 99 mg capsule 2 times a day (one in the

am & 2nd one in the pm).

My CLL specialist is fine with this (I'm not on treatment as

I'm w/w). So if your on treatment check with your doctors

first.

Good luck - Patti

Jack wrote:

> Also I eat bananas everyday, and when I do, I do not have

> many cramps. I have found however, when I miss a day or two,

> not eating bananas, I will get a cramp that night

[Guest guest]

My doctor suggested a combo of magnesium, calcium and zinc

for my leg cramps. I haven't picked it up yet, as I just

saw my primary physician a few days ago. I've tried

everything, but am interested in seeing how mustard tastes

at 3 o'clock in the morning. It could be worse, I know.

Norma Oxley

[Guest guest]

I wonder if taking Leavaquin has something to do with it!!!

[Guest guest]

one thing to try, If you're begin to get a leg cramp, take

the thumb and first finger and grab hard at the middle of

your upper lip. the point at which the two sides meet,

where that little dip is,. In most cases this will stop the

cramp. Not exactly sure how this helps, but it does. you

must however squeeze very hard. this is not a 'cure' for

leg cramps, where potassium may help avoid them, and there

may be other reasons for them. It will help stop the cramp

at the moment.

as for not getting them... ahh... dehydration should be

considered, or diuretics, other meds that cause dehydration,

and lack of potassium, also may be related to dehydration.

beth fillman

[Guest guest]

I also eat a 1/2 a banana regularly and take

magnesium at night and have no trouble with

leg cramps anymore.

[Guest guest]

I experienced the same symptoms of leg cramps as described

in the posts. The only thing that I am aware of doing

differently is riding my bike at a leisurely pace for seven

miles five days a week. I realize that this is only

anecdotal evidence and may have absolutely nothing to do

with the elimination of my leg cramps, but they have

disappeared.

Bill

[Guest guest]

I have used Beth's trick a number of times.

I have also heard, many times, that a bar of soap under the

sheets helps.

Supposedly, doesn't matter what kind. I am assuming a

normal size bar.. but one thing I have never heard is where

you put the soap.. .I assume by the leg. But here is a link

to it.....

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/08/15/soap-in-hand-relieves-cramps/

Beth wrote:

one thing to try, If you're begin to get a leg cramp, take

the thumb and first finger and grab hard at the middle of

your upper lip.

[Guest guest]

My wife had leg cramps for many years until a doctor

recommended calcium supplements. We tried many different

brands and found that Tri-boron plus by Twinlabs really

worked. She has been using the capsules for 5+ years. She

rarely has cramps.

Twinlabs says there must be Boron in the formula to get good

results. Most other calcium supplements don't contain boron.

Sams Club has a calcium product that has boron in it. It

might work.

wrote:

> Sometimes a combination of magnesium, potassium and calcium

> seems to help alleviate leg and muscle cramps. Twinlab

> Vitamins makes this combination and taking two tablets after

> dinner or before bed may help.

[Guest guest]

I used to have leg cramps. I started taking a calcium

supplement that is made from a sea vegetable, which the body

recognizes as food (not regular calcium supplements which

are made from rocks, and the body doesn't know how to

process), and I no longer have either leg cramps or

osteopenia (from an ankle US 2 yrs. ago). I just had

another ankle US which showed that my bone density is WAY up

high. The product is Bone Strength Take Care from a company

called New Chapter, which does include also the boron Bob

mentions, plus vitamin D3, a type of vitamin K, magnesium,

strontium and something else I don't remember without

looking at the bottle downstairs. Ellen

Bob wrote:

> My wife had leg cramps for many years until a doctor

> recommended calcium supplements. We tried many different

> brands and found that Tri-boron plus by Twinlabs really

> worked. She has been using the capsules for 5+ years. She

> rarely has cramps.

>

> Twinlabs says there must be Boron in the formula to get good

> results. Most other calcium supplements don't contain boron.

> Sams Club has a calcium product that has boron in it. It

> might work.

>

> wrote:

> > Sometimes a combination of magnesium, potassium and calcium

> > seems to help alleviate leg and muscle cramps. Twinlab

> > Vitamins makes this combination and taking two tablets after

> > dinner or before bed may help.

[Guest guest]

Ellen - be sure to ask about the dose of Vitamin K in

Bone Strength Take Care if you are on a blood thinner!