Guest guest Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 Hi Bahnu. I hope you are able to touch type those long messages rather than typing with just one finger :-) As you already know, muscle cramps can be a side effect of prednisone. Leg and foot cramps can also be caused by electrolyte imbalances, but that usually only starts happening when a person already has fairly advanced chronic renal insufficiency. So if you don't, then it's probably not the kidney disease itself that is causing the cramps. Now, I'm not quite sure from your description, but something else you can have is called " restless legs " . This can manifest as sudden twitching or sudden movement during the night. Chronic renal insufficiency can definitely cause that, but again, usually when it's more advanced. I don't remember where you stand in terms of kidney function. Prednisone can also cause anxiety, which can then cause or aggravate all of the above. So, you can see how it can be hard to tell what is causing those kinds of cramps. When I started having cramps, my nephrologist didn't want to put me on any more medications, and so she suggested I try 400 units of vitamin E per day. I found that helped. I wouldn't recommend you start on vitamin E without your doctor's knowledge and consent though. Some of those symptoms could be relieved by the drug clonazepam. This drug, while officially an anti-convulsant, is really simply one type of benzodiazepine tranquilizer, in the same family as Valium. As such, it also acts as a muscle relaxant. It is the drug commonly prescribed to kidney patients who suffer from restless legs. A small dose can work wonders, and if taken at night, it can really help you sleep. I don't know of a single person who starts taking a statin for cholesterol, reads the warning about muscle breakdown, and then thinks he or she has it. I went through that too with Lipitor. The doctors are well-aware of this, and they can easily do a lab test to find out if this is happening. It's probably not the drug, but, you should of course mention your muscle problems to your doctor. Prednisone, BP meds, etc. -- they can all make you feel like that, in my opinion. For most people, the statin drugs actually seem to help the kidneys. Pierre Leg Cramps > > > Hello Everybody, > > Going to be another long mail..pls bear with me. I did read posts on > cramps before but I wanted to give my situation and questions on this > topic. > > I had couple of questions on the leg cramps that I have been having. > The cramps have been very painful and regular since I started on > Prednisone regimen. I thought it was compounded by Lipitor and we > tried stopping it for few days (in conjunction with the Primary care > physician). The cramps became less frequent but the alternative > medicine (Zetia) did not work well, so I am now back on Pravachol. > Looks like I am going to start getting them more. > > The kind of cramps I get these days are usually only in the middle of > the night...and associated with some sort of 'twiching' before and > after. I can sense that the muscles will become crampy sometime if I > notice that the muscles are twitching on their own (mild movements) in > the leg area. This is becoming a nightmare (in the literal sense) as > one is sometimes scared into sleeping and waking up with the pain. > Sometimes, the pain goes away after rubbing the feet and/or walking a > bit...but these days I am just applying Bengay and looks like it > works. So, it is kind of interesting how these cramps react to > Bengay and the twiching aspect and was wondering - > > 1. Are these cramps related to electrolyte imbalances. > 2. Are these ones caused by Prednisone. > 3. Are these casused by combination of Prednisone & Statins (atleast > the lipitor medicine guidance did refer to risk of myopathy for those > using both medicines). > 4. Are these cause of my lack of fitness (no excercise and general > putting on weight with prednisone off late). > > I am worried on trying to start even treadmill (though it should not > be an excuse and I should start with small steps) as it will then lead > to cramps in the night. Also, the biggest question I have is the > warning on Pravachol " Rarely, patients taking PRAVACHOL have > experienced serious muscle breakdown resulting in kidney damage. The > following can be signs of serious muscle breakdown: muscle pain, > weakness or tenderness, fever, feeling more tired than usual, and > passing brown or discolored urine. " > > I know that the Doctor knows of the muscle pains...as thats the cause > for change from Lipitor to Pravachol. But since they do not say > anything of this risk...I am wondering if any of you have any > suggestions and what approach I can take to detect this so called > muscle breakdown. The last thing I want is to vanish up my Kidney > function. > > Thank you. > > Regards, > Bhanu > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 Hi Bahnu. I hope you are able to touch type those long messages rather than typing with just one finger :-) As you already know, muscle cramps can be a side effect of prednisone. Leg and foot cramps can also be caused by electrolyte imbalances, but that usually only starts happening when a person already has fairly advanced chronic renal insufficiency. So if you don't, then it's probably not the kidney disease itself that is causing the cramps. Now, I'm not quite sure from your description, but something else you can have is called " restless legs " . This can manifest as sudden twitching or sudden movement during the night. Chronic renal insufficiency can definitely cause that, but again, usually when it's more advanced. I don't remember where you stand in terms of kidney function. Prednisone can also cause anxiety, which can then cause or aggravate all of the above. So, you can see how it can be hard to tell what is causing those kinds of cramps. When I started having cramps, my nephrologist didn't want to put me on any more medications, and so she suggested I try 400 units of vitamin E per day. I found that helped. I wouldn't recommend you start on vitamin E without your doctor's knowledge and consent though. Some of those symptoms could be relieved by the drug clonazepam. This drug, while officially an anti-convulsant, is really simply one type of benzodiazepine tranquilizer, in the same family as Valium. As such, it also acts as a muscle relaxant. It is the drug commonly prescribed to kidney patients who suffer from restless legs. A small dose can work wonders, and if taken at night, it can really help you sleep. I don't know of a single person who starts taking a statin for cholesterol, reads the warning about muscle breakdown, and then thinks he or she has it. I went through that too with Lipitor. The doctors are well-aware of this, and they can easily do a lab test to find out if this is happening. It's probably not the drug, but, you should of course mention your muscle problems to your doctor. Prednisone, BP meds, etc. -- they can all make you feel like that, in my opinion. For most people, the statin drugs actually seem to help the kidneys. Pierre Leg Cramps > > > Hello Everybody, > > Going to be another long mail..pls bear with me. I did read posts on > cramps before but I wanted to give my situation and questions on this > topic. > > I had couple of questions on the leg cramps that I have been having. > The cramps have been very painful and regular since I started on > Prednisone regimen. I thought it was compounded by Lipitor and we > tried stopping it for few days (in conjunction with the Primary care > physician). The cramps became less frequent but the alternative > medicine (Zetia) did not work well, so I am now back on Pravachol. > Looks like I am going to start getting them more. > > The kind of cramps I get these days are usually only in the middle of > the night...and associated with some sort of 'twiching' before and > after. I can sense that the muscles will become crampy sometime if I > notice that the muscles are twitching on their own (mild movements) in > the leg area. This is becoming a nightmare (in the literal sense) as > one is sometimes scared into sleeping and waking up with the pain. > Sometimes, the pain goes away after rubbing the feet and/or walking a > bit...but these days I am just applying Bengay and looks like it > works. So, it is kind of interesting how these cramps react to > Bengay and the twiching aspect and was wondering - > > 1. Are these cramps related to electrolyte imbalances. > 2. Are these ones caused by Prednisone. > 3. Are these casused by combination of Prednisone & Statins (atleast > the lipitor medicine guidance did refer to risk of myopathy for those > using both medicines). > 4. Are these cause of my lack of fitness (no excercise and general > putting on weight with prednisone off late). > > I am worried on trying to start even treadmill (though it should not > be an excuse and I should start with small steps) as it will then lead > to cramps in the night. Also, the biggest question I have is the > warning on Pravachol " Rarely, patients taking PRAVACHOL have > experienced serious muscle breakdown resulting in kidney damage. The > following can be signs of serious muscle breakdown: muscle pain, > weakness or tenderness, fever, feeling more tired than usual, and > passing brown or discolored urine. " > > I know that the Doctor knows of the muscle pains...as thats the cause > for change from Lipitor to Pravachol. But since they do not say > anything of this risk...I am wondering if any of you have any > suggestions and what approach I can take to detect this so called > muscle breakdown. The last thing I want is to vanish up my Kidney > function. > > Thank you. > > Regards, > Bhanu > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 Oh, and by the way, with chronic renal insufficiency, nobody really, truly knows why people get leg cramps. It's easy to say " electrolyte imbalances " , but most of the time, they just don't know why it happens. Pierre Re: Leg Cramps > > Hi Bahnu. > > I hope you are able to touch type those long messages rather than typing > with just one finger :-) > > As you already know, muscle cramps can be a side effect of prednisone. Leg > and foot cramps can also be caused by electrolyte imbalances, but that > usually only starts happening when a person already has fairly advanced > chronic renal insufficiency. So if you don't, then it's probably not the > kidney disease itself that is causing the cramps. > > Now, I'm not quite sure from your description, but something else you can > have is called " restless legs " . This can manifest as sudden twitching or > sudden movement during the night. Chronic renal insufficiency can definitely > cause that, but again, usually when it's more advanced. I don't remember > where you stand in terms of kidney function. > > Prednisone can also cause anxiety, which can then cause or aggravate all of > the above. So, you can see how it can be hard to tell what is causing those > kinds of cramps. > > When I started having cramps, my nephrologist didn't want to put me on any > more medications, and so she suggested I try 400 units of vitamin E per day. > I found that helped. I wouldn't recommend you start on vitamin E without > your doctor's knowledge and consent though. > > Some of those symptoms could be relieved by the drug clonazepam. This drug, > while officially an anti-convulsant, is really simply one type of > benzodiazepine tranquilizer, in the same family as Valium. As such, it also > acts as a muscle relaxant. It is the drug commonly prescribed to kidney > patients who suffer from restless legs. A small dose can work wonders, and > if taken at night, it can really help you sleep. > > I don't know of a single person who starts taking a statin for cholesterol, > reads the warning about muscle breakdown, and then thinks he or she has it. > I went through that too with Lipitor. The doctors are well-aware of this, > and they can easily do a lab test to find out if this is happening. It's > probably not the drug, but, you should of course mention your muscle > problems to your doctor. Prednisone, BP meds, etc. -- they can all make you > feel like that, in my opinion. For most people, the statin drugs actually > seem to help the kidneys. > > Pierre > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 Bhanu, Pierre gave you some good advice. I had horrid nighttime cramping when I started on the prednisone. I found that drinking roughly 16 ounces of water before bed helped greatly with cramp reduction. You tend to have to wake up to go to the bathroom during the night but the cramps are minimized greatly. The other thing I found to help when you are in the midst of an attack are ice packs. I would pack the area with ice and within 15 minutes the cramping would stop. I was getting them so bad I couldn't walk for a few hours if I didn't ice them down as soon as they started. I kept ice cubes in ziplock bags in the freezer just for this purpose. My husband would wake up at all hours to fetch my ice packs when I would touch his arm and say " legs...pain " that was about all I could get out of my mouth when the cramping hit. My doctors only explanation was " It's the prednisone " since my electrolytes were always in good ranges. Drinking water helped reduce the frequency of them and icing them once the pain started helped to greatly reduce the amount of time the cramp lasted. Some good news... if it is the prednisone, once your dose starts to drop the cramps do go away. Amy G. Leg Cramps Hello Everybody, Going to be another long mail..pls bear with me. I did read posts on cramps before but I wanted to give my situation and questions on this topic. I had couple of questions on the leg cramps that I have been having. The cramps have been very painful and regular since I started on Prednisone regimen. I thought it was compounded by Lipitor and we tried stopping it for few days (in conjunction with the Primary care physician). The cramps became less frequent but the alternative medicine (Zetia) did not work well, so I am now back on Pravachol. Looks like I am going to start getting them more. The kind of cramps I get these days are usually only in the middle of the night...and associated with some sort of 'twiching' before and after. I can sense that the muscles will become crampy sometime if I notice that the muscles are twitching on their own (mild movements) in the leg area. This is becoming a nightmare (in the literal sense) as one is sometimes scared into sleeping and waking up with the pain. Sometimes, the pain goes away after rubbing the feet and/or walking a bit...but these days I am just applying Bengay and looks like it works. So, it is kind of interesting how these cramps react to Bengay and the twiching aspect and was wondering - 1. Are these cramps related to electrolyte imbalances. 2. Are these ones caused by Prednisone. 3. Are these casused by combination of Prednisone & Statins (atleast the lipitor medicine guidance did refer to risk of myopathy for those using both medicines). 4. Are these cause of my lack of fitness (no excercise and general putting on weight with prednisone off late). I am worried on trying to start even treadmill (though it should not be an excuse and I should start with small steps) as it will then lead to cramps in the night. Also, the biggest question I have is the warning on Pravachol " Rarely, patients taking PRAVACHOL have experienced serious muscle breakdown resulting in kidney damage. The following can be signs of serious muscle breakdown: muscle pain, weakness or tenderness, fever, feeling more tired than usual, and passing brown or discolored urine. " I know that the Doctor knows of the muscle pains...as thats the cause for change from Lipitor to Pravachol. But since they do not say anything of this risk...I am wondering if any of you have any suggestions and what approach I can take to detect this so called muscle breakdown. The last thing I want is to vanish up my Kidney function. Thank you. Regards, Bhanu To edit your settings for the group, go to our Yahoo Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iga-nephropathy/ To unsubcribe via email, iga-nephropathy-unsubscribe Visit our companion website at www.igan.ca. The site is entirely supported by donations. If you would like to help, go to: http://www.igan.ca/id62.htm Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2005 Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 Bhanu: There are a few people on the kidney transplant board who are post tx and have a higher creatinine than 1.8, so I don't think it's that bad. Pierre Lachaine wrote: Bhanu, I think that, unless you are extremely tiny, a serum creatinine of 1.8, while not normal, would indicate only very mild chronic renal insufficiency. That level of renal failure would be unlikely to cause any symptoms associated with renal failure, because you would still have plenty of reserve kidney function. But of course, we all differ in that respect, with some people's bodies being more sensitive to those effects. Personally, I would suspect that the symptoms most people experience at that level are more likely associated with the various medications they may be on than the chronic kidney disease itself. I very much doubt that with a serum cr of 1.8, there would be things like cramps, etc., except as a side effect of medications, or maybe something else. I don't mean to minimize your concerns though. They are all valid concerns. Pierre Re: Leg Cramps > > Thanks for all the messages. My creatinine at last lab was 1.8.... > > Regards, > Bhanu > > > On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 22:42:53 -0500, Pierre Lachaine > wrote: > > Oh, and by the way, with chronic renal insufficiency, nobody really, truly > > knows why people get leg cramps. It's easy to say " electrolyte imbalances " , > > but most of the time, they just don't know why it happens. > > Pierre > > To edit your settings for the group, go to our Yahoo Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iga-nephropathy/ To unsubcribe via email, iga-nephropathy-unsubscribe Visit our companion website at www.igan.ca. The site is entirely supported by donations. If you would like to help, go to: http://www.igan.ca/id62.htm Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 4, 2010 Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 The last two nights I have been waking up during the night because my calfs were cramping... Could this be related at all with adrenal/thyroid problems? rT3 cleared one month an a half ago, I am now taking 50 T3, 25 HC, 1200 potassium and sea salt. Things seem to be getting better, but I don't feel optimized yet. Today my nose was bleeding also and my basal temperature was low (although this has happen to me before when I have slept poorly during the night). I would appreciate any insights, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 4, 2010 Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 I would get elecrtolytes tested. Potassium, sodium and magnesium all can cause leg cramps. -- http://nthadrenalsweb.org/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://faqhelp.webs.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ http://www.thyroid-rt3.com/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HypoPets/ http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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