Horrible hand cramps.. any suggestions on getting them to stop?

[vcarmody]

Hi everybody! I'm hoping someone out there has some advice that can help my husband. He suffers from the worst hand cramps. They get so bad his hands become deformed. He works hard on clearing the cramp and it comes right back. He has been waking up now in the middle of the night in serious pain from these cramps and they are now keeping us both up at night. I try and massage his hands but it don't help.  I know the cramps are not because he is to dry because he gets them all the time even on days we don't do dialysis. Please any suggestions would be great. He does take over the counter quinine.

[Rerun]

Get some Tonic Water at the grocery store that contains Quinine.  It should say "contains Quinine".  Quinine is a muscle relaxer and they use to give us dialysis people quinine tablets but won't do it anymore.  So just have him drink a cup a day or so.  Tonic Water does have potassium in it so he can't go overboard but it really helps.

         

[KevinSherwin]

The cramps are from an inbalance in either electrolytes, potassium, protein or amino acid.  Start with upping his protein, then add in some magnesium and calcium with vit d tablets.  The additional protein will address the shortage of amino acids and the magnesium calcium will address the rest.  I have had this problem before and this combination took care of it.  Make sure to call his DR and run this by him first.  Good luck it works.
Kevin Seattle WA PD patient

[phyl1215]

Thanks, that is good info.  Just the other day I had some bad cramps in my left hand (I'm right handed) and I know I haven't eaten enough protein lately so maybe that is the problem.  I only had the one time but it kept coming back and boy it hurt.  Eating some protein right now!!!  On PD 11 mths., hardly any problems.

[billmoria]

Lot of good ideas. You could also try gloves - does seem to help some people.

[sullidog]

I had the same problem until I started d, now I don't get them anymore.