Muscle cramps

[hillary]

Can anyone give me some ideas on how to deal withnighttime muscle cramps and spasms?  I get them in my calves, thighs, feet, sides, and lately in my hands where I can't evn hold a pen or a book . I wa taking Hylands Leg Cramp pills prior to dialysis and it was working, but not since I started dialysis.  I cannot eat bananas whih was also helping.  I can't drink tonic water (cant have the fluids plus ingeneral I cant have crbonation due to other medicalissue)..  what else can I try?  They hurt so badly I cry.   I have tried both heat and ice. Ice seems to work better, even though it is technically counterintuitive of what to do for muscle cramps.  I buy instant ice packsby the case.

[Jean]

Hillary, when I get them, I get up and walk them off. However I do not get them as much since I drink about 4 ounces of Gatorade a day.

[hillary]

Do you think it would help if I replaced 8 oz of my daily water with Gatorade?

[Jean]

I don't know, but I don't think it would hurt to try it. It does have some potassium in it, so you have to weigh the odds in there too.

[hillary]

They had to take me off the machine early yesterday becauise I was cramping so bdly. They had to giive me fluids and wouind u putting back more than they pulled off.  Today my legs are swollen.  I tried Gatorade last night but woke up with the cramps in the same leg as during the session.  I am really scared that I am going to cramp every time I'm on the machine.

[boswife]

I kind of feel weird chiming in here beings im not the one on the 'machhine', but    believe me, i go through each thing with him doing massage, cool /hot packs on his legs (this does well for him) , walking pacing, getting sips of cold water etc.  Anyway, All in all, this too should stop once you leval out.  It does *seem* that since they had to put fluid back, that they should NOT be agressive at all for a bit and mainly clean your blood.  I think it's awful that PRE dialysis, hubby hardly ever swelled, and after starting, he started swelling.  I didnt know so much at the get-go so they may have been doing the same (ie,adding more back) but i didnt know at all about dialysis when he started. We still **occasionally!** will go through a spell of cramps, but it's been a good while now and honestly dont know why he cramps 'sometimes' and then not for a long time.  Im sorry your haveing to fear this part of it, even i feared it (lack of sleep and empathy).  Hopfully, since they see it happening with you, they'll correct that real quick.   

[Rerun]

Let the tonic water go flat by opening it and let it air out for a day.  The quiinine in Tonic is a natural muscle relaxer.  You don't need much.  Maybe half a cup a day.   

[CCHT_Ben]

Not sure if this will help your case or not, but one of my patients swears by the dill pickle. When she has her cramps, mostly feet and legs, she says she gets a large dill pickle and eats it slowly. She claims that it eases the cramps for her. Hope this helps

[boswife]

oh man,, i remember someone here drinking pickle juice...

[Jean]

I could handle it if it was a sweet pickle, or if I could eat a roast beef sandwich with the dill pickle. I am just kidding guys!!!!

[cassandra]

Maybe also check what your Bicarb, and Sodium are on the machine. After I increased mine, the cramps went, and could come back to ma 'normal' weight

Best of luck, Cas

[adairpete]

My experience with cramping while on hemo was from a drop in calcium.  My calves were feeling a little crampy while on the machine, but nothing major, so I just ignored it.  However, the cramping got so bad I couldn't open my hands, move my legs or really anything without something cramping.  Then I started vomiting, at which point my husband took me to the ER.  They pumped calcium in me and within minutes I was feeling better.  My calcium level wasn't terribly low, but the doc thought it had dropped too fast while on hemo.  I wasn't on hemo long after that (switched to PD) so not sure how they were going to deal with it if I continued.  Perhaps a look at your calcium could help.  Hope you get to the bottom of it and can prevent it!

[Popsycle24]

They have calcium chews that are chocolate u can try from the grocery store.

[gothiclovemonkey]

sounds like my issue, they get so bad im screaming.
im buying some pickles and trying that. since i love them, and i dont eat them since they are salty but at this point id rather eat something salty than feel this crap.
What is tonic water and where do i find it???

[MaryD]

Tonic water should be in the soft drink section of a supermarket.  It looks like lemonade.  It is supposed to contain quinine which prevents cramp.  It is also half of a 'gin and tonic'  YUM!!

I have mine with a little orange juice or lemon juice.  For me about half a cup of tonic water four or five times a week stops my cramps.

I have wanted to try pickle juice, but there is no way I could make it to the fridge while I'm cramping.

[gothiclovemonkey]

hmm i wonder if they sell that quinine in pill form?

[Jean]

GLM, they do sell it in pill form. You can get the pills at Wal-Mart and they are cheap. The instructions are in Spanish, so I googled the word and it says it is quinine. Asked the Dr and he said it was okay but he preferred I drink 3 bottles of water a day instead. Mostly I do, but sometimes I just plain forget. Have only had occasion to try the pills once since I got them and they worked very quickly.

[MaryD]

Apparently not!  It used to be used in the treatment of malaria, but it has side effects.

I just googled it, and there are capsules, but there are side effects and they are not recommended for leg cramps.

Maybe (after Jean's post) it's not available in OZ

[Arcticat2000]

You may want to inquire about Sodium Modeling. I think cassandra is right. I use this and it works, ask your neph. doctor or an experienced dialysis tech. 

[dialysis.sucks]

Walking it off while drinking Gatorade is your friend. Trust me I found that out the hard way. I use to try to drink water to get rid of them (and I literally get them IN my knee - sounds weird I know). What took three bottles of Aquafina and up to 60 minutes of walking in circles around our kitchen island (and a lot of PAIN) to get rid of, was subsided by half a bottle of Gatorade and 10 minutes of walking. Gatorade is nearly the same make up as the saline bags at dialysis. Its water and electrolytes (salts) that are heavily depleted by dialysis.

PS I was on quinine in pill form for 6 months... Did absolutely nothing, unfortunately. I've also been given Soma, Oxycodone, Norco, etc... I just simply can't go over 3.5 liters per treatment. If you're getting the pains often Id drink some Gatorade before bed, adjust how much they pull accordingly. Also one thing to keep in mind is if you're a diabetic, high blood sugar = cramps; even if you're overloaded. If its high sugar issues, then water is the better solution.

[kristina]

hmm i wonder if they sell that quinine in pill form?

... they do and many SLE/MCTD patients are prescribed it as “preventative” treatment for their SLE-MCTD-flare-ups...
...problem with it is, that many SLE/MCTD-patients (including myself)  react allergic to it ...
because - apart from the quinine -  there are many other ingredients in these pills  (including artificial sugar coating, artificial colouring etc)
and because of it, this medicine has been found to be counteractive ... I am not sure if you would like to take the risk?
Better ask a doctor about it, ok?

Best wishes from Kristina.