How to help the cramps???

[donnia]

Sorry, it seems like I am always asking the "how to" questions.....

I get awful cramps now.... cramps in places I have never gotten cramps in (like the top of my foot?!?!?!?).  Is there anything we can do to help that?

[goofynina]

Sorry i cant help you Donnia, i sometimes have that same problem and oh man, if someone can also tell me why my hands cramp so much i would appreciate it,  i love playing card and dominoes but lately i cant even hold them without them cramping up and i look hideous trying to flatten them on the table.   

[Zach]

Try drinking tonic water ... it's the quinine that might help.  Just don't drink too much.  Maybe get a doctor to OK quinine capsules.

[Chicken Little]

I had terrible foot and leg cramps before starting dialysis, especially when I was sleeping.  When I started taking Calcitrol though, they completely went away.  Have they checked you calcium levels? 

[donnia]

No, they haven't checked my calcium levels.  I had a hysterectomy when I was 23 (11 years ago) so I probably should have that checked. I will talk to my doctor about it.  Thanks!

[livecam]

I've never found anything other than physical resistance that helps because they are so sporadic.  Cramping started for me while I was on dialysis and usually happened most while on the machine.  The really nasty thing about these is that they are super severe and come on without any warning.  I would usually have problems in a foot or a leg that could only be resolved by applying resistance in the direction opposite the cramp or by standing on the affected leg until it went away.  

They also happen in the hands particularly when alot of fine detailed work is being done over a period of time.  A finger or two will almost lock up in those instances and have to be physically pried apart to make the cramp go away.  The only cure for that problem seems to be letting the hand rest for a few minutes.

Now that I haven't been on dialysis for a while they still happen but much less often.  There is nothing like being awakened at 3AM with the feeling that a foot or leg is being practically cut off.  Sheets and blankets are thrown off very quickly at times like that to make it to a standing position.

[del]

Hubby does cramp muh now that he is doing nocturnal.  He used to get cramp in the wierdest places llike his tongue, throat, jaw.  I told him he was just strange.

[jbeany]

Long before I had kidney problems, my doc prescribed Vit. E for those middle of the night leg cramps.  I'm still taking it.  I'm not sure if it helps with dialysis cramps or not, but I rarely get them.

[Sluff]

Long before I had kidney problems, my doc prescribed Vit. E for those middle of the night leg cramps.  I'm still taking it.  I'm not sure if it helps with dialysis cramps or not, but I rarely get them.

I get bad leg cramps all the time in my feet too. I've tried a lot of different things and never thought about Vit E. I'll have to try it.

[RichardMEL]

I cramp far less since I started dialysis.. indeed I think I have only cramped during the night in my leg maybe once in nearly 9 months I've  been on hemo.

I've had maybe 6-8 cramps during this time while on the machine and they are horrible since the immediate inclination for me is to jump up and stand/walk on the leg to stop it, but I can't do that with the bloody needles in my arm... a few times the nurses have helped pushing against my leg to help.

Luckily I have been getting warnings of impending cramp while on the machine... like I get VERY sweaty and hot.. and that is the alert to do a BP (usually low) and to stop the UF for a few minutes.. I've managed to starve off a few cramps in the past month or so that way I'm certain.

The other great thing a nurse put me on to was to eat a bit of sugar in the last 2-1 hours of my 5 hour shift.. that has helped heaps as it raises the BP a bit and wards off the nasties of a crash or cramp (haven't crashed at all this year!). So I have a big container full of jelly beans and assorted sugary lollies that I have there.. when the nurses aren't eating them (lol) I have a few, maybe 4-5 at the 2 hour, 1:30 and 1 hour mark, and if I feel I need it at the :30 mark... seems to have worked well for a few months.

Luckily I'm not diabetic.. if I was I could be in trouble with that idea!

[kitkatz]

When you get the foot and leg cramps that cramp up the foot and leg during dialysis, stand up on your tip toes and drop your heal straight down to the floor. Do this several times. It will loosen the tight muscles in the calf and foot.

[RichardMEL]

When you get the foot and leg cramps that cramp up the foot and leg during dialysis, stand up on your tip toes and drop your heal straight down to the floor. Do this several times. It will loosen the tight muscles in the calf and foot.

How can you do that when hooked up? I mean my fistula is in my arm so I can't stand up or anything. I am not sure how it is for people with caths, but I assure it would be similar....

[goofynina]

It is possible.  When i was on hemo, i was the queen of cramps, they would help me up and just let me stand there until the pain went away.   

[MyssAnne]

I agree with Nina & Kt, I was told to stand on the leg that was cramping, and press down, on that leg. It does help. I haven't had cramps for a while, I got them in my legs, feet and hands. Ugh. You could see the toes just curl back. Gross.  Gatorade helped too, oddly enough. I got in the habit of always having a bottle of it by the bed. Interestingly enough, siince starting on the cycler, I haven't cramped as much.

[Stacy Without An E]

I understand what you're going through, the cramps are the worst.  And what makes them more unbearable is I get berated verbally by the staff, like I can control the situation.  It's sad when something negative is happenning at Diialysis and the staff likes you're annoying them, like they can't be bothered.

I also get them in weird places to.  A neck cramp is frightening.  A cramp in the jaw is also foreboding.

I always imagine Dialysis as an Alien-type creature who bounds about the clinic and uses his razor sharp teeth to clamp down on certain parts of our bodies.  Then when we're in the utmost pain he bounds about, dancing and giggling.  And the only way to ruin his day is to laugh at his attempts.

[boxman55]

No sh... I will cramp on the machine and the tech will come over and say ..Mark we only removed 2.2 so far how can this be happening. I am sitting there in pain and she is arguing with me.  Boxman55 I think I will try vit E I can't get quinine pills anymore

[KICKSTART]

Wow i didnt realize how many of us get cramps , i have mentioned it to my doctor and she just looked suprised ! I really find it embarrasing when i just CANT let go of that cup !!!

[goofynina]

No sh... I will cramp on the machine and the tech will come over and say ..Mark we only removed 2.2 so far how can this be happening. I am sitting there in pain and she is arguing with me.  Boxman55 I think I will try vit E I can't get quinine pills anymore

Didnt someone say that there is Quinine in Tonic Water?  maybe if you snuck some of that in a flask   just trying to help my friend   Good luck 

[boxman55]

Didnt someone say that there is Quinine in Tonic Water? maybe if you snuck some of that in a flask just trying to help my friend Good luck

I used to carry a flask for medicinal purposes that is..Good idea....Boxman55



EDITED:  Fixed quote tag errors - Goofynina/Admin.

[DeLana]

If you're cramping while on the machine, it's usually because too much fluid is being taken off, or fluid is removed too quickly.  The best, and quickest, treatment is saline. Sometimes, ultrafiltration (fluid removal) can then be resumed, usually at a slower rate.  Sometimes, however, you will have reached your (maybe new) dry weight.

Some meds may help - however, quinine is no longer available for this indication (due to serious side effects); you can ask your nephrologist about other options.

DeLana

[Sara]

Joe gets cramps especially when he gets cold, so he's taken to using an electric blanket during dialysis, and at night he sleeps with socks on, and sweatpants unless it's too hot.  He usually gets cramps in his stomach or legs/feet. 

[RichardMEL]

I had my first cramp in my foot yesterday.. it wasn't as painful as a leg cramp but it did suck muchly. Luckily I only had 8 minutes to go so they took me off then so it wasn't so bad

[mdorn]

If you are having the cramps while under treatment, it is most likely a dry weight problem. When I first started I was having terrible cramps a majority of my treatments, the Dr. just assigned me a dry weight by guessing and it was NOT right. It took awhile to even know what a dry weight was, I know now and I set my dry weight, not the Dr. It also helped to have a drink (Bogangles Iced Tea for me!) to drink slowly throughout the treatment time. I can't remember the last time I've had severe cramps. Hope this helps.   

[Bajanne]

I used to have really bad cramps when they took off about 4 kilos.  My experience was like lots of you.  They never used to hurry to help me when that happened.  It was as if they couldn't understand what I was going through (in fact, I suppose they don't).  Their remedy (which works) is to make my head lower, and put in some saline.  However, the few minutes before it started to work were minutes of excruciating pain.
I haven't had those cramps for a long time, thank God.  However, I find that sometimes I get cramps in some strange places, like my chest around my right ribs, and my neck on the same side.  No explanation for them.

[Adjel]

Thank You so much for this question and for all who answered.  I'm not on dialysis yet,  I don't drink coffee, but the hitels I drive for give out free coffee and when my hand cramps up I get a cup and carry it, it seems to help.  Not as much as this question be posted and people answering it.   Since I started to keep water available at night I have not woken to them.   It is great to know others are trying to find solutions to problems I may encounter, I hope I can at sometime give something back.  Adjel