cramp

Women's health
1

Hi everyone.

Just wondering if any of you get cramp sensations in the back of your legs? I have been getting this on and off for a couple of days. It's not full blown cramp but like a niggling feeling. I am due for my period and wondered if this was something I can expect more of in peri.

Thanks.

Helen.x

2

Hi Helen 

i can relate to cramping.. during peri aswell

i am post meno now aged 50 and only two days ago i had a numb bum 😃 

one bum cheek was crampy like a trapped nerve or something..

its all okay now... just a blip from maybe doing too much in the garden 

aches and tensed up body feeling is a classic peri symptom and still may occur post meno .. still get that on occasion 

take care 

jay xx

3

Hi Jay.

Thanks for the help. Again. You are a star.

I agree the feeling is as if it's a trapped nerve. And then it goes. We are a complicated breed aren't we.

Trouble with me is that I worry too much!!

Helen. x

4

Hi Helen, yes I get it in the back of my calf muscles. Not proper cramp but just a feeling that it's going to be. My periods have stopped so not sure where in the cycle it fits in. Xx

5

Hi Mooma

when i get up in the morning my achilles tendons in my heel are always stiff and sometimes my calf muscles, i walk to the bathroom like a penguin 😄 but it eases up after a little while ..

weird stuff .. 

jay x

6

Jay.

I'm glad you mentioned the Achilles. Mine for a long time now have been sooo tender. I have also got a very painful heel at the moment. I am assuming that this is a symptom of peri? Sometimes it is so painful to walk. I went to London last week and was in a lot of pain by the end of the day.

The heel pain is in just one foot but the Achilles pain in both.

Helen.x

7

Hi, Helen:  I am way older than most of you, but if you are having leg cramps, please have your potassium checked out...if you are depleted in this important mineral, you will certainly get leg cramps....Hope you feel better soon...

8

Hi Carole 

how are you ... 😄

you have made a really good point about potassium..

heres some info for ladies that is interesting which i kept..

Menopause Night Sweats

Night sweats are just one symptom of menopause, but a very prominent one.

Better known as hot flashes, the title is self-describing.

It is a sudden feeling of extreme heat that seems to rise from within the body, until it encompasses the head and body.

It can last 30 seconds or as long as 5 minutes, and cause the skin temperature to rise as much as 7 degrees.

It disappears as quickly as it comes and can be followed by chills.

Night sweats occur during sleep, and can take place several times in one night.

Perspiration can be so severe that the person has to change clothes, and sometimes bedding.

It is when night sweats are this severe that the possibility of hypokalemia can occur.

Potassium

Potassium is needed for the normal function of the nerves, muscles and electrolyte balance in the body.

A deficiency (hypokalemia) can manifest through profuse perspiration.

Usually it is seen in athletes, but under the right conditions, night sweats can contribute to the loss of potassium.

As women age and experience menopause, a general dryness takes place.

It is most noticeable in the skin. It does not take much fluid loss for potassium to be affected.

This is why the elderly dehydrate more quickly than younger people. Hot flashes during the day, coupled with any kind of exercise, and then night sweats can create the stage for hypokalemia.

Considerations

Hypokalemia can cause abnormal heart rhythms to develop.

It can also cause muscle weakness, cramping and twitching in the limbs. It can be very dangerous and needs to be treated.

Treatment

Getting a simple blood test can diagnose hypokalemia. If the deficiency is not severe, medication in pill form can suffice.

More severe cases require IV treatment, usually in a hospital or clinic setting.

Medication for the night sweats may also be administered. Hormone treatments have been successful in reducing hot flashes and night sweats.

Warnings

Women who experience night sweats should be aware of other conditions that can make their depletion even more significant and put them at greater risk of hypokalemia.

A simple stomach illness that exhibits vomiting and diarrhea, medication like diuretics, diabetes, steroid treatment, and some medications for high blood pressure can deplete potassium, especially when profuse sweating is added to the mix.

 

9

Hi Jay and Helen, this is very interesting. I have been getting the same thing recently.some days I hobble around , it's awful. I was talking to my sister last night and she said ' I think that's hormones' - she said she had the same thing a few yrs ago which she was sure was related to hormones. She is a couple of years ahead of me in the meno journey. Incidentally, her feet are fine now. Xx

10

Hi,

Just wanted to add my experience here with cramp, it is rotten and totally agree with lady who mentioned potassium,very helpful information

I awoke one morning with really painful cramp at back of right leg, left leg also became affected it was quite scary, never experienced anything like it.

I attributed to having done so much that day without eating very much, actually over course of few days if honest. 

I have found that just having a banana a day is hepful as I thought about potassium, also magnesium too.  A lady left really helpful information on magensium in another discussion, I think she mentioned magnesium bisglycinate.

I have come to the conclusion that we really do need to look after ourselves during this time off life. (a little too late!). smile

11

Hi Mooma

i took a special interest in my waking state this morning 😃

when i get up and walk to the bathroom like a penguin, its actually my achilles tendons at back of heel, the ankles and on top of my feet thats all stiff in the morning.. if you wiggle foot its all stiff 😔

takes a little while to loosen up and be normal again ..

mind you.. my other half ( had to laugh) hes just as bad .

so either meno or an age thing if the old man gets it ..

i am age 50 and hes 51.

it feels like the joints in feet need oiling to get them supple again 

take care 

jay xx

12

hi hun

magnesium is fab..

i take solgar chelated magnesium 400mg 

doesnt upset your stomach like magnesium oxide and citrate that has laxative effects..

also spray magnesium oil is good for aches..

i use it on my back as have a seperate back issue it works, and its what is used for sports injuries and pain 

maybe i should spray it on my feet 😃

jay xx

13

I tried that last night Jay, they are not so bad today !! Xx