I am experiencing my feet cramping daily. Not debilitating but painful at times. I know I have read about this and it seems like Magnesium was the answer offered. I get some mag in Calcium tab I take (500 Cal., 80 magnesium, 800 Vit D) Is this enough and am I even remembering this right? i have had PMR 2 years and am at 5.5mg. Pred. Is the cramping a result of the disorder or from Prednisone? Thank you.
i believe it's the preds as I to had cramps and took magnesium but now I'm at 6 mg I have dropped them as I don't seem to suffer with it anymore - sorry.
I get foot and leg cramp, probably from the pred, I blame pred for everything, my side effects, the weather, the government! My GP gave me quinine sulphate for the cramp, it works a treat.
Hi Gail,
Since I doubled the my Calcium tablets (same as yours with the mag. and Vit D) I don't have the leg cramps but do still occasionally have foot cramps. I thought they might be from wearing nothing but flip-flops but I'm good with blaming it on the pred to😋.
Apparently tonic helps as well.
Cheers, Diana🌸
Tonic has quinine in it, I think it used to be called quinine water at some point.
I developed foot and leg cramping during my steroid days, mostly at night time. The only time I seemed to experience it during the day was if I stretched up high to reach something - that doesn't happen any more now post-stroids. However, my night-time cramp still comes and goes. I did ask the GP for magnesium and potassium blood tests to see if a deficiency was the cause but they came back normal. One GP showed me how to do press-ups against the wall, stretching the calf before bed-time and that does help......when I remember to do it!
Mineral and other supplements should only be taken when
1) you have had a blood test, full spectrum and asked for minerals to be included
2) you have talked to your pharmacists about compatibility.
I was prescribed Calichew when first diagnosed and ran into problems later on - I developed pseudo-gout and it was caused by calcium crystals, I had not needed the extra calcium
I had a Dexa Scan at six months into pred and it showed 97% bone density, I had a Dexa scan every two years till I reached Club Zero, the last scan still showed 97% bone density. We are all different.
Lesson learned, check, check and check.
Ditto to what all said, less cramping than higher Pred, but mostly in morning when I wake up and while still in bed I stretch head to toe and darn if it doesn't make my calves cramp! I have to get out of bed and stretch them for about 20 seconds.
Sometimes while watch tv for a while and I squeeze my toes, they cramp!
I had had odd finger twitching and when I stretched then relax my feet would
Oops... My feet would move away from my body, as if pointing...all on their own! It was weird! But went away. Freaky stuff.
I had the foot cramps before I was diagnosed with PMR. In the a.m.
I'd stretch and jump right out of bed with awful cramps in my feet.
It still happens ocasionally but bearable.
One thing that my daughter has researched endlessly is the fact
that we should be taking plant based calcium. She sent me
a link that talks about how bad regular calcium can be for you.
It can cause kidney stones and some problem with the heart.
Calcium is not one of those things that the body throws off the
excess. I'm going to look and get the link for you all.
I'm back....
If you are interested in the plant based calcium Amazon has
several options.
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I`m not the only one then, that blames everything on pred....even the foot cramps...especially the goverment!
Yes, foot wear does seem relevant. When I have on my trainers with custom orthotics, I am at my best. However, I can't wear them to work and when I have less supportive shoes, the cramping is more noticeable. I notice it mostly at night and sometimes in the a.m. before I "move into" my day. Thanks for your thoughts.
Good suggestion to stretch calves. I have sort of forgotten about that and although my cramping has been the arches and toes, not legs, it is, as we have all learned all connected!! I appreciate your thots here.
Good point. I have experienced bone loss--although this pre-dated Pred-- and am supposed to be on Calcium for that. I had a parthyroidectomy which also means I am needing to be on Calcium in addition to what I get in diet. I am not concerned about the Calcium~ I am wanting to know how to get rid of foot cramps at this stage.
Yes that is weird, isn't it? Toes all distorted. Creepy. I have little toe separators that help sometimes when I put them in in the evening. The cramping is something I had experienced before but not this frequently or severely. I didn't know if it was related to PMR or Pred.
On "trust me I`m a doctor" on TV this week...they said nothing really works for cramp...only stretching the muscle!!.....
Try Bowen Technique.
I snapped a tendon and had a major op which worked so my foot stopped turning out to 45 degrees and saved me froma wheelchair.
Ortho surgeon put me on to Hotter Shoes.
Funny - the whole of mainland Europe uses magnesium, very often very successfully! I had cramps due to the PMR - nothing to do with pred for me as I wasn't taking it then. I also had to wear heavy-duty walking shoes for comfort. I had to give up wearing sandals for walking. But it does improve - I now walk miles in my hiking sandals.
But don't ever increase the amount of calcium you take to above about 1200mg/day to get more of other things. Use single content tablets so you can adjust each separately. Too much calclium can cause problems.