Charlie horses

[southerngirl]

My sister who has PN is having a very bad problem with charie horses, she can hardly walk on her left leg, this started about 2 wks ago. She takes norontin 300 mg 4 x a day, and elival 150 mg at night. She started taking b12 when I sent her the info I found here, she was getting shots for about a yr from the doc but they didn't help her at all. So we're hoping that the kind you all take will help.
Also is there anything in her diet that would help, she is a vegetarian and I believe that is the reason she is in the shape she's in because she didn't take vitamins to subsitute her not eating meats.
Thank you all for the help you have given me so far, I love this site, I have TN and it has helped me alot.
Catherine

[HeyJoe]

Magnesium helps with charlie horses as does quinine. Drinking enough water is also important.

[pab]

1) might be "improving" from the B12

2) could be from her back....

good luck

[dahlek]

quirky, it could be lots of things contributing or lacking. Use common sense most of all.
Potassium - try banannas one or two a day;
Calcium depletion - some meds do this, others need it to work; be sure to get one w/a vit D to help asorb it all.
Plain old could be the meds! - web up the med's site and see if it's a s/e, some have reports of it...and some have it BIG TIME!. I had had super 'body twitches' while on neurontin...when I'd changed meds, they stopped.
Keep in mind that there are a LOT of changes going on in a person who has PN, either due to whatever is causeing/caused it or the effects. We are talking about major changes or alterations as to the ways your body works! There are soo many variables to the changes, and damages it can cause, and effects of those damages it's downright scary. Listen to those changes, and report to your docs accordingly as best you can. A good doc will listen, a bad doc doesn't. If a doc doesn't listen it is time to gather your records and get a second opinion [or more, as you have to HAVE a doc you can work with]!
I'm sure others will add to my thoughts, but in the interim, read and learn on or have your sis do the work - after all, SHE is the one attached to the problem!
Hugs Catherine for now and better things to come - j

[Cry Tears]

Before I had the intestinal anuerism repaired (Actually called an AVM)....I needed blood transfusions every other week for 2 years....a virtual nightmare...anyway...anytime I had the transfusions....before they started them...but after they started the IV glucose stuff.....I'd get massive charlie horses.
It hurt so bad I'd nearly yell. The nurses would call in other nurses to look at my legs...they'd be rippling up and down where the muscles would pull and knot making deep 1"-2" deep depressions.
The nurses would massage and bang on the knots trying to get me some releif.
I couldn't walk or stand,....would freeze into position...I honestly couldn't move the muscles were so knotted.
No one had a clue as to why my muscles did this only when I'd get the water based IV's.
Now when I get the IV's its not nearly as bad...but I still get a few of the charlie horses.
Mine is somehow tied to vitamin/mineral because of my Crohns disease and missing several feet of small intestines.
We just know how to have fun around here!
Blessings, cheryl

[joy]

I have the same thing with the severe cramps. I also take iron with vitamin C, potassium, calcium & vitamin D and a good all around vitiman. Also a pill for my dry macular degeneration. Probably need more as my stomach just does not accept any nutrients it seems like. It is all from my PN and so far I've been told that this is just going to be how it is. And as I've complained before, they will NOT let you change neurologists here in my small town. End of story.

I can't even flex my legs any to try and turn over without the severe pain. I take baclofen three times a day. I'd have to go back and give my neurologist (that I don't want to see) more money to get the precription upped on the baclofen so I just live with it. The doc will want to run all the tests again. Why? For MONEY!! I know exactly what parts of my body that are dying without him having someone stick me. The tests don't bother me it just makes me mad about how it is all done here in this town. Sorry that this was more of a vent than a help.

[mrsdoubtfyre]

Often supplementing this works.

See my mag thread in the Vitamin forum here.

[joy]

Yes mrsdoubtfyre magnesium does help. I forgot to add it above along with B12. I think I'll go back and read your thread again to see if I missed anything. Quinne really didn't do the trick by itself but it probably did help me. At one point I'm positive I was taking too much B6. My doctor told me I was low but I overdid it once I started taking it. It did seem to make it worse and I did cut back to a lower dose.

[segsc]

I have painful cramps in my legs and feet that can wake me up in serious pain and have tried various ideas. To echo some ideas already mentioned, for sure potassium (bananas), calcium and magnesium might all help..plus enough B-12.

I also have had some success with a heavy duty percussion massage tool that I use on muscles and pressure points in my legs and especially upper thighs, and I sense the connection to my somewhat numb feet. And I think exercise helps: I am trying to use a mini-trampoline, just light bouncing and pretend running

I also like quinine with expensive potato or wine vodka...very smooth.

With PN, we must keep trying, be positive labs, doing what we can for ourselves.



My sister who has PN is having a very bad problem with charie horses, she can hardly walk on her left leg, this started about 2 wks ago. She takes norontin 300 mg 4 x a day, and elival 150 mg at night. She started taking b12 when I sent her the info I found here, she was getting shots for about a yr from the doc but they didn't help her at all. So we're hoping that the kind you all take will help.
Also is there anything in her diet that would help, she is a vegetarian and I believe that is the reason she is in the shape she's in because she didn't take vitamins to subsitute her not eating meats.
Thank you all for the help you have given me so far, I love this site, I have TN and it has helped me alot.
Catherine

[Kathi49]

After several years of trying to find Calcium that would sit well with me, I found Citracal with D and MAGNESIUM to be the best I have found. My ob/gyn told me of Citracal a long time ago. But, they never had any with Magnesium that I could find. I finally found it about two weeks ago and I believe it is helping. I have no gas, no nausea...nothing. It also helps with constipation since I have to take pain meds. I also take B12 and eat bananas all the time.