Leg cramps

[RoxanneY]

I take Actonel and have the leg cramps you are referring to. Does anyone know if it is just Actonel that creates this problem or does Boniva do it too?

[ems]

I take Actonel and have the leg cramps you are referring to. Does anyone know if it is just Actonel that creates this problem or does Boniva do it too?

I don't take Actonel or Boniva and still have leg cramps (charley horse type). Had them way before CPAP days. No one knows what really causes them... I've heard several different stories.

One person suggested I drink Quinine Water. Another suggested a banana every day. Another suggested wearing white cotton socks to bed. Still get them.

[jamiswolf]

Hi Apneawho,

Torontocpapguy wrote: Leg cramping can also be a sign of poor oxygenation of the extremities

That statement got me thinking. All too often we immediately look for some disorder,
but sometimes it's just a normal life occurrence.

I occasionally get calf cramping but I have been able to improve the situation with increased exercise. Another issue related to muscle function...shortened musculature tends to cramp more readily. Good stretching will do much to prevent cramping. The calf muscles are very strong and resistant to stretching...but it can be done. This is based on information from my Podiatrist. And women in particular, what with the silly shoes they wear , should be aware that calf stretching is very important.
Jamis

[ems]

And women in particular, what with the silly shoes they wear , should be aware that calf stretching is very important.
Jamis

And when you're right, you're right! Not one of us will stop wearing those shoes tho.

[likingmysleep]

i had the same expereince and was dieting at the time. The magnesium (Natural Calm) and potassium helped. Do start slow with the magnesium. It doesn't take much and be QUITE the laxative. I am also a back sleeper and sleep with a big pillow under my knees for my lower back. I found that putting a heating pad on low under the pillow case kept my calves relaxed. But when the diet ended, so did the cramps. I don't think it was the cpap for me, but it had never happened before and I started the cpap three months ago, so who knows? The good news is I successfully lost weight and it was easier than it has ever been. I think sleeping helped!

[adamas12]

I started the cpap machine in March. The sleep study that I did that night the first time I used the cpap machine I was awaken by leg cramps in my calves it hurt so bad. I was put on a cpap machine and every night my legs hurt and keeps me awake. I stop using the machine and no problems with my legs now. I don't understand why a capa makes my calves hurt so bad.

[avi123]

I started the cpap machine in March. The sleep study that I did that night the first time I used the cpap machine I was awaken by leg cramps in my calves it hurt so bad. I was put on a cpap machine and every night my legs hurt and keeps me awake. I stop using the machine and no problems with my legs now. I don't understand why a capa makes my calves hurt so bad.

question,

adamas12, you have dug out a conversation from 3 years ago. why have you not started a new one and also register?

[Julie]

Are you lying in a rigid way thinking to accommodate wearing the mask? It shouldn't be necessary, but if the position is unfamiliar to you, try others. Also talk to your doctor to look for vascular problems (claudication) that may be starting up even if you're not aware of them yet otherwise, or back problems like stenosis which can be helped in various ways by sleeping differently and/or using foam supports.

[Sir NoddinOff]

Old thread but good info. I like this brand of magnesium potassium supplement for us poor souls suffering from leg cramps:

http://www.allstarhealth.com/f/now-magn ... artate.htm

Never had an experience with upset stomach or laxative problems.

[kteague]

I started the cpap machine in March. The sleep study that I did that night the first time I used the cpap machine I was awaken by leg cramps in my calves it hurt so bad. I was put on a cpap machine and every night my legs hurt and keeps me awake. I stop using the machine and no problems with my legs now. I don't understand why a capa makes my calves hurt so bad.

I agree that starting your own thread would be a good idea, but in case you don't, I'll reply here. Can you describe your cramps in more detail? Are they like charley horses, where they sneak up on you and knot up so bad you've gotta jump out of bed? Or are they less intense but frequent? There are different causes for leg cramps, as has already be alluded to in recent posts. Another I'd like to mention is something called Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD). Your description makes this suspect, although the intensity you describe throws me off. But some with PLMD report worsening of symptoms once on CPAP. That part of your story is what caught my eye. Do you have a copy of your sleep study? What does it say about limb movements? I'll wait before getting into that dynamic of the interaction between CPAP use and limb movements until there's further indication you actually have this problem. Right now I'd suggest you make sure you have all the right levels in your system of those things the body is known to need to prevent muscle cramps. At one time my electrolytes were out of balance due to a water pill I was taking, and that caused cramps. It can be a process of elimination. What you do know is you have sleep apnea and it needs to be treated - leg cramps or not. The answer is not to stop using CPAP, but to uncover the cause of your cramps so your nights of CPAP use are not disturbed by the leg cramps. Good luck going forward.

[avi123]

It seems to me that there is mixup in this conversation between ReslessLegs syndrome (RLS) and cramps of the muscles and joints of the legs.

1) ReslessLegs causes:



Causes
By Mayo Clinic Staff


In many cases, no known cause for restless legs syndrome exists. Researchers suspect the condition may be due to an imbalance of the brain chemical dopamine. This chemical sends messages to control muscle movement.

Heredity

RLS runs in families in at least half the people with RLS, especially if the condition started at an early age. Researchers have identified sites on the chromosomes where genes for RLS may be present.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy or hormonal changes may temporarily worsen RLS signs and symptoms. Some women experience RLS for the first time during pregnancy, especially during their last trimester. However, for most of these women, signs and symptoms usually disappear quickly after delivery.

Related conditions

For the most part, restless legs syndrome isn't related to a serious underlying medical problem. However, RLS sometimes accompanies other conditions, such as:
•Peripheral neuropathy. This damage to the nerves in your hands and feet is sometimes due to chronic diseases such as diabetes and alcoholism.
•Iron deficiency. Even without anemia, iron deficiency can cause or worsen RLS. If you have a history of bleeding from your stomach or bowels, experience heavy menstrual periods, or repeatedly donate blood, you may have iron deficiency.
•Kidney failure. If you have kidney failure, you may also have iron deficiency, often with anemia. When kidneys fail to function properly, iron stores in your blood can decrease. This, with other changes in body chemistry, may cause or worsen RLS.


Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-cond ... n-20031101

2) Cramps in the legs muscles and joints.

Possible causes:

a) Peripheral Neuropathy
b) Lumbar Stenosis with Neurogenic Claudication (this is the pain in the legs which is radiated from the lumbar spine)

I myself suffer from a low level of RLS during sleep, and Peripheral Neuropathy (semi numbness in the soles of the feet).

About Lumbar Stenosis with Neurogenic Claudication, 2 months ago I had an Open Laminectomy surgery (without fusion and no hardware) of vertebrae L2, L3, and L4.
The Claudication pain in the legs still exist but at lower level. When I lie down in any position there is pocking pain in different muscles of the lower and upper parts of the legs . However, I sleep OK with my CPAP with nightly sleep lasting 6 to 7 hours. I am limited in walking with the need to sit down after about 30 minutes.

RLS pain is a joke compared to the cramps in the legs coming from the Lumbar spine.

[kteague]

It seems to me that there is mixup in this conversation between ReslessLegs syndrome (RLS) and cramps of the muscles and joints of the legs.

Hey Avi, I just read the current comments and didn't see a reference to restless legs. Maybe it was further back in the old posts. But just in case, I'd like to clarify that my post is not related to RLS. PLMD is an entirely separate diagnosis. I've seen even medical sites try to interchange the terms but they are not interchangeable. I was speaking specifically of PLMD. Hope that helps if anyone had any question in their mind.

[SmoothieMom]

My sleep study there were 113 periodic limb movements of sleep and 21 per hour of sleep. there were 21 periodic limb movements with arousal's and 4 per hour with arousal. Just 3 nights ago I woke with that pain in my calf. My toes were spread apart and any movement made it worse. it actually, for the first time, gave me a cramp on the top of my thigh. I thought for sure it would move into my heart and that would be the end of me. Even though it's been 3 days, the back of my calf is still sore. My sleep dr did diagnose me with plsd and rls.

[thenapper]

Back when I was pregnant my doctor told me legs cramps were caused by a lack of calcium. I take " ultra bone up" supplements by Jarrow with Mg, Ca, vit K, vit D, etc whenever I get leg cramps, they disappear in a few days.

[kteague]

Even a person with PLMD can have charley horses or cramps that are not necessarily due to the PLMD. However I have a few times found the contractions of PLMD seemed to trigger a big cramp. I'm guessing at those time I was deficient in something that made me susceptible.

If @smoothiemom or anyone with PLMD would like to discuss it separate from leg cramps, might be a good idea to start another thread so others with the same interest won't overlook the discussion. Searching the forum for PLMD will provide a lot of prior discussion on the subject. Even once my sleep apnea was effectively treated, it wasn't till my legs were quieted down that I began to get better rest. It's a subject dear to my heart because I understand the suffering it can cause. But it's probably more more conversation than one with leg cramps and not PLMD would care to read.