Nocturnal leg cramps - SEVERE! Meds??

[dllfo]

I have RLS, TN, Carpal Tunnel, PN and SEVERE nighttime muscle cramps. I have been on Quinine for years. Two to three of the 324mg Qualaquin capsules daily. I KNOW it is hard on my body and would love to find something else.

Tricare insurance just told me they won't approve it for anything but Malaria.

I have heard people say Neurontin helps. I have tried drinking tonic water. No luck.

My right calf muscle cramps hard enough that I have to jump up in the air and land on the ball of my right foot, more than once, to relieve the cramp. I have a further complication. I have been on a LOT of antibiotics, including Cipro and Levaquin. A side effect of these is to weaken (?) the tendon holding the muscle on the bone. Currently, I have ruptured the tendon holding my right bicep to the bone. See why I am afraid of these cramps? I am so afraid I will jump up and when I land I will tear the calf muscle off the bone.

I don't like quinine. Wish we had something else. This forum might be my best hope.
Thanks for taking the time to read this...Dave

EDIT: My Primary Care doctor said he thought Mirapex for RLS would help the muscle cramps. News to me.

[dcb123]

Originally Posted by dllfo

I have RLS, TN, Carpal Tunnel, PN and SEVERE nighttime muscle cramps. I have been on Quinine for years. Two to three of the 324mg Qualaquin capsules daily. I KNOW it is hard on my body and would love to find something else.

Tricare insurance just told me they won't approve it for anything but Malaria.

I have heard people say Neurontin helps. I have tried drinking tonic water. No luck.

My right calf muscle cramps hard enough that I have to jump up in the air and land on the ball of my right foot, more than once, to relieve the cramp. I have a further complication. I have been on a LOT of antibiotics, including Cipro and Levaquin. A side effect of these is to weaken (?) the tendon holding the muscle on the bone. Currently, I have ruptured the tendon holding my right bicep to the bone. See why I am afraid of these cramps? I am so afraid I will jump up and when I land I will tear the calf muscle off the bone.

I don't like quinine. Wish we had something else. This forum might be my best hope.
Thanks for taking the time to read this...Dave

EDIT: My Primary Care doctor said he thought Mirapex for RLS would help the muscle cramps. News to me.

Gabapentin was the only drug that cured my night leg cramps.
David

[Jalee]

Originally Posted by dllfo

I have RLS, TN, Carpal Tunnel, PN and SEVERE nighttime muscle cramps. I have been on Quinine for years. Two to three of the 324mg Qualaquin capsules daily. I KNOW it is hard on my body and would love to find something else.

Tricare insurance just told me they won't approve it for anything but Malaria.

I have heard people say Neurontin helps. I have tried drinking tonic water. No luck.

My right calf muscle cramps hard enough that I have to jump up in the air and land on the ball of my right foot, more than once, to relieve the cramp. I have a further complication. I have been on a LOT of antibiotics, including Cipro and Levaquin. A side effect of these is to weaken (?) the tendon holding the muscle on the bone. Currently, I have ruptured the tendon holding my right bicep to the bone. See why I am afraid of these cramps? I am so afraid I will jump up and when I land I will tear the calf muscle off the bone.

I don't like quinine. Wish we had something else. This forum might be my best hope.
Thanks for taking the time to read this...Dave

EDIT: My Primary Care doctor said he thought Mirapex for RLS would help the muscle cramps. News to me.

You might want to try the Mirapex. I take it twice a day. I have spasms which start in my feet and work up my legs. Although it doesn't completely stop them at the dosage I'm taking, it is much more manageable.

[dllfo]

Jalee, I take 1mg a day for my RLS, but when we doubled it I got sick. Have lost about 25-30 pounds in 4-6 weeks.

I am so tired right now I have trouble putting coherent sentences together.

Due to Nocturnal leg cramps I don't get enough sleep. My software indicates I get less than 4 hours sleep a night at least 25% of the time. And not much more than four hours unless I use Lunesta or Rozerem (8mg). I don't like taking pills, God knows I have taken thousands and thousands over the last 8 years.

I am taking Carafate for my stomach problems, and it is working. It is usually prescribed for ulcers. My wife is a true gift from God, she patiently tries dish after dish trying to find something I can eat without getting sick later. She is an angel.

I am awkwardly trying to say one change in meds is effecting me in many ways. All bad. Adding insult to injury, I just had a lab test indicate my PSA is 56+, so they have me on Cipro for 30 days. In February, when I complete this regimen, I will have consumed right at 300,000mg of anti-biotics in 4 years. THAT can't be good for me, but with lung infections, etc. I guess they have no choice.

Apologies for rambling, thanks for taking the time to help....Dave

[marthajoy7]

This may sound stupid and I almost would not even respond, but I used to suffer from terrible leg cramps as well, and quite often. Someone, I know suggested regular yellow mustard, either down the throat or as a plast helps to relieve them, and for me at least it did the trick. Now I use mustard on many of the foods I eat just to keep them at bay, and have not had a single muscle cramps in at least a year. But that could maybe also be attributed to maybe primidone which I also started about 10 months ago. I hope things improve for you, as I know how painful they can be.

Originally Posted by dllfo

Jalee, I take 1mg a day for my RLS, but when we doubled it I got sick. Have lost about 25-30 pounds in 4-6 weeks.

I am so tired right now I have trouble putting coherent sentences together.

Due to Nocturnal leg cramps I don't get enough sleep. My software indicates I get less than 4 hours sleep a night at least 25% of the time. And not much more than four hours unless I use Lunesta or Rozerem (8mg). I don't like taking pills, God knows I have taken thousands and thousands over the last 8 years.

I am taking Carafate for my stomach problems, and it is working. It is usually prescribed for ulcers. My wife is a true gift from God, she patiently tries dish after dish trying to find something I can eat without getting sick later. She is an angel.

I am awkwardly trying to say one change in meds is effecting me in many ways. All bad. Adding insult to injury, I just had a lab test indicate my PSA is 56+, so they have me on Cipro for 30 days. In February, when I complete this regimen, I will have consumed right at 300,000mg of anti-biotics in 4 years. THAT can't be good for me, but with lung infections, etc. I guess they have no choice.

Apologies for rambling, thanks for taking the time to help....Dave

[Peg B]

Originally Posted by marthajoy7

This may sound stupid and I almost would not even respond, but I used to suffer from terrible leg cramps as well, and quite often. Someone, I know suggested regular yellow mustard, either down the throat or as a plast helps to relieve them, and for me at least it did the trick. Now I use mustard on many of the foods I eat just to keep them at bay, and have not had a single muscle cramps in at least a year. But that could maybe also be attributed to maybe primidone which I also started about 10 months ago. I hope things improve for you, as I know how painful they can be.

Well this may also sound stupid. I drink plenty of tonic water, but if I do not wear big fuzzy warm socks to bed I wake up with severe leg cramps. If I wear my regular gym socks, I will also get cramps. I also take one tab of vicodine (regular dose or 1/2 tab of extra strength) for RLS and as long as I wear the fuzzy socks I am fine. Best Wishes, Peg

[Gramma]

Hi Dave,

I just joined to find out about my neuro's plan to cure my nocturnal leg cramps with mirapex.

Last year I had a bad bout with motor nerve neuropathy, and some of the nerves in my lower legs are now dead. I can walk almost normally again, Thank goodness, but I suffer with horrible cramps in my calves and ankles and feet at night. And in my hands and fingers during the day.

Last night I started Mirapex, 0.125 at 8:00 PM and another 0.125 at 11:00 PM. I felt like I had been slightly paralyzed, but could still feel the knotting of my muscles in preparation for cramping. But only one cramp broke through.

It is ruining my sleep, though, so I checked and tonight I can take a low dose of Lunesta.

I'll let you know if it works. Or have you started it yourself?

Gramma Ellie

[jackpain]

I 2nd the yellow mustard ( as crazy & economical as it sounds)
After sudden OA onset and resulting left hip replacement, trauma accelerated spinal stenosis followed by a ladder -involved spine fracture- nothing else helped my nightly and sometimes daily leg cramps-hamstring, calf, & foot. And my MD recommended it- although he didn't know why it works. (acetic acid possibly) I also tried dijon & another brown mustard first and they did nothing. Yellow mustard worked the 1st and every night I've taken about a teaspoon of it. I still get 'tremors' or spasms in the morning but nothing painful. Best nights sleep in years for 2 bucks a month.

[dseckt]

Originally Posted by dllfo

I have RLS, TN, Carpal Tunnel, PN and SEVERE nighttime muscle cramps. I have been on Quinine for years. Two to three of the 324mg Qualaquin capsules daily. I KNOW it is hard on my body and would love to find something else.

Tricare insurance just told me they won't approve it for anything but Malaria.

I have heard people say Neurontin helps. I have tried drinking tonic water. No luck.

My right calf muscle cramps hard enough that I have to jump up in the air and land on the ball of my right foot, more than once, to relieve the cramp. I have a further complication. I have been on a LOT of antibiotics, including Cipro and Levaquin. A side effect of these is to weaken (?) the tendon holding the muscle on the bone. Currently, I have ruptured the tendon holding my right bicep to the bone. See why I am afraid of these cramps? I am so afraid I will jump up and when I land I will tear the calf muscle off the bone.

I don't like quinine. Wish we had something else. This forum might be my best hope.
Thanks for taking the time to read this...Dave

EDIT: My Primary Care doctor said he thought Mirapex for RLS would help the muscle cramps. News to me.

Sound a lot like what I'm going through I take 400MG 0f Gabapentin 3 times aday.. No longer have the night cramps.. and even if I do, the pain and duration is much less.. I still have a problem if I try to walk a great distance.