Leg cramps-anyone else get these?

hipsydipsy

Regular Member

Joined : Mar 2007

Posts : 58

Posted 8/19/2007 11:00 AM (GMT -6)

Hey everyone!

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with my crohn's, but you all know there's so many obscure symptoms so you never know...

anyway, I get really, really bad leg cramps. I'm talking right up and down my legs, normally both of them and they last hours. Normally stretching and a heating pad doesn't work so the only thing that dulls the pain are painkillers. They seem to be becoming more frequent too...

Anyone have any suggestions why I'm getting these and how to make them stop?!!

Oh, btw, I'm on cellcept and entocort, that's it.

straydog

Forum Moderator

Joined : Feb 2003

Posts : 17302

Posted 8/19/2007 12:24 PM (GMT -6)

Hi Hipsy, I hear ya about the leg cramps, only mine are the bad charley horses that make you scream with pain and take your breath away. You have not lived until you get a charley horse in your thigh, I thought calf muscles were bad, little did I know. I do not know what causes on me except I take a diurectic plus my BP meds have a diurectic. I take Potassium and eat bananas and baked potatoes. If I am a little on the dehydrated side I will also get them. I have had these long before crohns came along and was dx's w/that lovely disease. I really don't think the cd has anything to do with it. Susie

CE CE

New Member

Joined : Aug 2007

Posts : 3

Posted 8/19/2007 12:29 PM (GMT -6)

I agree with eating bananas and staying hydrated.

teddybearweiser

Veteran Member

Joined : Oct 2004

Posts : 3042

Posted 8/19/2007 12:31 PM (GMT -6)

Hi Hipsy, Yes I get leg cramps. I have to take vicodin its the only thing that helps me.

Hi, I am teddybearweiser, I am a male.

I was diagnosed with crohns disease when i was admitted to the hospital

in 1992, in Jan of 1993 I was back in the hospital for surgery for my crohns. I had part of my right colon resectioned with ilecolonstomy.

My GI doctor has me on Asacol, Dicyclomine,Imuran,Celebrex and Remicade. B-12 injection once a month.

My Internest doctor has me on Lisnopril-HTCZ and Folic Acid. Diagnosed

with Osteoarthritis July 2007

Irish_Mom

Regular Member

Joined : Apr 2007

Posts : 385

Posted 8/19/2007 1:26 PM (GMT -6)

The most commmon cause is dehydration. Also low potassium, thyroid disease, and low calcium can cause them. You can try drinking tonic water which contains quinine; drink about six ounces before going to bed.

Breast Cancer at 36. Diagnosed in 2000. Bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction.

Status post colon resection, but now heading towards a total colectomy in September.

Son diagnosed with Crohn's at 17 (now 20). Taking Asacol and 6MP with Prednisone and Rowasa added during flareups.

Allison_82

Regular Member

Joined : Jul 2005

Posts : 47

Posted 8/19/2007 4:55 PM (GMT -6)

Hi Hipsy:

I've always been one to get leg cramps, and have gotten them sporadically since my early teenage years. However, when I was going through my first really major Crohn's flare up (before I knew that's what I was going through), my leg cramps were horrid...it would happen every night and be so painful that sometimes I would cry. Also, they would take awhile to work out...I'd have to walk and stretch for quite awhile before they'd feel better and I could go back to sleep, sometimes only to have them re-spasm when I laid back down.

I will agree that the cramps probably weren't caused by Crohn's per se, but Crohn's can cause dehydration and vitamin malabsorption, and those things can lead to leg cramps. Upping my calcium intake before bed seemed to help me some, but it wasn't until my disease was under control that they really got better.

Best of luck to you in handling those nasty cramps!

--Allison

Allison

24 year-old female, Dx in 7/2005 with CD and Crohn's colitis

Rx: Asacol 4.8 gms/day (12 tablets!), Imuran 100 mg/day, Canasa suppositories

Pregnant with Baby #1!

petittarte

Veteran Member

Joined : Apr 2006

Posts : 692

Posted 8/19/2007 5:14 PM (GMT -6)

I get really bad cramps in my calfs and feet and also sometimes in my back. I don't know if they're Crohn's related but since my GI increased my Remicade dosage the cramps aren't as bad.

Jodi

Remicade and 6MP

gachrons

Veteran Member

Joined : Mar 2007

Posts : 4527

Posted 8/19/2007 5:15 PM (GMT -6)

Hi Hispy I was getting dramped toes and fingers for awhile thet have seemed to atop. Sure can underatand your discomfort I had them in my calf but not all the way up my leg. Sure hope some of these suggestions people send you work.Let us know what you do to get rid of them. lol gail

curley

Veteran Member

Joined : Mar 2005

Posts : 4305

Posted 8/19/2007 10:32 PM (GMT -6)

I get them as well and I agree with Susie that I don't believe that crohns has any thing to do with them either.Some times I will get one and go away and then come back in a hour or two.

Curley

.........

Dave D

Regular Member

Joined : Aug 2005

Posts : 404

Posted 8/20/2007 10:08 AM (GMT -6)

I get them especially bad when I'm on Prednisone which may really mean a Crohns flareup. I even get them in my arms and fingers.
Dave D

Retired male in late 60's. Perforated Colon in 92. Diagnosed as Ulcerative Colitis in 93. Uncontrolled flareup in 97 dictated J-pouch surgery. 04 Capsule endoscopy diagnosed as Crohns not UC. Emergency surgery in 05 to remove lodged camera capsule. Biopsies positively diagnosed Crohns at that time. 12/06 Unsucessfully tried Naltrexone(LDN). 2/07 developed scleritis of the eye, tearing and detaching the retina. Treated with high doses of Prednisone. 6/07 Eye is healing and currently taking Entocort counting on the residual (non-systemic portion) treating the eye. In October if eye is stabilized, will need cataract removal (obviously old steroid associated). Then surgey to the back of the eye to remove scare tissue caused by the detachment. The upside? Right now I only have to clean one side (lense) of my glasses.

Married with 4 grandkids.

Pampers

Regular Member

Joined : May 2007

Posts : 76

Posted 8/20/2007 10:13 AM (GMT -6)

I have them now - it feels like I've been working out to hard, but I havent. I get them on and off and attribute them as one of the many joys of UC.I figure its UC since thats the only other thing I also have all the time.

Diagnosed with UC 8 years ago

Asacol / 12 per day

Canasa / 1 per day

Rowasa / 1 per day

~~Prednizone~~ / 40 MG Day( finished taper!!!)

Azathioprine / 100 MG Day

Levaquin 1 per day

Flogyl 1 per day

Diagnosed with Crohn's 6/26/2007

sanfran

Regular Member

Joined : Jul 2007

Posts : 56

Posted 8/20/2007 5:38 PM (GMT -6)

I get terrible leg cramps when I flare. They feel like multiple charley horses in both legs (mostly calves for me) at the same time then my muscles would be constantly sore after the actual cramping subsided. I also had erythema nodosum (red painful lumps) at the same time not sure if the cramps were related or not. All of my electrolytes came back at normal levels so I just filed it under random CD symtpoms of which there seem to be endless varieties. Oddly enough, the first time it happened and before I was diagnosed with CD, I got relief after being on Cipro for a couple of days. Otherwise, heating pads, pain killers, and staying off of my feet were all that helped. Eventually, they resolved as I got my flare under control.

Dx with Crohn's Colitis July 2007

37 yr old working Mom with two beautiful little girls (2 and 4)

Prednisone (down to 30 mg), 4800mg Asacol, Vicadin, Imitrix and Ambien as needed

killerzoey

Regular Member

Joined : Jul 2007

Posts : 161

Posted 8/24/2007 5:13 AM (GMT -6)

I have been prone to these the last few months, and I am recently diagnosed with Crohn's. They are worst in my toes but I can feel my body kind of wanting to cramp up in lots of places. I also have widespread joint pain and general achiness. I suspect, like the pp'er that they may be malabsorption of calcium and such. I'm not eating a very wide variety right now as I'm still intro-ing on SCD, but I do eat a TON of bananas and yogurt so that should cover the potassium and calcium. Still I cramp up.

36 year old mother of a fabulous toddler.
Diagnosed with Crohn's July 2007. I believe it's in the right side of my colon.
Currently taking Entocort 6 mg/day (tapering down), Asacol, Protonix 40mg/day.

On Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) since late July and seeing improvement in "output" quality and hopefully therefore absorption. Taking SCD legal supplements: B vitamins, Folonic Acid 800mg, EnZym Complete DPP IV Aid by Kirkman, and Saccaromyces Boulardii (a probiotic yeast).

Gastritis is back - constant, gnawing hunger. Yech.

MMac

Regular Member

Joined : Dec 2006

Posts : 244

Posted 8/24/2007 7:21 PM (GMT -6)

I get the cramps, charlie horse or whatever, quite often in my legs, feet and my toes! OUCH... I hate it..

MMAC, Wife & Mother of 3 (14, 13 & 7) - Diagnosed w/CD June05 (terminal ileum)

Asacol (9 daily), Imuran (150mg), Prenisone (15mg), Cipro (1000mg)Lunesta (3mg), Phenergan (when needed) - Remicade as of 7/24

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