Prednisone and Cramps

[Snowflake]

Good day guys,

I hope all are managing.

I have been taking 50mg of Prednisone daily for the past few weeks, in an attempt to assist with the loading dosages of my D3.

It is helping, however I am having excruciating leg cramps mainly at night. Now it is also cramping on the muscle surrounding both my hip replacements. Get them some times when I'm driving also

So, I do know that Prednisone actually depletes Potassium levels.

Magnesium, for some reason, is just  makes the cramps worse.

I tried other anti cramp meds out there and its not working.

 

Just wanted to find out if it is safe to take high dosages of Potassium for now and if it will aggravate the Clusters or will it be safe.

Thanks

 

[FunTimes]

I will sometimes have leg cramps but I think the cause is to much caffeine. What helps me is Bananas (potassium) drinking lots of water and stretching on the floor (fake yoga). Not sure if this will help you with the pred cramps but it does help me. 

[Bejeeber]

I very much like, and vigorously salute, the @FunTimes reply, and will just add my experiences as an adult life-long nocturnal cramps experience-er, whose wake up calls have been largely in remission for going on a year now:

• They can be a moving target, just like our 'ol CH buddy. Magnesium citrate worked for me for keeping them at bay for like a couple years at one stretch, then failed. Magnesium gluconate seemed to help at one point also, but individuals apparently can have different reactions to different forms - citrate worsens cramps for one family member, but gluconate doesn't
• Yep, the potassium-rich foods bananas, avocados, potatoes and sweet potatoes can potentially help significantly (at least until the target may shift)
• I didn't realize the sudden wake up cramps could be anything other than a ridiculously huge emergency-feeling level of painful until more recently when I had a couple that were a strange and thoroughly unfamiliar kind of 'moderate'
• I'm known to do occasional 'walking lunge' type leg exercises. Not sure what, if anything they're doing for me in the cramp department, but my current remission has coincided with the addition of this 'Advanced Electrolytes' supplement, one pill with dinner. I might question whether especially high doses of potassium are really required, but of course am fully acquainted with the desperate times/desperate measures mindset many of us here have been known to adopt courtesy of the CH!

 

[CHfather]

I have been very, very surprised that a product called Theraworx actually seems to help to quickly relieve my intense leg cramps.  It's not preventive -- it's a cream or roll-on that you apply when the cramp begins (though sometimes I use it when I'm getting into bed at night as a possible preventive).  It's just magnesium.  Since it's topical and not consumed, maybe it wouldn't affect you as you have described.  Amazon.com: Theraworx Relief for Muscle Cramps Foam Fast-Acting Muscle Spasm, Leg Soreness with Magnesium Sulfate - 7.1 oz - 1 Count : Health & Household

I also concur with Jeebs that if you can find a form of magnesium pill that doesn't have negative effects, it would be good. I would say that oral magnesium has helped me more than potassium.

Edited 9 hours ago by CHfather

[Bejeeber]

I neglected to mention that, guzzling the kool-aid and buying into the positive Amazon reviews, I have used the EXACT SAME THERAWORX AS @CHfather, and I was also shocked at how reliably and consistently it worked for relief of intense leg cramps - for me, it has routinely worked to relieve full blown cramps in progress, and I still religiously keep it at the bedside in case. 

This is iron clad proof that the world's greatest minds think in an identical fashion , although I'll admit I hadn't thought to try it right before bed as a possible preventative.

I'm also now starting to consider the greatest mind @FunTimes comment about too much caffeine as a possible culprit. 

 

 

[jon019]

....if you're taking a statin (e.g. Atorvastatin) for cholesterol control a typical side effect can be leg cramps. boy-howdy those 200AM cramp-athons will get your attn. yes, i take Mg, but find that skipping a dose now and then is muy bueno. your doc may disagree...so discuss it....

[CHfather]

 

7 hours ago, Bejeeber said:

world's greatest minds think in an identical fashion