Are cramps in large leg muscles while exercising really a sign of art. blockage?

Sorry if I picked the wrong category.  My husband is 44 and overweight (245 lbs., 6'1") but also massively muscular and large-framed.  He complains that when exercising (hiking, walking) he gets cramps in his calf muscles.

I have read that this is a danger sign of arterial blockage in the legs.  Should he really go to a doctor just to get this checked out?  Should he ask for ultrasound of whatever of the legs?  He did see a dr. less than a year ago for a general physical and passed with a clean bill of health.  While his BP was high in the past, (when he weighed more, he was up to 330 lbs. in the past) it was surprisingly normal at this visit.

He also gets leg cramps occasionally while sleeping and has restless leg syndrome; some nights I can look at my watch and he kicks one leg (could be both, I don't know,  but I have to scoot to the other edge of the bed or he'll keep me awake) on a fixed pattern of every 12 or so seconds constantly for a period of hours, maybe all night.  Don't know if this is related.  He's a light sleeper, also, but he is unaware of the leg kicks as they happen while asleep.  Thanks for any comments.

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

Hi grapevic,

It is true that calf cramps with exercise can be a clue to peripheral vascular disease.  The pain usually comes on with the same amount of exertion and is relieved with rest.  Calf pain or cramps at rest is usually not a symptom of PVD unless you also have it with minimal exertion.

It is probably worth seeing a doctor about this.  An ultrasound may be helpful for large vessel disease, but it often requires an angiogram (contrast dye injection down the leg arteries).

I don't think the restless legs are related to the cramping.  You internist should be able to help you with the treatment of restless leg type syndromes.

i hope this helps.  Thanks for posting.

[NitroOnTap]

Yes, get it checked out before it gets worse. I let mine go for a few years and ended up with a quad bypass that failed and PAD. They cannot redo the bypass and also will not do the operation for my legs.

I also have restless leg syndrome. They give me Amitriptyline for it. My legs go crazy even when I am in my recliner watching TV at night. I have no idea what they did when I was sleeping in bed.:) When they first gave me the Amitriptyline, I stopped taking it because I found out it was a depression drug. My cardio doc informed me that it also was for my restless legs.

[VikingColumbus]

Hi again madgrad92,

   I too don't like to intrude in another thread's subject
matter but as madgrad92 indicated her original thread was
roadblocked to further responses.

   Madgrad92, just wanted to say that I as well cannot
pinpoint specific activities which would induce an SVT
or NSVT event etc. I can emphatically say that when I have
a cold I have a greater sensitivity to 'them' occuring.

   Finally, I would advise exercise which tasks your heart
reasonably - with of course your cardios OK!. Over the past
years the cardios responding to this forums Q's have spoken
of the heart's inate ability to 'remodel' itself according
to the demands placed upon it. Seems logical to me that with
one's heart remodelling from more than just lazy exercise,
all 'components' relationally remodel vis a vis the whole.
If the atrium for example is the origin of a given arrhythmia,
it's scaled remodelling from exercise might - I think - just
help to reign in troublesome heart cells to act more orderly.
That's the premise I work with in doing regular exercise to
'remodel' my heart - for the better. The exercise thing hasn't
hurt and psychically it helps me weather the episodes that
come along. Again though, with your cardios OK!

   Best,

VC

[grapevic]

Thanks; I'm not sure if the doctor will see this, but it turns out I had the facts wrong from my husband; lucky for him, he doesn't get the cramps often and it is while at rest, maybe after exercising but not while exercising.  So it looks like he's in the clear.  I read up on symptoms of PAD and it looks like it does not match up; rather, my husband is just a big guy in good enough shape for now, although he does need to lose weight.  I think if I weighed over 200 my legs and feet would complain every once in a while, too.

Thanks, everyone!  I feel much better now.  I don't think he wants to be treated for the restless legs, either, it's not all the time and it's probably better not to have meds with their side effects.