hcv and muscle cramps

[lost and confussed]

Hi all,
I was wondering I haven't started tx yet and was wondering if before tx anyone had experienced extreme muscle cramps in the legs. I have had them for a few years and yesterday they about sent me to the hospital.
The only releif that I seem to get is a scalding hot bath.

also trihepguy,
My doc started me taking calcium before tx but it caused alot of upper rt quad pain. since tx hasnt started we stopped for a few days and pain went away.
I really dont have any meds in me yet so it was easy to eliminate.
My pharmisist said that calcium pills process through the liver and to eat calcium rich foods and drink milk instead.

hope you have a restfull weekend

[hph5477]

I don't know if this will help you with your leg cramps or not but my mom used to get really, really BAD cramps til she started taking quionine tablets.  Don't know what effect they have on the liver though.  She started taking them once daily and now only takes one per week.  I'll take one once or twice a year when my legs cramp and they help me tremendously.  Just a thought......something to ask your doctor about.

Good luck with your tx.

[gonagetbetr]

Hey everyone I just heard on cnn that in conneticut a cow embrio was produced that will not allow the mad cow desease. I know who cares
but they also said that the cow will not be bread to produce cows that can not develop the desease they will use the blood of the cow to try and develop cures for phenumonia and hcv.

Dont know how it works but just hope it does

[petepie]

ouch!
I feel for you.I had those cramps in my legs for years,and none of the medico's i spoke to seemed to have any practical advice.
Man they are agony, many a night I literally dragged my self to the shower (as you have been doing with your bath) to get any relief. Where I started to hear others experiencing similar problems was in my work up for a liver transplant. (Up till then though, I found great relief in mineral supps,(magnesium and zinc especially). And since the transplant I've had none what-soever, which indicates to me that this problem was to do with (MY)! end stage liver disease, I say "my" because liver disease is different for every-one, and the range of symptoms is myarid, for me the cramps were a major issue,though it's not so for every-one. as we're all different. You may find the minerals a great help:

[gonagetbetr]

Thank you so much
I thought that maybe I was crazy, I really thought that the two were related somehow but it did not seem like anyone else was experiencing the same thing.
CRAZY PAIN
How long ago did you have your transplant?
Have you cleared the hcv?
Best of luck to you in the future

[cuteus]

Prior to tx I had been experiencing leg cramp(one leg) at night.
Have not had any since starting Tx.

[audreywald]

Leg cramps are one of the main symptoms of hep C.  I went to several dr's and had several tests before I thought to ask my hep doc. He prescribed quinine; it works for some people.

My other 2 symptoms before tx (and still sonce I was stopped after 13 shots) are stomach problems, and sometimes bad fatigue.

[gonagetbetr]

ok so how weird is this. they use to make a product called legatrin
it contained quinine so it was pulled off the market. strange that they will prescribe but you cant buy over the counter anymore.

my pharmasist told me that he thought that it was from a potassium deffiency so off to the banana isle I went

lots of bananas and water later leg cramps have really improved

hopefully it continues to work I just hate all the vitamins and pills. never took anything prior to last month now i am taking
vit c
vit e
milk thistle
grape root extract
multi vitamin
lasix ( for swelling ankles ) hence the potassium deffiency
and lopressor for rapid heart beat
really want to stop the last as it makes you feel dopey
arghhhh
best of luck to you
are you currently tx'ing

[TnHepGuy_]

If you have a pre-existing heart condition (i.e. - rapid heart beat), you may not be a good candidate for Vioxx for platelets. Before even considering using it, run your history by your doc and/or cardiologist. Also, getting a pharmacist's opinion couldn't hurt, too.

And, if they think you may not be a good candidate for Vioxx and still want to try something - show them the Vioxx study, mention that Celebrex is in the same class (COX-2) of drugs (as is Bextra) - and see if that might be a consideration for you.


TnHepGuy

[cheriums]

I doubt you can eat enough "calcium rich foods" to get results.  What is often the problem with taking just calcium alone:  your body, including muscles, need MAGNESIUM along with the calcium.  For many people, half as much magnesium as calcium (e.g one often finds tablets with 250 mg Mg + 500 Mg Ca in each) is what's needed.  Some people need more Mg than that.  By trial and error, I found my body needs the two minerals in equal amounts, so I take an additional tablet of Mg.  The tablets need to dissolve to be of any use.   Put one in a cup of vinegar, stir it every 5-10 mins.  It should dissolve in 30 mins. The Mg also calms nerves.  Take one dose of Ca + Mg at night, before bed.

[audreywald]

I was taken off tx after 13 shots due to severe sides. Mostly stomach; two trips to ER, couldn't leave the bathroom, severe pain - and then I did not have a 2 log drop. I started with a VL of over 12 million, am a genotype 1 and they did not give me the best chance of SVR. But I tried.

I noticed leg cramps years ago, I knew I had hep c but did not connect it. I went to a rheumotologist, I described the crapms as if I had run a marathon after 6 months of bedrest. He did not know, did some tests, no answer.

But my hep doc, when I asked him, said they were a side of hep C itself. Gave me quinine tablets. They did not help much, but the cramps come and go. In fact, all my symptoms come and go, I was told hep C is an ebb and flow disease as far as symptoms.

This would not be true of complications or end stage disease, I am a stage 1 with inflammation 1-2. Some very ill people have few symtoms and some not so ill on test results feel lousy - go figure.

I am ok today anyway.  I just want my hair back. It looks so weird and different. It is really thin and dry and split ends. At age 50, my hair was my best physical thing, now I think I just look like a weird middle age woman with little hair.

I want a T shirt that says, "I am not really a bald woman, this is from chemo".

[gonagetbetr]

thanks for all the info it really helps

trihepguy
you are a lifesaver to me I feel really connected to you and for that I thank you again. you are a great source of information but more than that you are kind and compassionate. whether you know it or not you have made me a stronger person. I hope that one day I can do the same for someone else
ok stop blushing :0)

Audrey,
I Believe that even with out hair you are a beautiful person. the fact that you Take the time to share your personal experience with others that just dont know and need help makes you great and loved by people you don't even know.

Cheriums ,
thanks for the advice I will try the magnisium

and to everyone else
big hugs and smiles
I hope everyone has a good weekend and that it is sx free