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Widespread Muscle Cramps/Spasms

Hi, Over the past couple weeks, I've been getting more and more muscle cramping and spasms in many places on my body and they are getting more frequent and painful. I get them in my feet/toes(this can happen while laying down, sitting, walking and even while driving); the entire backs of my calves (not just on the side), around my knee (ive gotten some horribly painful cramps around my knee that caused it to stay bent, I couldnt put my leg down and my leg started turning inwards at the knee, took a while to work the cramp out); in my hands (sometimes I get bad pain in the middle of my palms or other places on my hands and my thumb gets pressed into my palm with my other fingers pressed onto my thumb); around my ankles which causes my foot to bend and turn inwards;
in my face, mainly lower cheeks to jaw area, in my throat area; my lower back gets spasms (but I have lumbar stenosis and spondylosis in there so I can understand getting them here); sometimes i've gotten them really bad in my back neck and into my left shoulder;

Some of these cramps/spasms or whatever they are called are extremely painful and very hard to stop; Sometimes the pain gets worse when I try to say pull my fingers apart or try to pull my knee or ankle back into place. They can happen day or night; I wear a big ridid AFO brace on my right foot/ankle and that foot and/or toes will still cramp up while wearing the brace. I even get foot cramps while driving; There doesnt seem to be any specific timing to any of this.

My rheumy happened to notice my hand spasms recently, so he sent me for blood tests ( I dont know yet if they showed anything) CBC, CMP, ESR, and Magnesium. But I have a muscle relaxer (Soma) and Lyrica (for nerve pain in my outer hip areas that stem from  my spine). None of this seems to be helping all these cramps & spasms though. I think I drink enough, take a multi vitamin every day, I even tried taking calcium & magnesium supplements, ate more bananas. NOthing seems to help.

Has anyone experienced spasms and cramps like this? Any ideas what might cause this?
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Avatar universal
Hi, i was checked for my calcium levels, plus magnesium and other things, but it seems that all checks out okay.I can't even do much stretching anymore, everytime I do, something cramps up or goes into spasm. I'm taking Soma and that doesnt seem to help either. It makes my body feel looser, but isnt stopping the spasms. Ughh and end of this month, my Cobra will be over. I can buy cheaper individual insurance, but the cheap plan only covers up to $500/year in any kind of diagnostic testing, so I'm not going to be able to get any other tests soon for anything. I might have to stop taking some of other meds, too.
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Avatar universal
Hello!
I've had the same thing...My calcium level was way off (ionized calcium)...It was caused by an endocrine problem...(I had hyperparathyroidism)..Docs don't look for parathyroid problems because they are pretty uncommon...Look up Parathyroid.com..It lists symptoms of high and low calcium...Maybe this will help?
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Avatar universal
Darling - my rheumy actually mentioned tetany after looking at my hands, as one was was cramping while I was there. So he sent me for tests, but I called a few times, and the office just isnt callling back. I guess the blood work is fine. I have been taking and trying different supplements, but so far it's doing no good.

Janga- yes, I do get alot of sciatc flares. I had severe lumbar central canal stenosis and had surgery about a year and 1/2 ago, and I did pretty well for 6 months after. Then I got severe sciatica which was helped by a nerve block. But since then it seems I get either disc herniations or scar tissue compression every few weeks since then. And it's not always in the same area. I do know I have spinal arthritis and DDD, so that's proabalby why it keeps happening. So far I've had my bladder checked by a gyno at a bladder center in gyno's office. I had a CMG test and also checked for interstitial cystitis. Both tests were negative. However, at that time I wasnt really having any nerve compression or much pain in my spine. I have noticed that sometimes when I have bad sciatica & real low back/rear pain, it seems I can hardly go to the bathroom. Same thing before surgeyr. This doc didnt really think it would have to do with my spine, but I just think it might....every time I take steroids or ESI's, the bladder problems get better.

Pepe - yes, I have been checked for diabetes quite a few times, though it does run in my family. Well, juvenille (type 1) runs in my family. I also have possible lupus or something autoimmune, but that is pretty much under control with Plaquenil.

I guess I will ask my spine surgeon about some of this next appointment. He is actually out of a teaching university hospital in Philly. He is good with explaining things and even showed me all my MRI's and exactly where places were stenotic, where herniations were, where scar tissue was, etc.
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Avatar universal
Long shot and it's probably stupid, but have you checked yourself for diabetes? My mom used to get qa lot of spasms and cramps before she got diagnosed with diabetes.
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Avatar universal
Sounds like you have sciatic problems as well.  or and S1 and pirofromis problems which usually occur from a traumatic fall or overuse of those muscles - Since you are in the earlier stages- I would definitely get on top of this by going to an Orth- Doctor- for ruling out Sacrum and pirofromis- this cannot be seen by any type testing- it is found by the doctor asking you to do certain leg lifts- feet circles and by pushing deep into your buttock to see if it responds into spasms! etc.,..  It is one of the hardest problems to detect and most doctors are not up to date on their anatomy- Go to a larger teaching hospital! and go to a  Urologist to rule out any enlarge bladder problems. You may want to be tested for lupus- and also if you have severe lock up spasms that you have to pull apart- usually these are signs of vitamin definciency-  I hope you the best- Janga
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Avatar universal
Might be low b12 or other endocrine problem, like something causing tetany. Might also be neurological in nature, like a dyskenesia, etc. See a neurologist. I'll tell you that I have undiagnosed neuro problem. Docs could never figure it out. Think it might be a metabolic myopathy. I do get cramps and spams, a little different than what you describe. I'll share what I take that helps me...magnesium and iron. Calcium makes me feel worse. You might try that. It did wonders for me. If you do, let me know how it works. Good luck!
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