Worst leg cramp ever

[Sailorsong]

This morning when I was getting up I ended up in probably the worst pain I have had since MS started. I mean it even beat out the pain when I have TN.

My right leg was straight and I was just starting to bend the leg in preparation of getting out of bed. But instead of bending slowly like normal it snapped all they way to the fully bent position with excruciating pain in the calf. It took a good fifteen minutes before I could move that leg at all even with using my hands. It was just stuck there with the heel of my foot up by my rear.

Needless to say with my leg stuck in that position there was no way I could even try to get out of bed to even try to get to my medications. It took probably another 1 hour before I got my leg into a 90 degree bend and was able to at least crawl out of bed. Once I was able to crawl I headed for the living room where I keep my medications and took my Hydrocodone.

While the pain medication has helped some I have been using my crutches from my knee surgery to get around the house all day. It has been over 8 hours now and while I can almost straighten my leg out all the way any time I put any weight on that leg the pain becomes unbearable as in 12 out of 10. Even as I sit here at my computer I can feel that calf muscle trying to tighten up again every few minutes.

So do anyone else have this happen to them and what do they do for it?

Dennis

[ric123456789]

I must say that I have gotten them so bad that I wanted to call 911 finally someone told me to drink saltwater I no nasty but it works if you get them like i do you will try anything

[Sailorsong]

Thank you!

Kind of funny that with your foot cramps you toes go up while mine go down. I think you are the first person I have heard of with toes going up with a cramp.

At least it was only one muscle that was cramping on me Sunday. In fact most of the time it is only one at a time.

I am making a note of those medicines for when I see my Shrink on Wed. I hope that I can talk him into giving me an RX

Dennis

[jensequitur]

Well, I'm sorry you've been having spasms.  I can really relate.  

I get them in both feet - my toes will stick straight up, and to get them to relax I have to grab my foot and force the toe down.  (Usually I put my hand under the arch of the foot and point the foot, and bend the toe down at the same time.)  A couple of nights ago, I woke up with both toes pointing up.  That was bad enough - I sat up and began to try to get the toes down.  Then the muscle on the outside of my leg - the one that runs from the outside of the ankle bone around the leg to the inside of the thigh - began spasming and pulling my foot to the outside.  And then the other leg started doing the same thing!  It was hideous.  

Last night I had my calf spasm, but it wasn't as bad.

I take baclofen and tizanidine.  I used to take Flexaril, but I found that one tizanidine is good for several hours.  A flexaril doesn't last as long, and I end up at my maximum dosage.

Personally, I think you would do well with the baclofen.  I titrated up to 60 mg, which prevents the esophageal spasm.  I do have some breakthrough spasms, which I treat with the tizanidine.  I can get baclofen through the Walmart $4 plan, and it costs me $20 a month.

[Sailorsong]

Thank you for your response to my post. It took about 12 hours before I was finally able to completely straighten my leg out. Of course by that time my left leg was getting kind of sore due to the added strain on it.

No I'm not on any muscle relaxers. I have tried in the past to get some from my PC. Since I am on 15 different RX she doesn't want to give me any of those. I took over a year to get her to give me the RX for the hydrocodone and then she only allows me 30 pills per year.

Dennis

[figuerpa]

Dennis,

I am so sorry this happened and is still happening. I can't imagine the pain that must have caused. I get muscle spasms all the time but nothing like you described.

I had one night where my leg was a constant spasm and my leg hurt like a dickens for a while.

Are you on any muscle relaxers that could help with these situations? If not then maybe you should talk to your doctor about getting some for times like these.

The hydrocodone can help with the pain but it isn't going to do much for the spasm.

I really hope you feel better soon!

Hugs,
Paula

[Sailorsong]

Yes I get cramps every where as well, but never this intense or long. I usually do the stretching and massaging to get them to stop. But this one just doesn't want to stop. The one that always bugged me the most was the one in the instep of my foot. With those my toes will alway curl under which also make it difficult to walk. Since walking is about the only exercise I get I do like to walk a lot even if it is a strange walk. LOL

Flare? What's a flare? It has been so long since I have any kind of remission that I don't think I remember what they are like. I've been in a slow progression of my base symptoms for several years now, punctuated with occasional new symptoms that do not completely go away completely.

Just about a month ago I was in the ER with heart attack symptoms that were really my MS acting up. They lasted for about 3 weeks at that level, but I am still getting them to a lessor degree still. I also just saw my MS Neuro last week and he decided to keep me on my current medication despite that.

Dennis

PS I noticed in your mood about the writers block..I also write songs and have that happen to me as well.  It really is the pits...

[Guitar_grrrl]

Dennis - I get them often!  Mostly, they happen in the middle of the night or when I first get up in the morning.  But they can happen in the daytime, too, for me.  They're bloody INTENSE!!  They're a little less intense, now that I've been on Baclofen for a couple of years, but I'll still get a really intense one, now and then.  Calves, hamstrings, triceps, ribs, lats., hands...I get 'em everywhere!

What do I do?  I wait until the spasm subsides (a major act of relaxation, patience, and faith that it WILL subside), and then stretch the offending muscle for a looonnnngggg time.

I'm sorry you're going through this.  Coupled with your increased tremor, are you going through a flare, right now?  Need an adjustment in meds?

Big hugs.

[Sailorsong]

A PS to this/

Last night the tremors in my right hand were completely out of control despite normally being under control with my Gabapentin. Before going on the Gabapentin the tremors were only slight, but last night they were major tremors.

And today I have been getting a lot of twitches around my left eye.

Dennis