[Anonymous December 21, 1996 at 8:04 am Post count: 93172]

#1057596

OK. Newest wrinkle for me. I may be going a bit hypo now, one month after RAI. There are some of the symptoms, if not all. Anyway, the past two nights I’ve had major cramps in my leg and feet muscles waking me up. (Does this HAVE to happen when I’m finally able to sleep????) Do any of you happen to know what the best way of preventing this is? Do I take out stock on a certain brand of banana?

Thanks. : )

Bobbi

[Anonymous December 21, 1996 at 2:26 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166409

Thanks, Bobbi, you picked up on something I was too dumb to! I’ve had
leg and foot cramps for years, but NOT since getting GD. Now that
I’m back in sort of normal range (yeah! hand claps!! – got the results
yesterday – T4 is 7.4, T3 36%, and TSH 0.03 (blew that one )) I’m
sleeping and waking with cramps in my legs and feet.

Check with you doctor. I take an over-the-counter quinine thing that
helps me. He might let you take that also. Another thing that helps
is to make sure my legs and feet are warm and relaxed before I go to
bed. For some reason, if I go to bed with cold feet, they cramp when
they warm up (after I’m already asleep). If I message them really good
before bed and get the circulation going it makes a big difference.

Hope this helps.
DonnaN

[Anonymous December 21, 1996 at 5:52 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166410

Thanks, Donna. This is just the kind of info I needed. I appreciate it. Oh, and don’t feel so dumb. I’ve been reading this board and another support board, and somewhere in those travels the cramping was mentioned. Just not what to DO about it.

Bobbi

[Anonymous December 21, 1996 at 7:45 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166411

Hi! I went thru the leg cramp stuff. It always seemed to get worse at niht too. Wonder why…Anyway, I found if I took a hot bath before bed and rubbed that icy/hot stuff on it really helped. Trish

[Anonymous December 21, 1996 at 7:46 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166412

Hi! I went thru the leg cramp stuff. It always seemed to get worse at niht too. Wonder why…Anyway, I found if I took a hot bath before bed and rubbed that icy/hot stuff on it really helped. Trish

[Anonymous December 21, 1996 at 7:53 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166413

Hi! I went thru the leg cramp stuff. It always seemed to get worse at niht too. Wonder why…Anyway, I found if I took a hot bath before bed and rubbed that icy/hot stuff on it really helped. Trish

[Anonymous December 22, 1996 at 6:56 am Post count: 93172]

#1166414

I’m appreciating all suggestions. Last night I went to bed wearing knee socks (to keep the feet warm), and reeking of menthol. It helped a bit, although I don’t think my husband was too keen on the process. NOpe. You cannot be “vain” when you’ve got Graves.

As to the quinine — does this mean a nice vodka tonic (well, I wouldn’t want to just drink the tonic water) might have “medicinal” value. : )

Bobbi

[Anonymous December 22, 1996 at 10:06 am Post count: 93172]

#1166415

Sorry, Bobbi. Although the kind with vodka sounds great – it’s the
kind they use for malaria .

DonnaN

[Anonymous December 23, 1996 at 7:30 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166416

I am having incredibly bad leg cramps. Today my doctor prescribed Ultram … anyone ever use this?

[Anonymous December 24, 1996 at 6:21 am Post count: 93172]

#1166417

I was given Ultram for the pain of my frozen shoulder last winter. I couldn’t tolerate it. It made me so dizzy (and by extension, nauseous) that I had to go to bed. A pharmacist told me this is one of its possible side effects, so I threw it away.

[Anonymous December 24, 1996 at 8:51 am Post count: 93172]

#1166418

Hi Anne,

I had Ultram when I ruptured a disk in my back, but never for leg
cramps. Yours must be really bad. It worked fairly well as long as
I didn’t take it on an empty stomach.

DonnaN

[Anonymous December 24, 1996 at 9:02 am Post count: 93172]

#1166419

I have been reading a lot about cramping the last couple of days and would like to share that I experienced it while I was in the height of my disease. I remember lying on my bed on a Saturday afternoon with cramps in both of my hamstrings and one of my calfs. The pain was paralyzing and the worst thing was, I didn’t even know at that time that I had Graves. I thought that my potassium levels were too low. Upon the adviuce of my golfing buddies, I beagn to consume large quantities of bananas. Needless to say, it didn’t do anything to help the problem. When I was diagnosed, I asked the doctor about the cramping and whether or not it was symptomatic of the disease. He told me that it was, but not because of potassium, but because of calcium levels in the system. It seems as if the thyroid also regulates the calcium levels. In any event, I thought those days were behind me. I don’t look forward to the potential of cramping if I become hypo!!!

On another note, it has been a week and a half since my RAI and I continue to feel ok. My weight seems to have stabilized and my energy levels are still pretty good.

Well have agood holiday.

[Anonymous December 24, 1996 at 4:03 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166420

Hi Gary

I just remembered when I read your post that in my last thyroid level check, there was a test for T7 I believe that has something to do with calcium. Anyone know any more on this?

Bruce

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