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The Kitchen Table

8 types of drugs that can cause leg cramps

9 years ago

Following the recent discussion of leg cramps, I saw this today:

8 Types of Drugs . . .

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Comments (4)

sjerin
9 years ago
Thanks for posting this, Susan. I'm in the process of lowering my bp drugs ever-so-slowly with doctor's permission, because I need to know whether my fuzziness and tiredness are reactions from the pills or just me. The two I take should cancel each other out concerning the potassium problem, but who knows. I'm back to taking a multivitamin every other day because I feel better when I do so for awhile.

I firmly believe doctors are extremely reluctant to consider side effects that aren't "common" or even mentioned in the literature, as long as they're not life threatening; what drug company wants to tell their patients they will probably gain weight on their med?

I'm also continuing to think we have been very naive about all this pill-popping our society is so good at, excepting of course the truly necessary. These drugs have to be affecting all our systems, not just the one that needs help. Thanks very much for posting this.
chisue
9 years ago
I have only one med, Advair, and I've required it for nearly 15 years. Alternatives do nothing for me. I'm borderline hypertensive, but so far my MD doesn't want to start any meds for it -- and neither do I.

I questioned DH's need for a med for his borderline high cholesterol, and his MD stopped prescribing anything. (Stopping it resulted in zero change.)

Strangely, DH's RLS only comes back if he does NOT take 1mg of Abilify -- something the AARP article cites as causing muscle contractions. His MD is totally puzzled about why this medically insignificant amount does *anything* -- good or bad -- but it does. EveryBODY is unique!

Looking at the ills these meds are prescribed to treat, you have to wonder if 90% of them couldn't be eliminated if more people ate right and exercised a little. I could probably 'treat' my slight hypertension if I'd just WALK more -- and drink more water.
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Nexium, as well as the over the counter Prilosec, reduce stomach acid production which inhibits the absorption of certain electrolytes, minerals, and vitamins. They can work so well on stomach acid that you may end up with a slightly different problem. In particular, magnesium is not absorbed well in a low acid environment. If you don't get enough dietary magnesium, then your body will pull it from your muscles and bones. Sometimes, supplementing with calcium can actually further upset the balance because your body has a ratio of calcium to magnesium in the blood (I want to say it's 8:1, but can't remember for sure), so, if you add a bunch of calcium, you essentially further "decrease" the amount of magnesium available. One way to help differentiate the type of imbalance is with the type of cramp - if your toes point in, your ankle locks, and the muscle on the top, outside of your shin hardens, then it is may be an extensor plantar reflex, associated with low magnesium. You may be describing tetany - usually caused by low magnesium or calcium. You can ask your doc about it, but they are generally not very familiar - try looking online some more. Also, it is uncommon for doctors to test for low magnesium as the test is not standard, expensive for the proper one, etc. You can try wikipedia too, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypomagnesia. I fought that problem for a long time, in part because of a copper IUD (copper inhibits magnesium absorption too). Hope that helps!
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Hello j9sgarden, so as for other symptoms I also had discharge that I thought was Bacterial Vaginosis. I don’t do well with antibiotics and I heard this can also rectify itself. It just was not. Also I had lost my sister this past summer and had to move in with my mother and brother to help us all cope with her loss. So my issues took a back seat. We were all grieving. I started noticing the cramps were getting worse. I was getting flooding during my period for a couple days which I also researched on the web happens to some women during perimenopause with the hormone fluctuations. I was getting my period around every 45 days or so. So there was just a lot of stress in my life and I started researching doctors and finally settled on one though I was so apprehensive and nervous about the appt. Of course the morning I was to go my flooding/period came on full force. The doctor was amazing and still wanted to do a pelvic exam. She spotted the large mass right away and sent me directly to the ER. I was there 15 hrs had 4 pelvic exams and flooded through each one. It was not a good day. They ended up doing a biopsy while I was there. I was beyond frightened during all of it. They basically said it was cancer and a large mass but needed to find out what kind. Since then it has been a roller coaster ride of scans and procedures of not knowing exactly what I was facing. I still have a PET SCAN on the Nov 26. This week we set up and prepare the radiation treatments. I get the tiny tattoos they use to make sure they get the exact areas to treat. I will get radiation 5 days a week for 5 weeks. Every Monday of those 5 weeks I will also get Chemo. The chemo increases/helps the radiation work better. There are 3 different nausea drugs taken on different schedules to really eliminate nausea. They say I may lose some hair but it will be minimal. My chemo drug is Cisplatin. They will also do some radiation internally but start doing it from the outside first. It will fry the ovaries so I will immediately go into menopause. I hope this sheds some light on symptoms and what made me finally go to the doctor. Any other questions I am glad and open to answering. But like I said please just find a Womens Clinic and check any and every concern you may have. Mine was cervical cancer your may not be. But a dedicated womens clinic will make sure you get a thorough examination. Take care ladies.
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ravencajun Zone 8b TX
9 years ago
If your blood pressure meds are calcium blockers there is much literature in the medical journals and in the drug information literature that list forgetfulness and fuzziness, as you described it, as a kknow effect.
Maybe talk to them about trying you on a different type other than a calcium blocker.
I had that exact reaction when I was trying them. I have to stay on a beta blocker because it also helps control a heart problem, so for me tenormin / atenolol does double duty.

Good that you are being pro active in your health care!
So do some Google research on that.
sjerin
9 years ago
I started researching different bp meds when I realized the losartan, (an angiotensin receptor blocker) was bothering me, but all of them have side-effects, many worse than what I perceive to have. Lisinopril gave me the cough, or in my case constant clearing of the throat. I would not stop them suddenly, or at all if my bp were high. Research is good and often leads me to feeling overwhelmed. :) Thanks, Raven, if your comments were directed to me.

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