Charley Horses

Don't have this problem myself (probably one of the few I don't have) and just want to say it is good to hear from you!

i get this. I take 10,000 iu D3 and Calcium/mag mixture 1200/500. This works well for the most part but when it fails I take skelexan.

I get this as well, in the calf usually in the middle of the night, and often. Am very suspicious that it is from the Arimidex, as it is a post BC thing. Also have been experiencing painful trigger finger in right hand for the past 13 months-think it might also be from the Arimidex. Anyone with this symptom?

Ps. when I used to get them during pregnancy they stopped when I took extra calcium'

Barb

Yes--I remember reading about the  bar of soap under the sheets. It's like the thing where you drop the keys down your back when you have a nose bleed...it really works but seems improbable.

We had 13 inches of snow Christmas Day. We were in Vegas. Flew back to Asheville on the 27th and had to hike a mile to the long range parking lot in crocs and a tshirt. Had to search for the car which looked like dozens of other white lumps.Cleaned off the car with an old towel in a howling wind at 10pm in an arctic whiteout. Thank goodness the car started right up, otherwise I would have been a freeze-dried morsel not discovered until the spring thaw. I was cold places I didn't think you got cold until you were dead.Happily, I don't think any rogue cancer cells could have survived my advanced hypothermia. (You might wonder why I didn't open my luggage and put more warm clothes on--it was because they lost it.) Another blizzard expected Monday.

What has your GRF shown in your blood work? I was getting cramps in my legs, feet, back, shins, etc. First the onc told me to drink tonic water due to its quinine content. Later she added put some gin in it and sit in the sun. This really didn't help much. I had to drink A LOT of tonic water. Then finally they decided my GFR wasn't coming up after all of the treatments and sent me to a neuphrologist. I have chronic kidney disease from treatment - stage 3. Really, I've found if I avoid tomatoes and he said pumpkin and yellow squash, I almost never have cramps anymore. My GFR has been running about 45; normal is >60. Just a thought.

Celtic_Spirit - I get leg cramps and back cramps.  I have to say tho that they worsened with Tamoxifen.  I increased both Calcium and Magnesium and I have not had one recently.  I have a CalMag drink I use and drink it at bed time, helps to relax me.  Adelle Davis (old books from the 70's -  I think us hippies remember her!) says Mag will help relax muscles.  I am sure others have said this too.  I also use Epsom Salts in bath which is Magnesium sulfate.  No leg cramps or back cramps in a while. 

The whole kidney thing is a scary thought!  

Hope the cramps end soon for you, mine were horrible and would not wish them on anyone!  Only too happy to provide you with the brands I use, just PM me. 

Susie  

Grannydinny--yes, unfortunately trigger fingers are a well-documented side effect of the AI's. There are some simple hand exercises you can do, but they are hard to describe in writing.

Celtic_Spirit--the Asheville airport is right next to I-26 and we zipped on it and it wasn't until we got onto secondary roads in Henderson County that we had trouble, there was black ice everywhere.

My husband was driving and he is very good in snow and ice, having gone to college at Cornell where the lake effect snow is so bad. I was so cold and wet I didn't care if we made it or not.First we stopped at Hannah's tho and got filled up with anti-freeze for people, and I got the urge to live again..

You have had some good advice about your Charley Horses,  let us hear what works.

Piss on snow, piss on winter, piss on breast cancer.

I know this is an old post, but I am posting a reply since I was curious about the charley horses under my breast that I have been experiencing when bending over. I asked the RO about this today and he said it is likely caused by the radiation to the muscle underlying the breast. He suggested they will subside after the radiation is over, but I have learned to take a whole lot of salt with what I am told by medical personnel after my BC treatments. Curious if the charley horses subside after an extended period of time (some people have posted here that they continue for a year or more after).

As for leg cramps, I had them briefly during the chemotherapy. Putting a board at the end of the bed to keep the sheets off of my feet seemed to help more than the magnesium oxide I was prescribed by the MO.

I have probably 25 a day...feet,toes, thigh, ribs and back. My lab work is perfect. I've tried extra calcium, magnesium( not much due to big D) and Rx potassium. Even tried the soap, a spoon of mustard and have just recently even tried the sauerkraut juice..(desperate)

Does anyone know of any prescription drug that can help this? My Docs don't seem to understand how life limiting this is

Thanks for the old wisdom and the new posters. I get cramps in my calves & my toes, and lately in my thighs - but I don't usually get them in bed. It was really embarrassing earlier this week when I got toe cramps in the dentist chair. I'm taking more Calcium and Vit D than anyone could imagine. I eat bananas. I take extra B-6 and B-12 due to CIPN. I take extra Vit E. I remember taking some extra potassium & magnesuim during chemo but haven't since. I exercise moderately. I was ER/PR negative so I'm not on any ongoing drugs for BC - or for that matter on any other drugs except a Prolia shot twice a year. And I can't imagine that rads to my right breast in 2014 would cause leg cramps now. Well, it's a mystery.

I do have trigger thumb, but I got that before I got BC - so not related in any way.

I'm having complete blood work done tomorrow, then this is already on my list to ask my MO next month. I imagine he'll just shake his head. I laughed (not) at the answer that "it's not cancer". Wonder if he'll recommend a bar of soap in my purse? Don't mean to make fun because it just darn well hurts.