Anybody get really bad leg cramps that wake them up?!!

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Wonderfulmom
Wonderfulmom Member Posts: 38
edited February 2018 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

I have been taking Tamoxifen for over 5 years now, going for the new 10 year protocol. Sometimes at night, I get such bad cramps in my legs that the pain wakes me up. That happened 3 times last night and in the morning, I had to take Ibuprofin to alleviate this. Does anyone else go through this?

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  • Traveltext
    Traveltext Member Posts: 2,089
    edited February 2018

    Yes, I get get these once a month and I've been on tamox for over three years now.


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  • Michelle_in_cornland
    Michelle_in_cornland Member Posts: 1,689
    edited February 2018

    Try a magnesium supplement. Soak in Epson Salts.

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  • Spookiesmom
    Spookiesmom Member Posts: 9,568
    edited February 2018

    quinine tonic, or my cardiologist just recommended melons. Cantaloupe or honeydew.

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited February 2018

    When I was on tamoxifen, I took magnesium and a potassium supplement. The mag. helped with the tamoxifen constipation issue and the combo nearly eliminated the muscle cramps. A nice side effect was lower blood pressure.

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  • Traveltext
    Traveltext Member Posts: 2,089
    edited February 2018

    Thanks for the tips folks.


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  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited February 2018

    I had such horrible leg cramps on Tamoxifen that I quit taking it. They started as soon as I took the first dose and I awoke multiple times each night with incredibly painful spasms - almost always in my calves, along the outside. I also had occasional spasms of a muscle in my abdomen or neck.

    I took Magnesium and Calcium supplements. I was well hydrated. I did stretching before bed. I tried tonic water with Quinine - both regularly before bed and when I would get the cramps. I even tried the "soap in the bed" trick and pickle juice out of desperation!

    I tried everything over the theee months I was on it. It took about six weeks for the cramps to mostly go away. I still get them at times but not nearly as often or as strong. It was so bad that my legs would actually hurt for days at times.

    My MO thinks that it's perhaps related to some kind of nerve damage from chemo - like a hypersensitivity. I haven't seen a Neurologist as of yet. I don't know what it was, but I was completely worn out from lack of sleep. It's a terrible way to be awakened every night, over and over.


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  • mustlovepoodles
    mustlovepoodles Member Posts: 2,825
    edited February 2018

    Yes. I started getting foot, hand, and whole leg cramps about 2 months ago. One night I had the WORST muscle cramps in my flanks and between my ribs. I felt like I had been beat up and run over the next day! It was so bad that i actually started dreading going to bed at night.

    My PCP suggested I try a little low dose potassium and magnesium. You do have to be careful because too much magnesium will cause diarrhea and too much potassium can cause heart rhythm issues. I take a very small dose of potassium--just 100mg--and 100mg of magnesium before bedtime every night. Believe it or not, that's all it took. I still get muscle cramps in my calves and hands at times, but they are manageable and they don't keep me up at night. I could increase the dosage of the magnesium and potassium, but really it's working pretty well for me now.

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