"please keep me updated about oximeters "
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Leg cramps?
I have in a couple of years had leg cramps at night and especially in the morning. I have in this period considered it a side effect of my Sleep Apnea.
But now that I'm cured of my Sleep Apnea I still have the leg cramps.
My final PSG showed some leg movement, but not in a degree which could give a diagnosis of PLMD. There was no effect on my sleeping patterns.
So now I have had a consultation with my primary doctor, and she grants me some tablets with quinine.
This has actually cleared my cramps, but unfortunately gives the undesirable effect of tinnitus, especially in the morning.
I have read that the FDA recently advised against quinine because of side effects.
There is new medication for this sleep disorder, but I do not believe that my primary doctor know much about it.
Is there anyone here who has experience with this?
Henning
But now that I'm cured of my Sleep Apnea I still have the leg cramps.
My final PSG showed some leg movement, but not in a degree which could give a diagnosis of PLMD. There was no effect on my sleeping patterns.
So now I have had a consultation with my primary doctor, and she grants me some tablets with quinine.
This has actually cleared my cramps, but unfortunately gives the undesirable effect of tinnitus, especially in the morning.
I have read that the FDA recently advised against quinine because of side effects.
There is new medication for this sleep disorder, but I do not believe that my primary doctor know much about it.
Is there anyone here who has experience with this?
Henning
Views: 176
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Henning on
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If you've read my story about my sleep apnea, you will see that I have had tinnitus at the time when I had problems in the inner ear.
This time it’s different because it is only in the morning.
Leg cramps may be because of lack of iron, but it is not the case for me. One side effect of quinine is according to the FDA tinnitus.
Henning
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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leg cramps and muscle spasms can be caused by a lack of water or dehydration. this was a huge problem for me when I used to wrestle. Sometimes the solutions are simple ones that we overlook.
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I am fully aware, and it is not my problem. (i drink a lot of water)..
I was most interested in whether someone knew about the new medical options?
Hennig
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Permalink Reply by Steven B. Ronsen on
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I don't know if this will do anyone any good, but I had the same issue a couple of years ago. I was awakened almost nightly with severe muscle spasms in my feet, legs and sometimes in my abdominal muscles. My PCP sent me to a rhumatologist who subsequently sent me to a neurologist. After every possible test, no cause of the painful spasms was found. At least the physicians warned me that this is not an abnormal problem with middle-aged patients which often requires muscle relaxants for some measure of symptomatic relief. My PCP and I decided to wait a while before we tried that medication.
In the meanwhile, I had surgery scheduled for my shoulder, and my PCP prescribed metoprolol for two weeks before and after my surgery to protect my heart because the surgery was a long procedure requiring deep anesthesia. A week after the surgery I noticed that the muscle spasms almost completely ceased and I mentioned this to my PCP. That elicited an, "Ahah", from him, and he wrote a long-term prescription for metoprolol, which I continue to take before going to sleep each night.
My PCP is also a registered pharmacist in addition to being an internist, and he has a better knowledge of drugs than most physicians. We've talked about this several times and he admits to not having a completely clear idea why the drug works for me as it not approved for this specific use, hence your physician may be reluctant to prescribe it, but it doesn't pose any health risks.
I do still get the occasional spasm, but they're milder and far less frequent.
BTW, my rhumatologist suggested drinking a lot of quinine water as quinine used to be prescribed to control muscle spasms. However, quinine hasn't been available as a drug for several years due to its affects on the heart. I didn't know it also causes tinnitus. The quinine water didn't help, but it did serve to significantly increase my intake of gin.
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