Cramps
 

Question from Paul - He seems to be suffering a lot of very painful cramps lately. Wonders if it might be related to his MDS or something completely unrelated. Does anyone else experience cramps?

He may want to have his magnesium level checked. Low magnesium will cause painful cramps.

I get cramps from cyclosporine. The doctor tells me to take magnesium oxide to help it. Check with yours. Mine tells me to take all I can. Magnesium is a laxative, so you will learn your limits from experience.

The brand name MagOx was $14 a bottle at my local Walgreens the last time I checked. I am able to buy a generic version at the Cleveland Clinic pharmacy for under $3 a bottle. So it pays to shop around.

In a word, yes, but in spells. Potassium, magnesium, and hydration seem to be the best weapons. I would check with Paul's doctor about any of them as they all have downstream impacts. I tend to run low on potassium and notice that when I eat salty foods that i really suffer as potassium is depleted by sodium - they work in an opposite direction by pushing each other out of your body.

cramps
 

I used to get very bad cramps before I started on a nutritional program. Caffeine and alcohol would make them worse, but I think they were caused by excess sweating brought about by being anaemic and overexerting myself.

What helped most was this stuff http://new.eletewater.com (I'm not trying to sell it!). Magnesium also helps some people - the Citrate format is supposed to be better tolerated and more effective. I use magnesium oil which you rub onto your skin and is particularly good if you suffer from restless legs.

Go for a test if you can, as deficiencies/imbalances of all the electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium) can cause cramps.

Bathing in Epsom salts is another good way to get some magnesium.

Deb

I had horrific cramps under my ribs. My doc put me on Mag64 - 2 in the a.m. and 1 at night. I take another otc mag tablet at night as well. No more cramps!

cramps
 

Lori- That's good to know . I may try it. I get cramps all over,including my ribs..... I have read that PNH can cause cramping, so since I have MDS and PNH, I attribute it to the PNH,as no doctor has been able to figure out the cause. I just live with it...