Found a new level of pain...

[Pete in MI]

I have had leg cramps off and on over the years (about one or two a year) in my lower left leg. Last night I stayed at the hotel, after blowing snow 3 times I stayed since the storm warnings weren't over til 5 am. While I slept I was awakened by a leg cramp in the inside of my upper leg - above the knee. Never felt anything as bad as this before. Just wrythed in agony. Couldn't work it out, walk it out - couldn't even straighten it out. Finally it subsided and I was able to fall asleep though it scared the beejeebees out of me since I have had blood clots break loose from that leg in the past.

I sure thought I would never feel any pain worse than that again....wrong!!! 2 hours later I awoke again with an upper leg cramp as bad as the first AND immediately accompanied by a lower leg cramp too. The pain was beyond belief and there was nothing I could do but roall and moan in pain.

I had to blow snow yet again this morning before going home...another 2 hours of cold blowing the snow. Finally got home to stay for the rest of the day..already missed church today. While sitting in my recliner with Sherry next to me I had yet another upper leg cramp. I don't know what is going on bt have found in the past if I am low on potassium in my system I get a leg cramp. I must have run totally out to go thru all this in one morning. Praying no one else ever has to go through that.

Anyone else ever had an upper leg cramp? I know ones in the back of the leg (calf area) are more common. Never heard of anyone with an upper leg cramp or even this many before.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, Pete, as I have had them after working in the yard, mowing and metal-detecting and believe me....I DO KNOW HOW THEY HURT! I usually need to go to the bathroom and have to waddle like a duck and bowed over to get there while rubbing both the insides of my upper legs. Now, you talk about pain....just have both of them to cramp at the same time! I have been getting cramps in my right leg (the one with the flibitis) and inside of the front of my ankle on the right foot. Can't even walk or drive when I get them either! I get soaking wet when I work hard and look like I just got out of a shower, because water drips off my face and into my eyes and down the back of my neck! My clothes get soaked and this means we are losing our potasium and you could eat a teaspoon of salt for a quicker relief of the cramps! My retired pastor does that and it really helps him, but I've never tried the salt, as it strangles me, so dr had prescribed quinine which helped Cliff and I both! Can't get it in the pharmacy any more, so don't know if it is even being made! They used it when people had malaria!

When we over work the muscles to shovel, do lots of walking and mowing and etc., they knot up in pain....telling us that we overdid on using them!

Hope you are better soon and take it easier while working, although that is hard to do, especially when it is your job to keep the motel cleaned of that frozen white stuff! The cold air doesn't help either! :sad:

God Bless!
Betty

 

[Digdoug]

I have had them in my calf and can't imagine how painful one would be in my thigh.

I have you and Sherry in my prayers daily!!

 

[mohayes1046]

n/t

 

[DK]

n/t

 

[Greg from Mi.]

in the calf but they sure are fun
Ouch!
Prayers for you Pete
Greg

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

My good friend in GA that goes to almost every CW hunt with me gets them bad! Yes the potassium is important, Bananas and Gatorade. When he gets on you would think he had been shot in the leg! If you want I can hook you up so you can ask him questions?
I will pray for ya buddy!

 

[TreasureDigger]

n/t

 

[Jeff SC]

Mike is right about the potassium being important in Bananas and Gatorade. Also, Do you eat Olives ( The Green ones) ? If so, when this hits, Drink some of the olive juice. not alot, I know uke: but it will help the cramps go away. By using liquid, it works fast. Hope this will help, God Bless

 

[seeker41]

yep, potasium is the fix. you can get it in pill form.

 

[Joe G]

Since you were snow blowing for some time, you were probably sweating and losing fluids. Make sure you drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.
Do some leg stretching exercises before bed
Increase your potassium intake. You can take a supplement or eat things that are very high in potassium content. If you've ever watched football and seen players with foot cramps, you'll see them handed bananas. Here are some others:

All meats, poultry and fish are high in potassium.

Apricots (fresh more so than canned)

Avocado

Banana

Cantaloupe

Honeydew

Kiwi

Lima beans

Milk

Oranges and orange juice

Potatoes (can be reduced to moderate by soaking peeled, sliced potatoes overnight before cooking)

Prunes

Spinach

Tomatoes

Vegetable juice

Winter squash

 

[Pete in MI]

I realized awhile back Potassium is the key - problem is I never know I need it til the pain hits. I guess having had to blow snow 4 times in less than 12 hours really used up what little potassium I had in my system. I still have a 'knot' feeling in the back of my calf as I walk. Never knew anyone could get a leg cramp in the upper leg.or one in both upper and lower at the same time..but I know that now for sure.

Being in the leg that gave off blot clots that almost killed me before is always a worry.

 

[Pete in MI]

I was in a hotel room and couldn't even get to the phone if I would have needed an ambulance. Appreciate the info...I do have olives in the fridge at home and should take some - maybe daily now.

 

[Pete in MI]

have them at home and forgot about them...time to pack some with me in a pill bottle on my keyring.

 

[Pete in MI]

I don't watch sports so never see the injury to the foot you mentioned. We do have potassium tablets and eat a lot of meat products. I used to get a lot of leg cramps (lower calf) in the military basic training when we did a lot of exercising, marching, etc. They pushed salt tablets because of the heat but never said anything about potassium for leg cramps. Thanks for the info Joe.

 

[Anonymous]

Pete, the salt content in the Olive juice probably is what helps and I forgot to tell you that I usually took the quinine before doing a lot of work, but sometimes I did it afterwards.....what helped me most to relieve the cramps of terrible pain was using rubbing alcohol and rubbing it in until the heat released the tightness and loosened its hold in my muscles! The inner legs cramp inside the thigh area are really, really bad, so I hope you don't continue having them! I can sit for long periods in certain chairs and get them and OH I CAN TELL YOU, THEY ARE NOT FUN!

When I was pregnant with my children I would get them in my lower legs and have to walk the floor at night until I could go back to bed without pain! I take Potassium Tablets that the dr prescribed because they are body soluable and start working quicker! My brother and I try eating bananas often and also he makes juice almost every morning out of apples, part of an orange & sweet pepper, celery, carrots, grapes, cantalope, or whatever fruits and or vegs we have available! Sometimes we run out of everything before shopping again! God Bless! Betty

 

[Pete in MI]

I have run across chairs that cut off circulation to the legs and can't sit in them very long. Thanks for the info. Hopefully our bad experiences will save someone else from such pain just by knowing these things. God bless you too.

 

[Anonymous]

n/t