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celiacmaine-iac
Joined: 19 Dec 2007
Posts: 695
Location: Maine
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 Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject: having a rough night |
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My right leg is trying to spasm tonight every time I even move it. Over all the spasming is better on a day to day basis, but I've been having a lot of trouble the past few nights. I'm up writing this at 12:30 AM because I'm afraid to go to bed. I know the minute I fall asleep that the leg will go into total spasm if I move it.
To the best of my knowledge I have not been glutened. I have put everything I've eaten or touched under intense scrutiny. I guess my question is this. How can we ever know for sure that CC isn't an issue? I'm thinking things like at the grocery store etc. When the meat section packages steaks for instance, how can we know that the guy doing it wasn't handling breaded chicken a few minutes earlier? Like I always say, even if a company has safeguards in place, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So, if employee John Doe is in a hurry, or lazy, or stupid, I'd never know if he took shortcuts. I guess I'm frustrated that I'm putting everything into being safe, but still can't ever really know for sure.
Do any of you know of anything that would help the spasms? I've tried calf and hamstring stretches, but it doesn't seem to do much. I may ask the doc if a muscle relaxant would be of any value. I need some sleep. Every time my sleep pattern gets messed up it take me months to get back to normal.
Steph |
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Fifi
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
Posts: 229
Location: Wauconda, IL
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:06 am Post subject: |
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| I had the same thing. I was told I needed more magnesium. So I started taking an extra calcium pill with magnesium in it. My feet also spasm. Maybe a potassium deficiency. Eat some bananas? |
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cruelshoes
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 2542
Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:08 am Post subject: |
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Sorry you had a rough night, Steph. I do hope you got a little shut eye. Are you getting enough calcium and magnesium? If I slack off on my calcium and multivitamin, I get the worlds worst muscle cramps. They are like charley horses on crack. Maybe you are deficient in this area? The only thing that really helps me is a HOT bath or Boswellin cream. Boswellin cream is one of those pain rubs that heats up, but it's all natural and has Boswellia in it. It smells kinda funky, but you get used to it.
Yes, I worry about CC a lot too. It's a scary world out there with so many things we are not in control of.
_________________
-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
10-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters (12 and 2) have neg. bloodwork
A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt |
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celiacmaine-iac
Joined: 19 Dec 2007
Posts: 695
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:47 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the ideas. I have been a little lax on the calcium lately. Pre- dx it wasn't a problem, because I was basically living on Cheerios and milk. Since then I haven't eaten much cereal, and forget to drink milk. I suppose eating Rice Chex in the form of Puppy Chow doesn't do much to boost my calcium intake.  Also the potassium is a thought. I'm not a banana eater, but oj does the same thing. I've been out of oj, and keep forgetting it when I'm at the grocery store.
| Quote: | | My feet also spasm. |
My feet do too. Also my thigh muscles when things are really bad. Last night it was just my calves. I have to remember not to point my toes forward, because that sets the spasms off. The worst part is that when they happen in the middle of the night I don't always wake up early enough, but instead I am dreaming that I'm in pain, and don't awaken until the spasm is so bad that I can't even get out of bed to work it out.
Do you think the spasming can be an indication of getting glutened, or is it just a symptom that takes a long time to resolve? And I wonder if it ever will resolve?
Now to find a GF calcium/magnesium supplement... Colleen, do you get the Boswellin at the health food store? I've never heard of it, but am willing to give it a try.
Steph |
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nancw
Joined: 04 Oct 2006
Posts: 855
Location: Denver, CO
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:40 am Post subject: Re: having a rough night |
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| celiacmaine-iac wrote: | | How can we ever know for sure that CC isn't an issue? I'm thinking things like at the grocery store etc. When the meat section packages steaks for instance, how can we know that the guy doing it wasn't handling breaded chicken a few minutes earlier? Like I always say, even if a company has safeguards in place, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Steph |
Steph - this is something that worries me constantly. Just look in the meat display at WF or a store like that - they have pre-breaded chicken right next to the breasts! I don't buy from bulk bins except for coffee. I always figure non-flavored coffees are ok, until I realize that the scoops in the bulk coffee bins go right back into the bin, along with small bits of whatever was on Customer X's (who just ate a sample of some bread or had their lunch from the food bars) hands.
 I tell people that I put more energy into preventing CC than I do choosing my food.
As far as the cramps go, I forward the motion on cal/mag. I find I definitely need more calcium since going off dairy for just that reason. I take it in the late evening.
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Nance
gluten, dairy, soy, rice, yeast and 99% grain-free |
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cruelshoes
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 2542
Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:45 am Post subject: |
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| celiacmaine-iac wrote: | | Colleen, do you get the Boswellin at the health food store? I've never heard of it, but am willing to give it a try. |
I get the Boswellin cream at the health food store.
Also, are the miscle spasams happening mostly when you are in bed? One thing I read about when I was trying to resolve mine was to tent up the bed covers over your feet. If the bed sheet/comforter pull your feet down, your leg muscles have more of a tendency to cramp up.
_________________
-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
10-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters (12 and 2) have neg. bloodwork
A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt |
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celiacmaine-iac
Joined: 19 Dec 2007
Posts: 695
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:22 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Steph - this is something that worries me constantly. Just look in the meat display at WF or a store like that - they have pre-breaded chicken right next to the breasts! |
I hear you. I had a butcher shop I was using all the time. They knew I have CD, and were being really careful about checking things for me, etc. Then it was sold. The next time I went there, there were chicken nuggets and patties in the case I bought some of my GF sausages and bacon from. I explained to the employee who had been so good to me about my concerns, and he said that since I was a regular customer, that he would bring my concerns to the new owner. The next time I went back things were just the same, so that's the end of that.
| Quote: | | Also, are the miscle spasams happening mostly when you are in bed? |
Mostly night time, though if I stretch and point my toes forward, it will do it in the daytime as well. You know, sometimes I am so stupid. I used to work in a nursing home, and one of the things I would always do for my patients would be to make a little pleat in the bottom of the bed covers to give their feet a little space. For some we had an actual frame we used under the covers to prevent drop foot. Why didn't I think of that????
Steph |
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ostrich
Joined: 30 Mar 2006
Posts: 4162
Location: Nebraska
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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This is perhaps a stupid question, but are you sure it's not RLS?
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={
I lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of |
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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 8602
Location: WI, USA
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kb9oyo
Joined: 20 Sep 2006
Posts: 140
Location: Western Springs, IL
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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Steph: Consider Potassium as well. I get leg cramps at night when I am low in Potassium. It is my signal to take some extra. I get a good sized bottle at Sam's Club that it even marked Gluten Free.
Sue B.
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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
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Location: WI, USA
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nancw
Joined: 04 Oct 2006
Posts: 855
Location: Denver, CO
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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RE: toe pointing - adults should not point with their toes when stretching the feet. Point with the balls of the feet only, otherwise your feet will cramp up.
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Nance
gluten, dairy, soy, rice, yeast and 99% grain-free |
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celiacmaine-iac
Joined: 19 Dec 2007
Posts: 695
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | This is perhaps a stupid question, but are you sure it's not RLS? |
Not a stupid question at all. I do have RLS, but never associated it with the cramping..... The RLS is particularly bad when I'm over-tired.
Looks like the general consensus is that I need to make sure the bases are covered with the potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Thanks for all the links. I will go through them all tomorrow. Like I said, I've been slacking on the milk, and will fess up to missing the multi-vite, because I keep forgetting to research what would be GF.
Most of the time I watch the toe pointing, but I think I do it when I'm asleep. That's when the worst spasming is. Colleen called it charley-horses on crack, and isn't it the truth!
Thanks all,
Steph |
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celiacmaine-iac
Joined: 19 Dec 2007
Posts: 695
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 9:09 am Post subject: |
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Thought I'd follow up on this.
I saw my doctor and mentioned the cramping. One actually happened while I was in the office with her. She checked my blood levels for magnesium, potassium, calcium, and electrolytes. All normal. Yet the cramping continued to be severe. Several nights in a row they occured at exactly 4:15 AM. I would wake my husband up because I was screaming and couldn't even get out of bed to walk/kick the spasm out.
Anyway, I mentioned this to my friend who happens to be an RN. She was telling me about an old wives tale about putting a bar of soap in between the sheets at night. It is supposed to stop the spasms. Well, we had a good laugh about it over lunch, but dismissed it as implausible. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered. I googled it, and a lot of people swear by it, while others pooh-pooh it as a placebo effect.
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/legcramp.asp
But, I also wondered what I had to lose by trying it. Soap in the bed couldn't do any harm. Makes the bed smell nice too. If you know me you would know that I am very skeptical, so the placebo effect probably would not work with me.
I put a bar of soap in my bed about a week ago, and have only had one cramp since then. When I woke up with the cramp I realized I had kicked the covers off. I put my covers back over me and slept through the night. I can't pretend to know why it works, but I'm glad it did. I've also had far fewer daytime leg cramps since then. Interesting, huh? I thought after working with patients for so many years that I had heard every old wives tale known to man, but that one had escaped me.
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Steph |
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ostrich
Joined: 30 Mar 2006
Posts: 4162
Location: Nebraska
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 9:31 am Post subject: |
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Interesting. Where exactly do you put the soap?
And who cares if it's the placebo effect or not? You're not hurting anybody, and I don't think you're hurting the sheets. And you seem to be feeling better. 
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={
I lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of |
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