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I Am A 67 Yr. Old Man With Emphysema (I
Question: I am a 67 yr. old man with emphysema (I quit smoking a few yrs. ago). I use Breo daily and rescue inhaler maybe once or twice a day. About 6 mos. ago I started getting muscle spasms in my feet usually one at a time and could last 3-6 hrs. Which made sleeping impossible if it happened at night. I started using theraworx (foam topicle with magnesium). This helped sometimes.Then I started taking magnesium supplements, but I found that over 600 mgs. a day made breathing much worse. Then a P A. told me to try Alpha Lipoic Acid but left a big ? as to how much. This worked for awhile at 400 mgs. a day.Then not so good so another doctor told me to try 600. Soon I was up to 1200 and taking the magnesium also. My breathing took a dive again (dangerously low). Can you help me please? Muscle spasms got to go! Barry Smith-Oregon
Brief Answer:
Please discuss the following with your Pulmonologist
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service.
I've gone through your query in details.
First, I don't recommend you to continue taking magnesium anymore if you don't measure the magnesium levels in the blood.
Second as you explain the emphysema might be in not so good stage which means what are the spirometry values? If you have its results please attach/upload it here to the 'reports section' for my review.
If there's a severe obstruction or restriction than the muscle spasms is not a good sign which means that the disease has given its side effects in the musculoskeletal system and probably you should be re-evaluated again by your Pulmonologist.
Please discuss with him or her about your concern and he will order a Spirometry test and some blood tests for you such as arterial blood gases and electrolytes balance in the blood and after will decide about the correct treatment for you.
Hope to have been helpful. Feel free to ask further.
Regards
Dr.Jolanda
Please discuss the following with your Pulmonologist
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service.
I've gone through your query in details.
First, I don't recommend you to continue taking magnesium anymore if you don't measure the magnesium levels in the blood.
Second as you explain the emphysema might be in not so good stage which means what are the spirometry values? If you have its results please attach/upload it here to the 'reports section' for my review.
If there's a severe obstruction or restriction than the muscle spasms is not a good sign which means that the disease has given its side effects in the musculoskeletal system and probably you should be re-evaluated again by your Pulmonologist.
Please discuss with him or her about your concern and he will order a Spirometry test and some blood tests for you such as arterial blood gases and electrolytes balance in the blood and after will decide about the correct treatment for you.
Hope to have been helpful. Feel free to ask further.
Regards
Dr.Jolanda
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
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