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Suggest Treatment For Severe Leg Cramps
Question: Leg cramps... friend has terrible leg cramps even in his thighs.. He drinks quinin water and gatoraid... what else can he do? Could it be his medicines? He's 62.
Brief Answer:
We need to find the cause of cramps
Detailed Answer:
Good day,
Noted your concern. Sorry to hear about your friend's problem. We need to find out what is causing the cramps. The follwoing could be the causes
1) Dehydration:
2) Electrolyte disturbance: Low potassium is one of the cause.
3) Diabetes
4) Hypothyroidism
5) Calcium and Vitamin D deficiency
6) Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B6 deficiency.
7) Neuropathy due to any cause.
8) certain medications
You have mentioned that he is not a diabetic. I hope he had a recent blood test for diabetes which was negative. Few tests are recommended if sugars are normal.
a) Serum sodium, potassium and magnesium.
b) Thyroid blood profile
c) Fasting calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin D, PTH and alkaline phosphatse.
d) Vitamin B12 and B6 tests.
e) CBC.
Quinine is helpful if the exact cause is not found. However, if we can find out the root cause of cramps, then that cause shuould be treated. Drink sufficient water and please do stretching exercise. This will help as well. If he has neuropathy, medicines like Lyrica or Gabapentin may help.
Regards
Binu
We need to find the cause of cramps
Detailed Answer:
Good day,
Noted your concern. Sorry to hear about your friend's problem. We need to find out what is causing the cramps. The follwoing could be the causes
1) Dehydration:
2) Electrolyte disturbance: Low potassium is one of the cause.
3) Diabetes
4) Hypothyroidism
5) Calcium and Vitamin D deficiency
6) Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B6 deficiency.
7) Neuropathy due to any cause.
8) certain medications
You have mentioned that he is not a diabetic. I hope he had a recent blood test for diabetes which was negative. Few tests are recommended if sugars are normal.
a) Serum sodium, potassium and magnesium.
b) Thyroid blood profile
c) Fasting calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin D, PTH and alkaline phosphatse.
d) Vitamin B12 and B6 tests.
e) CBC.
Quinine is helpful if the exact cause is not found. However, if we can find out the root cause of cramps, then that cause shuould be treated. Drink sufficient water and please do stretching exercise. This will help as well. If he has neuropathy, medicines like Lyrica or Gabapentin may help.
Regards
Binu
Note: For more information on hormonal imbalance symptoms or unmanaged diabetes with other comorbid conditions, get back to us & Consult with an Endocrinologist. Click here to book an appointment.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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