My wife's Multiple Sclerosis has thrown a lot of different symptoms at us, and this summer has not been any different. Part of the way through the summer my wife started to have cramps in her feet. It started with the tops of her feet feeling tight, and she was able to stretch them and relieve the pain. After days of walking, the feet tightened more and more and the tops of her feet hurt more and more. At one point, the only way to relieve the pain was to put her feet up and not move. If she moved her feet any direction, the pain would become extreme. She couldn't walk for a few days due to the pain.
We weren't really sure what to do or how long the pain would last, but we knew for sure that she had to rest. She worked through the pain for a few days and then the pain put her in bed. It really worried me since we hadn't dealt with this issue before, but after a few days of rest, the pain started to subside and she could move her feet. We are still not sure what happened and I know my wife hopes that it doesn't happen again, but with MS you just never know how you will feel tomorrow or even later today. Multiple Sclerosis causes pain in so many different ways, and continues to surprise us with where it attacks.
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I had months of this, found that increases my potasssium (bananas) and exercise finally stopped the debilitating foot cramps. I still consume bananas daily. Like you say, who knows, maybe it just went away on its own. As far as an MS symptom--it is associated with spasticity)
Hi Diane, we have found many times that my wife's potassium levels were low. It has caused cramping in her legs, pains in her chest and other issues. She also tried bananas when her feet were cramping, and potassium pills, and maybe that is what stopped it. I am not sure why her potassium levels fluctuate so much, but some of our past research suggested that it was due to a high salt intake. The salt literally pushes the potassium into the blood stream and out of the cell. We even rushed my wife to the ER one night thinking she had a heart attack, but it was just low potassium. Crazy how something simple like that can create so many issues. Thanks for the comment!
I just found your blog, and I want to thank you for it. I was diagnosed a year and a half ago and am still learning what all this "means." I also am possibly having ill side effects that may force me to stop my current treatment. Not to pry, but may I ask what treatment your wife is on and how it's working for her?
God bless!
Hi Sweet Tater, welcome to our blog. As far as treatments go, my wife is using a combination of rest, chiropractic, natural supplements and diet. She is not on any type of MS drug nor has she ever been on any MS drugs. We took a different route and have felt very good about our decision. My wife was diagnosed 20 years ago so we have had major ups and downs and have seen numerous neurologists, but have taken her health into our own hands and figured out what to do by trial and error. Many of the blog posts I write are about issues she has had, but most days she does great and lives life very well. Today we shopped for our daughters school clothes, and she walked and shopped and dealt with the stress of the day without any issues. I am happy to answer any questions you might have, and maybe some of our experiences will help you in your journey.
Hi Cory
My wife has all the symptons of MS but she hasn't received a clear diagnosis. She's been back and forth to numerous neurologists and often gotten the run-around. Some doctors believe it was Lupus at first, then Lyme was possible too, even Sjogren's Syndrome. She has a spinal tap next week, another lyme follow-up and then back to the doctors.
She can't get a clear-cut answer but she gets tingling feelings in her legs, head, even tounge at times too. She has the white matter on brain, brain fogs and many other symptons.
If you have any advice on the steps you took with your wife, please help.
It's been terrbible for her and I haven't been the best husband in terms of support at all, which I'm working dilligently to correct.
I know it's about me now and I want this to get diagnosed and treated as best as possible.
Please help or offer any suggestions if you can.
Thanks for your blog!
Hi Chris D, we can completely understand where you are at right now. My wife went through months of tests and doctors and still couldn't get a straight answer out of any of them. Then she came across a doctor in Portland named Dr. Roy L Swank. He saw her and diagnosed it as MS in the first visit. Dr. Swank has since passed on, but you can still look at his research and information about MS on www.swankmsdiet.org. Diet is extremely important no matter what they diagnose your wife with, so that would be a great first step. As I write in the blog, we have used diet, rest, pro adjuster chiropractic and supplements to maintain as normal a life as possible. We researched the disease ourselves, and started to try things and see what worked for my wife, and that is what we have been doing for years. There are still days that we struggle, but we are living life as fully as we can everyday. If you have any specific questions please let me know. Hopefully through some of our experiences you can find some hope and some encouragement.
These types of neurogenic cramps "can" be due to low potassium, but the most likely explanation is muscle overuse. Since MS prevents certain muscles from functioning properly, other less-used muscles take over. The cramp is identical to what an athlete would feel if they over-exercised a muscle. The most effective over-the-counter remedy I know of is Quellitall.
Hi everyone I also have been going through so many different pains. Legs tight and stiff, arm shakes, weakness. And foot cramps. Have not been diagnose yet had MRI show some infraction insults, possible MS but it said could have been from migraines also. I am so tired of waiting on Doctors to help from one to another. I got to the Nero in 2 weeks and that seems like a lift time. I have been going through this bad for over 2 months. Now it has hit my hip and sciatica never???
I've had intense foot cramps for as long as I can remember. Now at 37 yrs old, they are more intense. So much so that I stop and drop immediately. I have found them to be somewhat timed with the cold seasons. Starting around September and thru the winter season they are at their worst. I was dx with MS this past year but have not had a chance to address the link between foot cramps and MS. I appreciate the posts I have found here. Information and personal experiences are so valuable.
I have MS and have the same feet/leg cramping. My neurologist suggested mixing ordinary grocery store tonic water with something like Squirt or Cranberry juice. The tonic water has Quinine in it, which relieves cramping. Mix 1/4 of each in equal amounts and drink just before bedtime. Be sure to drink sufficient amounts of water also during the day.
Hi, I suffer from MS and muscle cramps in my feet/legs nightly. One man posted that Quellitall works well for this, I was wondering where he buys it? I take Baclofen and drink Tonic water but it doesn't always work quickly to relieve the issue.
Hi,
I was diagnosed with MS a year and a half ago and recently I have been feeling foot cramps and extreme numbness in both feet. The doc said they would try steroids if I wanted but to me that seems extreme without them seeing me and assessing the situation. This has been going on approximately a week now. Any advice of what works to relieve this pain and numbness? It feels like contractions that just won't release.
Hi Anonymous, I'm sorry to hear about your foot issues. When my wife has pain or numbness in her feet, we go to our Pro Adjuster Chiropractor and she gets adjusted. This is the only type of chiropractor we see now, but it works wonderfully for my wife. Within minutes of her adjustment she starts to feel a difference in her feet or wherever she is feeling numb or hurting. She has also had some success with therapeutic massage, and it is pretty immediate for her to feel a difference. If you have any other questions or want to know more please shoot me an email at mywifehasms@gmail.com.
I am undergoing tests to see if l have MS, and l am experiencing very painful cramps in my feet and lower legs. a few weeks ago an attack left me unable to walk.
I am so thankful that I found this website. I have MS and I have been experiencing foot cramps since 2014. Just this week my cramps have been getting worse. My right foot hurts on the bottom as well as the top. I use to eat bananas but I will start eating them asap as well as watch my salt intake. Thank you and I am so glad I am not alone in this.
Hi Cory ... I was diagnosed with MS 21 years ago but I've had it for about 25. It only really started to affect me badly in the past 5 years...I'm glad for sites like these as my symptoms change often and even though I have only just found this forum I'm glad to finally find somewhere that I can get real info from like minded and similarly affect people! Please keep it up..thank u!
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