For years, I have had bad cramps in my knees. The pain is so strong that I fell down a flight of stairs, when they occurred.

Thankfully, they are not as frequent, but I know I cannot stand or drive when I get them. They come in short strong spurts.

Also, I get them on the top/back/right side of my head and on the arch of my foot. The head cramps don't hurt as much, but the arch cramps do. (Oddly, I do not have stomach cramps.)

Anyway, one day, I had a long drive ahead of me and my knees would not stop cramping. I didn't think I could drive. Luckily, my niece found a remedy, Ibuprofen. She said it was due to swelling. I had no choice but to take it, and it worked. The only dilemma I have is getting to a bottle of Ibuprofen, while I go through these extreme cramps.

Anyway, am I alone with this problem?

Have exact what you say with foot arch. And it felt like this in trunk and head at times. It didnt really happen this way till after I went on mestinon and had to go of without the aid of my crummy neuro that first winter when my symptoms improved as now I know they likely always will. My body loves the cold and gets better then needs less mestinon.

But in the middle of that first winter I also got a bad batch of generic mestinon. With the fidling around of my neuro and insurance company I was without mestinon entirely for a few days and this cramping in feet hit hard! Now what I know when it happens is that I am out of wack with my dosage some how. If I am regular on my mestinon it doesnt really happen in the big way.

The summer after that first winter when I was so frustrated and with out support from that neuro I was off the mestinon. I was miserable. I had extreme spasm-cramp like things that would take over my chest. When I looked it up it souned very much like what people with MS call 'the hug'. But when I am on mestinon this doesnt happen like it did.

I am not sure that I do not have a version of it in my head and back at times. Before I went into hosp and got the mestinon I would have my intire back lock up in excrutiating pain. I missed my daugghters birthday party in the April before I went in in July and got the mestinon. I dont know what this means but the longer I am on my feet the more horrible it was. She had given birth on her birthday. I had had to walk clear into the hosp the day before to be with her and by the day of her birthday I was in agony and could nt go back to hosp.

Annie59

I really think you should get both your circulation/heart and your electrolytes/chem panel checked. Any ongoing pain should be evaluated and not so quickly attributed to MG. And if you are having symmetrical swelling in your knees, I would HIGHLY recommend seeing a rheumatologist! It could be undiagnosed rheumatoid arthritis or lupus (if you have other symptoms).

Annie

Interesting. What is an electrolytes/chem panel and circulation/heart? I'm a layman here.


My niece said it was due to swelling, but I never to this day saw any swelling. This last time, before the knee cramps, my knees felt like jello. Then, I felt twitching, almost like blood was trying to circulate, next, BAM, cramps.

There are six electrolytes you should have run: Sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. This site doesn't list magnesium.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/003468.htm

A comprehensive metabolic panel includes such things like kidney and liver function and total protein.

A urinalysis to see if you are having issues there is not a bad idea (some people have protein in their urine).

A cardiologist checks for things like peripheral artery disease, which can cause cramping in legs.

Just go see your primary doc and get checked out!

Annie

I should clarify that I dont always have pain with cramping. AS for me I have been worked up completely twice for cardiac and to lesser degree in between by different tests and it is always negative. I have also had the blood testing that was suggested here. When I went back to eating yams it did reduce the incidents and perhaps make them milder. They are high in potassium but also another element that I cant remember that is especially good for cramping/spasming. Blueberries has it too. If I can find it I will post it. Starts with A and is in foods that contain red.

Annie59