[MelodyL]

Well, I am having a little problem. I used to have leg spasms (you know, when the toes curl and bend and you have to press them down). Haven't had one of those for a long long long time. Years in fact.

We'll I've been on the 5000 methyl b-12 for quite some months now. I have no idea if this can be a side effect but I wanted to tell you what happened and maybe you have an idea??

To say that I have stress in my life is putting it mildly. Haven't seen my son in over 6 years. He's a gambler and has aspergers (no stress there, right??).
Alan's been having the foot problems for 18 years, (no stress there, right?) I myself have diabetic neuropathy (been doing okay, only get the burning when I hear from my son or I have long conversations about him with ANYONE). So my body definitely reacts in a negative way when I have to have long conversations about my son with anyone. I have absolutely no control in how my body reacts. I used to have bladder spasms but that was over 12 years ago and one day, I was in the shower and the hot water, etc. well they just stopped and never came back.

So I am a spasming kind of person when under stress... that much it doesn't take a brain surgeon to know.

As far as my diabetic neuropathy, when the weather is nuts (like it has been lately, going from 85 degrees to 50 in the space of two hours, that's when I get the feeling of the ants crawling on my skin. But it goes away.

Been doing okay in the PN department.

Oh, and let's not forget that I am a dental phobic and I have a dental appointment next Wednesday for my 6 month cleaning and this will include a checkup. This guy is a phobia dentist but I still have fears. I try to push them down into my head but perhaps they are in the subconcious??? I'll tell you what happened to me and that's why I think all this stress is causing my body to spasm.

Three days ago, about 5 a.m. I stretched my legs out fully and I got a spasm in m right foot, continuing up the calf. I said to myself "uh oh, what do I do now, well, better stop stretching... and I carefully just tried to relax my body. Didn't work, and the toes started to curl up and my leg went into a spasm (charlie horse). So I knew immediately that if I didn't sit up and put my right leg on the floor, I'd be in deep doo doo, so I just sat up, put my right foot on the floor, it relaxed immediately, I said 'oh, okay!!! not bad. I went to the bathroom, walked back to bed, and went back to sleep.

Well, since that day, I have had a sore calf. I can walk around perfectly fine, but I can't stand on the tip toes of my right foot. I tested this scenario (imagine reaching for something on a top shelf). When I attempted to do it, I knew it would cramp, so I just stopped. I can, however do this with my left leg. I can stand on my tip toes of my left foot. Not the right.

So I've been applying warm compresses all day.

Yesterday, when the IVIG nurse was here, I spoke to her about it. I said "what causes leg spasm, can stress do it?" and she said "well, I don't know what to tell you, why not ask your doctor, but yes, some stress can". Then I blurted out. "look at my husband all hooked up to tubes, and our son has not called to see how he is doing, and we haven't seen him in 6 years" and she blurted out "OH, You have THAT kind of stress"????

So can stress (the kind that I've been under, and the fact that I have a dental appointment next week, given the fact that I've been dental phobic all of my entire life), can that make a person have spasms???

Thanks to anyone who can help me.

P.S. I am sitting at the computer with my two feet firmly planted on the floor. but I can tell the right calf is still sore from that spasm three days ago.
Would it be better to put ice?? My friend said to ice it. I hate ice on my body. I think heat is the way to go, what do you all think.

Many of you have had leg cramps right? Could it be the B-12 is contributing to this?? Thanks

[Aussie99]

If I had to take a guess, I would say that the calf spasm is probably related to the PN.

It is not unusual if someone has a bad calf spasm for the calf to be very sore for days afterwards. I have had the same thing. Th calf spasm might also be related to your spine issues as well.

Stress is hard on the body, and can do alot of nasty things it is true, but in the setting of PN & spine issues, I would think it would be one of those first.

[mrsD]

magnesium,.....magnesium.....magnesium.......

[MelodyL]

I never thought it could be related to either my spine, or my pn. I really thought PN did the burning, tingling and buzzing. Never ever thought of spasms.

I had a bad spasm when I was 15, in this same leg. It was my first experience. I woke up screaming and my father knew immediately and said "oh you have a charly horse" and massaged my calf muscles.

Didn't happen again for 40 or so years.

My goodness,

And I forget to mention that my closes friend died two weeks ago. Lots of stuff that bring on stress.

Getting magnesium tomorrow.

Thanks much.

Melody

[nide44]

Magnesium, magnesium, magnesium.
Seriously, Mel.
PN can cause spasms.
Stress can cause PN flares exhibited in many different ways.
Magnesium helps the symptoms and helps prevent future flares of this type..
Remember.....PN has no cure...........yet.

[MelodyL]

Bought the magnesium today. Took my first pill.

Also, because we have 3 places to travel to next week, Neuropathy Meeting in NYC, and a health fair, and something else, well, I can't put my body through 3 Access-a-Ride trips, in one week. That's like two hours each way, and don't get me started on when they are late, that adds up to 3 or more hours each way.

So I simply called up my phobia dentist, spoke to his sister who works there, and she has been my go-to person. I explained that there is a lot going on on my neck of the woods, and can we please re-schedule. She was most helpful and thank god for that. I have read on dental boards, that in some offices (especially in the United Kingdom) where they have National Health Care, that if you walk into a dentist office and cancel, they have thrown the person out, and wouldn't re-schedule. Can you just imagine that happening to me??

What I'm actually waiting to notice is, if my calf muscles relax on their own. I don't think taking one magnesium pill is going to magically make my spasming stop. But if it does stop, then I know it was all stress induced. And this is most interesting.

Ten minutes after I cancelled the dentist appointmentl, I was able to somewhat stand on my tippy toes of the right foot. I haven't been able to do that for 3 days. It was spasming so bad.

I have a lot of emotional issues in relating to going to the dentist and with all the other crap in my life, I think it made my pn flare up to cause spasming.

Now I have no idea how the PN contributes to the spasming. If one of you knowledgeable people can explain how nerve damage can affect leg spasms, I'll be much appreciative.

But I am now taking magnesium, so at least, it's a start.

Thank god for you people.

Mel