Muscle cramping?
 

For those of you who have had success in finding relief for muscle cramping, I would love hear about what you have found to be helpful. I tried to go shopping today and was very uncomfortable with the dull aching, raw shooting pain in my legs. I take 1800 mg. of gabapentin, and vicodin for my bad back, but it sure doesn't do the trick. :(

a suggestion...
 

Hope, this is a reminder...

You take 2 drugs that deplete magnesium, from the body.
Many muscle cramps are helped by adequate magnesium intake.
Calcium is used by muscles to contract, and the magnesium relaxes them. You can even soak in epsom salts before bedtime and that will help too.

7 out of 10 people do not consume the RDA for magnesium.
Add to that drugs that remove it from the body, or metabolic problems like diabetes, you have a situation where the muscles begin to tell you things.

Here is my magnesium thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1138.html

This is a very important mineral... please read which forms are better than others, and learn how to choose foods high in magnesium so you may not even need supplements.
Your goal now is to supplement at least 1/2 of the RDA for this mineral. Not a large amount.

Thank you mrsD. I need to really sit down and get going on a course of supplements recommended by you. When I really get down, I like to go to the stickys and read about those who have improved by taking care of themselves and taking the proper supplements. We are lucky to have many knowledgeable people here such as yourself.

Avoiding taking magnesium and gabapentin at the same time
 

Apparently some caution is needed in taking magnesium at the same time as gabapetin. A little "googling" uncovered the following and similar comments elsewhere:

MAGNESIUM

Dr. Seastrunk says that magnesium should not be taken with Neurontin at all because it competes for the receptors in the brain that Neurontin is attempting to reach.

However, Parke-Davis and CFS specialists prescribing Neurontin suggest only that the two drugs be separated by two hours.

Since magnesium does have antacid properties, taking the two together may immediately interfere with Neurontin being correctly absorbed in the stomach. This also applies to prescription medication that lessens gastric motility and acidity as well as all other antacids.

Because magnesium levels are often low in people with CFS and FMS, many of us feel that it is very important to continue taking magnesium. By scheduling the magnesium between doses of Neurontin (preferably once a day and as far apart as possible), hopefully there will be minimum interference with Neurontin.

Thank you for the reminder.
 

IMO the magnesium is more important than the gabapentin, for most people. You cannot live without it, but you can live without gabapentin.

From what I have read, it is mainly an absorption problem. In fact gabapentin has limited absorption already, especially in high doses.

So do space the two apart for best results.

Oh boy...do I know this symptom. I currently take Baclofen 30 mg's at night to treat muscle spasms.

The other day, I was out of Baclofen...not a good thing. I decided to soak for 20 minutes in my tub with 4 cups of dead sea salts. You can get it at Saltworks. It has high levels of various minerals directly from the Dead Sea. I also decided to take Calm plus Calcium which is a powder that contains calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, Boron & potassium. You mix it with hot water and drink it like tea.

Amazingly, I did not have any cramps that night. the Calm Plus Calcium is available at iherb.com.

Good luck...I know how bad it can be.....

Ann