For most elderly individuals, there is no single medication definitively proven to be safe and effective for routine use for leg cramps. The US FDA and medical experts no longer recommend the use of quinine due to the risk of serious side effects. Treatment focuses on preventative lifestyle changes and managing the underlying cause.
However, some prescription medications show a little evidence of preventing leg cramps. Under the direction of your healthcare provider, you might want to try the following: Carisoprodol (Soma®): A muscle relaxant. Diltiazem (Cartia XT®): A calcium-channel blocker.
Furosemide is a very potent medication. Using too much of this drug can lead to serious water and salt/mineral loss. It is important that you are closely monitored by your doctor while taking this medication. Tell your doctor right away if you become very thirsty or confused, or develop muscle cramps/weakness.
Medical conditions: People with thyroid or nerve conditions are known to experience leg cramping. Medication use: Some medications can cause muscle spasms as a side effect, including statin drugs and corticosteroids like prednisone.
Stretch and massage.
Also try standing with your weight on your cramped leg and pressing down firmly. This helps ease a cramp in the back of the thigh too. For a front thigh cramp, try pulling the foot on that leg up toward your buttock. Hold on to a chair to steady yourself.
Too little potassium, calcium or magnesium in the diet can cause leg cramps. Medicines often prescribed for high blood pressure can cause increased urination, which may drain the body of these minerals.
Home Care
Common side effects
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Muscle pain and tenderness has been reported with steroid use but it is not common. If you are concerned talk with your doctor. Generally because the site of injection is specific steroid injections are usually well tolerated and side effects are minimal especially when compared with oral steroids.
In general, they're likely the result of tired muscles and nerve problems. The risk of having night leg cramps increases with age. Pregnant people also are more likely to have night leg cramps. Kidney failure, diabetic nerve damage and problems with blood flow are known to cause night leg cramps.
Common side effects
If patients develop diarrhoea and vomiting while on furosemide treatment, they should maintain their fluid intake and stop furosemide for 1 to 2 days until they recover. If symptoms persist beyond 2 days, renal function should be checked.
However, muscle pain can also be helped by some over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications. Examples include acetaminophen (Tylenol) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve).
Stop taking atorvastatin and call a doctor or call 111 straight away if: you get unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps – these can be signs of muscle breakdown and kidney damage.
Gabapentin in doses of 600 to 1200 mg per day appears to be effec- tive in the treatment of painful muscle cramps. It makes most sense to start the patient on gabapentin as a bedtime dose, because it is often during sleep that the most severe cramps occur.
Medication is usually only needed in persistent cases where cramping does not respond to exercise. If you have secondary leg cramps, treating the underlying cause may help relieve your symptoms. Leg cramps that occur during pregnancy should pass after the baby is born.
Leg pain can signal various diseases, often related to poor blood flow (like Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) or Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)), nerve issues (like Sciatica, Diabetic Neuropathy, or Restless Legs Syndrome), joint/bone problems (like Arthritis or infections), or muscle conditions, with symptoms varying from exercise-induced cramping to persistent aching, swelling, or numbness.
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If you take oral corticosteroids for a long time, your adrenal glands may produce less of their natural steroid hormones. To give your adrenal glands time to recover this function, your provider may reduce your dose gradually.
There is no “safe” dose of prednisone. Prednisone over time increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and infection. It can worsen underlying diabetes and HTN. The effects are dose related– higher the dose, the worse the side effects.
What may interact with this medication?
Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is often the first suggestion when managing chronic pain, especially for joint or muscle aches. Acetaminophen is considered one of the safest over-the-counter pain relievers when used at recommended doses, but it has limitations and hidden risks.
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Most cases of leg pain go away either on their own or with self-care measures. However, there are cases that warrant a visit to an orthopedist for prompt intervention. An orthopedist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries and conditions that affect the bones and soft tissues.