Foot cramps?

omrhill
omrhill Member Posts: 125
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Has anyone had foot cramps? I get them every night. I am post chemo/radiation. Surgery scheduled for 8/2. Any recommendations?

Comments

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #2
    Terrible
    Had them and would have to massage my feet. It got so bad I'd cry. Finally asked my doctor to have something to help and was given a pill for neuropathy but my feet hurt every night if not taking the medicine. Hope it gets better for you. Good luck on surgery, keep us informed before going in and after surgery.

    Kim
  • steveandnat
    steveandnat Member Posts: 886
    #3
    terrible
    When I go to bed some nights my feet cramp or hurt or burn so bad. I lay on my stomach ans put my legs in the air and shack the heck out of them. I will also massage my feet too. I cant sleep until feet get under control. Sometimes takes a long time. Pray yours gets better. Jeff
  • gophergenius
    gophergenius Member Posts: 33
    #4
    I have foot cramps and
    I have foot cramps and neuropathy and have been off chemo for three years. The neuropathy in my fingers is just about gone, but my feet are about the same with both the cramps and neuropathy. I was perscribed Neurotin and it has helped a little, but the only way for me to stop the foot cramps is to literally get up and stand on my feet. I get in the pool daily for excercise, but if I point my toes to swim the arches cramp so bad I have to stop and get out of the pool. Now I just do my daily excercise in the water in a shallow area where I can keep my feet flat on the bottom of the pool and they do not cramp. The same holds true at night when I am trying to sleep...cramps. If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd be happy to listen.
  • joemetz
    joemetz Member Posts: 493
    #5
    foot cramps
    yep... i have foot cramps fairly often.

    I have found that MORE WATER helps.

    the more water i drink, ALL DAY LONG... the less foot cramps I have.

    I've also woke up during the night and put a pair of shoes on and tied them tight, and then just slept with the shoes on. Strange, but it worked.

    my best
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #6
    Potassium
    Not that this will work for everyone, or is the cause for everyone, but one thing I learned while on a "low carb diet" was that I wasn't getting enough potassium. Apparently that is fairly common with low carb diets... and one of the side affects of low potassium is the cramping of feet and calves (sort of like a charley-horse). What was suggested, and worked for me at the time, was to increase my potassium intake, naturally... IE: add a daily banana to your diet. Bananas are full of potassium... for those who may be low.

    Like I say, your mileage may vary because the problem may not be that you are low in potassium, but hey, if something as simple as a banana a day helps, well, it can't hurt, now can it?? :D

    Cheryl (in Vancouver)
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    #7
    Cramps
    Have you told your doc about the cramps? I'm on lyrica for a pre-existing neuropathy so that helps some, but I still get them on occasion. When that happens, a nice soak in a foot massage with some epsom salt helps. You can also try hot stone massage, it feels very good and relieves the pain and coldness a lot. And the banana advice is great as well. I'm not real keen on eating bananas but will blend them up into a smoothie.
  • fatbob2010
    fatbob2010 Member Posts: 467 Member
    #8
    CherylHutch said:

    Potassium
    Not that this will work for everyone, or is the cause for everyone, but one thing I learned while on a "low carb diet" was that I wasn't getting enough potassium. Apparently that is fairly common with low carb diets... and one of the side affects of low potassium is the cramping of feet and calves (sort of like a charley-horse). What was suggested, and worked for me at the time, was to increase my potassium intake, naturally... IE: add a daily banana to your diet. Bananas are full of potassium... for those who may be low.

    Like I say, your mileage may vary because the problem may not be that you are low in potassium, but hey, if something as simple as a banana a day helps, well, it can't hurt, now can it?? :D

    Cheryl (in Vancouver)

    Banana
    Cheyl, I get cramps in my calf that prevent sleep sometimes. The only thing that helps is a banana. I started when I was younger and very active in sports but have taken the banana a day back up after starting Chemo and getting cramps. Hope this helps....
  • marbleotis
    marbleotis Member Posts: 720 Member
    #9
    Feet and Hands and Teeth and Mouth and Tongue
    I get the neurpoathy in feet, hads, teeth, mouth and tongue. Onc added mag and calcium drips before and after infusion that does help. I also eat a bananna daily. For the hand neuropathy embroidery works the best. I love love love to sew. I told my Onc about this and he said the continuous movements of your hands while sewing will help. For my feet I just walk a little. The teeth is the weirdest and I have not found a solution for that yet. I have completed 7 of 12 chemo treatments for stage 3 colon cancer with 3 nodes no mets.
  • thxmiker
    thxmiker Member Posts: 1,278 Member
    #10
    Hydration Hydration
    Hydration Hydration Hydration! Up your intake of electrolytes and stay hydrated.

    Best Always, mike
  • gophergenius
    gophergenius Member Posts: 33
    #11
    joemetz said:

    foot cramps
    yep... i have foot cramps fairly often.

    I have found that MORE WATER helps.

    the more water i drink, ALL DAY LONG... the less foot cramps I have.

    I've also woke up during the night and put a pair of shoes on and tied them tight, and then just slept with the shoes on. Strange, but it worked.

    my best

    Thank Joe...
    I never thought about sleeping in my shoes. I'm going to give that a try. Thanks for sharing.
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #12
    CherylHutch said:

    Potassium
    Not that this will work for everyone, or is the cause for everyone, but one thing I learned while on a "low carb diet" was that I wasn't getting enough potassium. Apparently that is fairly common with low carb diets... and one of the side affects of low potassium is the cramping of feet and calves (sort of like a charley-horse). What was suggested, and worked for me at the time, was to increase my potassium intake, naturally... IE: add a daily banana to your diet. Bananas are full of potassium... for those who may be low.

    Like I say, your mileage may vary because the problem may not be that you are low in potassium, but hey, if something as simple as a banana a day helps, well, it can't hurt, now can it?? :D

    Cheryl (in Vancouver)

    Getting your potassium checked
    When I started getting cramps in feet and eventually legs, then in my back, they checked my potassium and it was extremely low. I said something about I would start back up eating bananas, they said my potassium was so low, I'd have to get a few trees of banana's to eat to get it back where it should be. Since I had been "unhooked" from the avastin, it was decided (mostly because of my 20 percent co-pay to get "hooked" back up) that I could manage with their prescription pills of potassium. It worked great, my potassium went back up, cramps went away, and I started back on my banana a day routine.
    As Cheryl suggested, I would also recommend, getting your potassium checked on your next visit. Here's hoping you get it fixed soon, I know they aren't any fun.
    Winter Marie
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #13
    mikes said electrolystes
    get plenty of magnesium, its what the muscles need to relax.
    i drink organic green coconut water everyday.
    i also get magnesium from pink sea salt, and dates.

    the trick is you got to absorb it, that where a naturopath comes in.

    so much you can do to off set chemos side effects, consider a great naturopath or do lots of googling, but a naturopath has been just as essential as my onc for me everyday of this crazy healing journey.

    hugs,
    pete
  • mskautz
    mskautz Member Posts: 30
    #14
    pete43lost_at_sea said:

    mikes said electrolystes
    get plenty of magnesium, its what the muscles need to relax.
    i drink organic green coconut water everyday.
    i also get magnesium from pink sea salt, and dates.

    the trick is you got to absorb it, that where a naturopath comes in.

    so much you can do to off set chemos side effects, consider a great naturopath or do lots of googling, but a naturopath has been just as essential as my onc for me everyday of this crazy healing journey.

    hugs,
    pete

    foot cramps
    I've gotten foot cramps for awhile, even before my surgery, but after my first chemo session yest I got the foot cramps and my hands were weird, moving funny. Someone once told me to drink tonic water, in the past it used to help but I have to check with the chemo people tomorrow to see if its something I can drink. Kathy

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