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Leg calf cramps at night

P

pinewood

Well-Known Member
Messages
792
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I woke up in the night in agony with a leg cramp in my calf and this has happened a few times in the past few years, but only since my T1D diagnosis. Never experienced them pre-T1.

Can it be connected to T1D even though my levels are generally okay (HbA1c of 5.7)? My BS peaked at 10 last night, I corrected and it came down to 5 and the cramp occurred when the levels were back down.

I'm paranoid it might be signalling some other horrible underlying medical condition.

Thanks!
 
I had leg cramps in my lower leg before I became T1. After diagnosis and insulin they dissappered completely. I was told that leg cramps were a pre cursor to diabeties. How long you been T1 pinewood?
 
I believe it's due to low potassium, zinc or sodium @pinewood. Might be worth a check on that. I also get it after a day spent playing cricket in hot weather, and it's generally a dehydration issue.
 
hi,

usually it is linked to a lower potassium which can be easily corrected. People without diabetes can eat a banana as this contains a lot of potassium but its not a fruit for diabetics. Also diabetics who take Lantus as basal suffer a lot from them as it seems to be a side effect from Lantus. Stress wont help so best is to relax and if it gets too much, stand on your bare feet on cold tile floor like bathroom. I remember this trick when i was pregnant (pregnant women do suffer a lot from it) and it definitely works!
 
Thanks everyone. I'll try taking a supplement and see if that helps.

To be honest @maria030660 I do wonder whether it might be Lantus related...
 
loads of people have reported it on forums, discuss it with your consultant/nurse on your next appointment
 
maria030660 said:
loads of people have reported it on forums, discuss it with your consultant/nurse on your next appointment
Click to expand...

Hi I'm fairly new to the forum and have never posted but just wondered why you feel bananas are not a fruit for diabetics? I eat one a day and can manage my BG levels no problem, it's also a great snack for when your low not to mention the other health benefits you talked about...
:)
 
I periodically get awful night leg cramps. Over time I've discovered that extra potassium in the form of bananas does absolutely nothing to help prevent mine, neither does quinine in tonic water. What does help is drinking lots and lots of water - 500ml minimum and wearing socks in bed. Cold floors do nothing to alleviate them when they come, but water does (and keeping feet warm).

The other big thing I've noticed is that I get them a lot more if I drink more than a glass of red wine, but lots of glasses of any alcohol will bring them on.

However, they almost never come at all if I'm not taking statins. I keep telling my diabetic nurse this, who seems desperate for me to stay on statins, even though I'm mid-50s with fine cholesterol, despite being obese. She says it's impossible for them to be linked, but I only know what I experience.

I think you might have to experiment to see what works for you. Good luck.
 
Emma82 said:
Hi I'm fairly new to the forum and have never posted but just wondered why you feel bananas are not a fruit for diabetics? I eat one a day and can manage my BG levels no problem, it's also a great snack for when your low not to mention the other health benefits you talked about...
:)
Click to expand...

They are very high carb and instant release. They release their sugar contents almost as soon as they hit your mouth. This is why athletes and tennis players munch them during competitions (or at least they did before they were allowed glucose tablets) Non-insulin users find them very difficult, if not impossible, to eat. Along with grapes they are the worst fruits for us.

Oh ... and welcome to the forum. :)
 
It could either be potassium or salt.

My blood tests show I have a good potassium range so I just upped my salt intake a bit and no longer have these cramps. I am T2 diet only, so no Lantus.
 
I find really hot water relaxes cramp, which I tend to get if I don't stretch after exercise. Sometimes just a day of walking around town.
 
I used to get cramps before diagnosis - at type 2, and they were due to dehydration. I'd drag myself to the bathroom and drink three mugs of water, sometimes four, and they would fade away moments later.
When, and since taking statins I had similar feelings, pains in my muscles, but they did not go away no matter what I did until I stopped the tablets, and then only slowly and my left leg is still affected.
 
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