Cramps?

[Phil M]

Does everybody (pals) get them? Does anybody not get them? Just courious..thank you!

 

[joelc]

My take on it is everyone who has ALS gets them. As the muscle atrophies you experience cramps. They stop when the muscle is gone, I have not had any for years but did have them in the early stages.

 

[JeffP]

keep them coming joel you know what your talking about and am a very good person to be where you are as a moderator you my friend know your stuff

 

[irismarie]

I hate them in my legs as I cannot do any stretching or whatever to get rid of them and it HURTS, doesnt it!

 

[Pidge]

My son was getting bad cramps & when he started taking Baclofen they stopped he would get cramps or a bad charlie horse in his thighs & back & they would wake him up at night. He said it felt like somone shot him in the leg.

 

[Phil M]

Knock on wood, and hope this doesn't come back to haunt me, but other than some cramps under my chin in the beginning. I don't really get cramps anymore. Occasionally I get one in my throat when I swallow, but thats it. I have atrophy in my arms, and legs. But for some reason I am blessed with no cramping for now. All I take for it is zannaflex. Not complaining!

 

[haase]

I'm a bit new at this. Cramps are the worst and I get them in my neck, too. I take Clonzapam (sp?) but I'm not sure how much good it does. Caeol

 

[haase]

oops! That's Carol!

 

[Ladyinn]

I get cramps in my toes and the arch of my foot. I am wearing a brace on my foot and calf now and the cramping has been less. My left arm no longer moves but I can't remember cramping before it became rigid. What I am experiencing this past week is lower back twitches and pain that makes me bend forward when walking and at times causes me to stop everything and lay down before I fall down. Is this a sign my torso muscles are beginning to atrophy? Diane

 

[abbas child]

Diane, I didn't experience lower back twitches and pain like you're describing...my abdominal muscles went first with cramping while my back just became weaker. I did twitch all around (sounds like a dance). My guess is that your torso is weakening, but it may be a long, slow process. After diagnosis, it seemed any twitching/cramping/weakness was sure to be ALS unless it was a type of manifestation I'd had earlier (such as a stuck sacroiliac joint--my long term nemesis).

So sorry about you who have neck and throat cramping. That sounds so miserable.

 

[irismarie]

Diane, I hope you are not walking unaided.........;;; Please get a chair READY; you should NOt be forcing your poor muscles

 

[Ladyinn]

Dear Iris, please don't worry - I am using a walker -especially when I go out of the house - and have the pwc in the ready when the time comes. I really think the stresses of the past few weeks have been more than I should be juggling. Yesterday Tim loaded me in the 6-wheeler and we took a picnic into the Black Hills National Forest that is adjacent to the Ranch. The smell of the pines, and the sage after a rain, with the beautiful vistas from the rocks and the plateaus helped center me.

I was in bed by 8:00 last night and slept till 8:00 this morning. I have asked my son to find a care facility near him for my 84 year old mother who suffers from Parkinson's and frontal lobe dementia. She is becoming more difficult for me to deal with and the stress of her care, even tho she is in an assisted living facility near me, is getting to me. She is angry with me for not keeping her at home, and doesn't grasp the fact I have my own health issues to fight.

Couple that with the busy season at the B&B and the frustration of having to watch while others do the work (and not always to my standards!) My new motto is to strive for progress and not for perfection .... but it "ain't" always easy for a gal who is a type A personality and a detail, workaholic!

I told a friend yesterday that ALS is a blessing in disguise -- it has taught me to slow down, listen more, and to fine tune my patience!

I am grateful for you and the others on the forum who display such courage, humor, and empathy. Thanks for adding to the goodness in my life.

Hugs and loving thoughts.

Diane

 

[JeffP]

ladyin my prayers go out to you.wow you have a double wammy there it is so sad .my motherin law wants to move back here and i think live with us .she has chronic pain always a hip replacement and is in very poor shape .i woudnt mind it but she is so negative and always complaining of this and that all about her pain ect.my wife says no way i think it would be just like what your going through i will pray for you and your mom godbless,she is in a nursing home runned by my sisterinlaw so shes in good hands but does the same to her ,well enough of that lets enjoy today

 

[Phil M]

Yeah, Its no fun being in a negative environment..