Severe nightime inner thigh cramps

[bigwindman]

I'm so frustrated!  I periodically get severe nightime inner thigh cramps.  None of the recommendations to prevent these cramps work,  I drink plenty of water, eat bananas, have blood tests every three months etc.  

The cramps have returned and this is the third night in a row that I've woken up with the cramps.  They strike both legs at the same time.  Primarily in the inner thigh area.  It feels like the muscles are about to rip themselves from the bone.  The pain is so bad that I break out in a cold sweat and can only scream in pain as I try to stand and stretch.  This is hard to do because what I do for one leg makes the other leg worse.  The attacks happens only once each night, lasts 3 to 10 minutes, and leave drenched in sweet and exhausted for the next 24 hours.  If this current episode keeps up for much longer I'd rather be dead!

I have Polymyalgia rheumatica so I see a rheumatologist every three months.  Both he and my physician don't take my complaint seriously.  They tell me my electrolytes are fine, tell me to drink plenty of water and to stretch and massage the muscles when this happens.  All my research on the web has only identified a few others who suffer with the same symptoms, and a lot of the same advice that doesn't work.  Maybe there is no better option than to put a permanent end to the misery.


This discussion is related to Severe nightime inner thigh cramps.

[Junie2]

A related discussion, severe inner thigh leg cramps was started.

[mkh9]

Yes, I know a lot about pain. I hope you realize you can find relief and remember that when you have so many attacks. Even, they may figure it out but in the mean time  like the other post said too get a muscle relaxer or something to knock you out so that you can sleep through this. That at least will help.
mkh9

[bigwindman]

Thanks for the encouragement.  I wrote that post at 3:00 am after not being able to get back to sleep after one of the worst attacks I've ever had.  Since it was the third night in a row with little sleep due to these attacks.  I spent the rest of the night searching the web trying to figure out what is causing these cramps.  I was pretty down, and honestly in the midst of an attack I'm in so much pain that death looks like a good option.  After 3 or 4 nights in a row I feel like can't take any more.

Glad your finally getting relief.

[wallpo]

I too had something similar but my Dr. thought it best to treat the symptom and not the cause. He prescribed methocarbamol and it worked. I now sleep almost all night. Talk it over with him/her.

[mkh9]

I'm so sorry you have this problem. Please don't give up. I know doctors can dismiss pain and it can really affect your life. It does take time to get an accurate diagnosis. If you can't get diagnosed right away maybe you should go to a pain doctor to at least get treated for relief. Also, have you seen a neurologist? If it is at night maybe they can give you something like a muscle relaxant and/or something to knock you out at night so that you would go through this. There is always an answer you just can't see it. I went through 8 years of trying to get diagnosed for stomach pain and throwing up at night. No one could diagnoses me they thought I did drugs or no diagnosis. I couldn't stand it. Noone took me seriously.  I sent myself to a psychiatrist because I thought I must be crazy. It turned out it was a migraine variant (no headache). It was presenting in my stomach nerves. So, I finally was given Klonopin to knock me out and stop the cycle at night and I haven't had that at night since. I was at my wits end seriously. I did end of getting migraines later and now I'm on a ton of drugs because it changed/morphed into another type of migraine variant but I think the neurologist is finally getting the drugs right. So, i hope you can hang in there and I know it is soo hard. But it isn't worth your life as there is only one. And, you can find help.