[JGriffin]

I have known I was a Type 2 for a month and a half. I take 500 Metformin twice a day...at first in the morning and at dinner, but it made me sick in the morning. So they changed it to lunch and dinner. I reduced my A1C from 6.9 to 6 with highest BG readings in the morning.....so they suggested I take one with dinner and the other with a snack at bedtime. This put the two pills within three to four hours of each other. For a week now I have been having leg cramps in the sides of my thighs and calves, especially bad at night. Heating pads do not help. Benadryl and tylenol help somewhat. Has anyone experienced leg cramps with Metformin and what did this mean?

[travis]

I've experienced both muscle pain and some cramping from the meds, and I find that a daily walk really helps. If I don't walk for several days ina row, it all comes back.

Some say supplemental potassium helps -- I'm using it, but I can't say for certain it helps.

[Mark C]

Just checking that you are not taking a statin as well? These symptoms are known side effects of statins and both my mother and I react with muscle pains and cramps from them.

[Cinnabon]

I am a T1 and have been expeiencing SEVERE leg pain, I dont know from what. I do not take anything but my insulin in my pump, but that can be the answer there. Sometimes what we DONT take s what is affecting us.... I have NO idea what to take.... I will be awaiting the replies along w/ JGriffin... lol........

[JGriffin]

Thanks to all of you for affirming that it is not "just me". No, I am not taking statins. Two years ago I had a massive skin reaction to lipitor and am not a candidate for statins. Then my triglycerides and glucose started up and they put me on metformin a month and a half ago.

Someone suggested that the leg cramps might be neuropathy. Since I am so new to this disease, I have no idea how to respond to that. I just wondered if taking two metformin at night might be the cause of the leg cramps since I do not have them during the day and they only begin hours after I take the two metformin tablets.

After I had my reaction to lipitor, I found numerous sites and forums on the internet that shared their experiences of reactions that were not indicated on the medication information they give the patients. I hope this is not another case of that with metformin.

[pam]

I've had the leg cramps for years. I only get them when I eat too many carbohydrates. This is why I'm so careful what I eat -- because my sugar rarely goes up, but I get woken up at 2 am in agony. It can take 20 minutes of direct ice (yes, it burns my leg) to get the cramp to stop and I can never get back to sleep.

If I eat anything with white potatoes I'll be guaranteed to wake up with a leg cramp. If I eat too much bread, same thing happens.

I can go months without a cramp then I slip up and eat the wrong thing and bam, serious pain. Sometimes it takes me a while to wake up and the cramps are so bad that for the next few days it hurts to walk.

I only get cramps in my calves. They are so severe you can not only feel the muscle palpitating but you can see the deep indentation in my leg where the muscle is constricted.

Most foods high in potassium are high in sugar and/or carbs, so that won't help me.

I asked my diabetiologist about this many years ago and he gave me an explanation that made sense, something about the sugar and viscosity. I can't remember his explanation after 10 years

[Cinnabon]

Hmmmm..
I have very little carbs and they are "good carbs" such as lettuce,tomatoes, and carrots. I exercise almost everyday for 45 minutes abd I drink water.. Im really stunned at what I might have..

[Harold]

Cinnabon brings up a good point. Lack of water may contribute to leg cramps and muscle pain.

Mentioned leg cramps to my old doctor and he just said CALCIUM. So whenever leg cramps start bothering me I take calcium each day untill they go away.

[JGriffin]

I take Magnesium, calcium, potassium, chromium, zinc, A,C,E, and a B complex everyday. I also go around with a bottle of water in my hand. I have not taken my Metformin today and I have not had leg cramps like yesterday.

[SVanderkolff]

I noticed way back at the beginning of the thread that you were taking tylenol. Are you taking any kind of blood thinner? I found out I had diabetes after finding out that tylenol and plavix don't mix. Almost had a hole in my stomach and found out I was diabetic. Not a good week.
Steve

[Inquirer]

I'm new as of 6 hours ago...

My severe cramps were mainly in my sleep at night or rarely during a day nap. They were in my calves and feet (bottom and top or arch). I was taking (1) Lotensin 40mg, (1) Digoxin 25mg, (1) Atenolol 25mg, and (1) Lasix pill.

I would be asleep and when I somehow felt the cramp(s) coming on...I would immediately awake and curl up my feet/toes towards my knees. It became so natural that I would instantly do so. It is when I delayed that the cramp became distented and that required getting out of bed, putting my one foot or both onto the floor and stretch forward over my feet to stretch the calves out much like a runner does before or after jogging/racing. That hurt! And rarely would that same muscle go into a 2nd or 3rd cramp after stretching. Now those kind really made me wish I had no pain sensitivity!!!!

Think on this: I'm somehow associating these cramp onslots to the use of nitrite and somtimes nitrate in red meat such as hot dogs and luncheon meat as I did have minor cramps just last week after eating two Hebrew Hot Dogs.
The symptoms happen usually on the 2nd and sometimes the 3rd day after ingestion.

Any comments?

Inquirer

[Penny]

At one point, I was having these severe leg( and sometimes foot) cramps nightly. I have not had one for several months. The only things I can think of that have changed since I had the last cramp are....I started taking a vitamin with iron, and started taking a novolog shot during the day. Nothing else I can think of that I did to cause them to stop.

[Jaclyn]

Hi t2 on MET and my foot ,ankle has been killing me? how do you guys ease the pain. and how long does it usually last? months,...forever. been on MET for almost 3 weeks. plz helppp lol it hurts. also it just stops all of a sudden its weird.

[seacomp]

Originally Posted by Inquirer

I'm new as of 6 hours ago...

My severe cramps were mainly in my sleep at night or rarely during a day nap. They were in my calves and feet (bottom and top or arch).

Hello and Welcome to the site. Maybe this can be of some use to you and the other with leg cramps.
A major, if not the major cause of these cramps is low potassium levels usually caused by excessive urination. The excessive urination can be caused by high BG levels, by blood pressure medication, or by other reasons,
OTC potassium can correct this problem. The problem can also be evaluated by the blood test for potassium.
Hoe this help you and other with the issue.
Again welcome to the Forum.

[Jaclyn]

Originally Posted by seacomp

Hello and Welcome to the site. Maybe this can be of some use to you and the other with leg cramps.
A major, if not the major cause of these cramps is low potassium levels usually caused by excessive urination. The can be caused by high BG levels, by blood pressure medication, or by other reasons,
OTC potassium can correct this problem. The problem can also be evaluated by the blood test for potassium.
Hoe this help you and other with the issue.
Again welcome to the Forum.

Hi Seacomp, I have taken potassium the last few days but no help and thee just not at night there all day.,Ive figured out that when my foot is not in bad pain its my head hurting and vise versa. I have been walking everynight 30 min so I dont know what this pain is. Im going to call my dr and see what she says and if I need to go in. nothing seems to help. You mentioned excessive urination, Thats not a factor now that I'm on met. well see what the dr says and ill let you guys know.