I am new to this site, I thought that someone out there may be able to help me. My mum had a bleed on the brain around 6 years ago and was left paralysed on her right hand side. Her left hand side is not much better now over time. We do not get any help of support other than visits to her doctor. Every night she cannot sleep due to painful leg cramps. The doctor says that there is nothing she can give her to help her.
Does anyone else suffer from this? or have any ideas on how she can be helped?
Hi, l just wondered what medication your mum was taking. Sometimes the medication can cause all sorts of problems. It might be worth checking anyway but I have to say your doctor was not very helpful to your mum.
Maybe others on here may have some ideas that may help.
Hi - I too have painful cramp in both legs since my stroke. I know that this is a side effect of my blood pressure tablets which are Accupro. This is an Ace inhibitor type of BP tablet. I tried many different BP tablets after my stroke and these are the ones which cause the least side effects for me. My GP did say there was a tablet he could give me to stop the cramp which relaxes the muscles but I declined this because it relaxes ALL the muscles and can cause sleepiness the day after. As I drive, I didn't want to take anything which hindered this. Really sorry, I can't remember the name of it at the moment (just woke up!) but I will Google it and let you know. I'm sure it begins with D. Dopemine or similar word? I find that doing a few leg stretches before getting into bed helps it a bit. This may be difficult for your Mum if she can't move her left side. Perhaps your GP could arrange for her to have some physio at home?
Hi again - yes, I've checked and it is Dopamine. I would go back to your GP and ask about relaxant medication. I don't think your GP has been very helpful at all. My Dad used to suffer terrible with cramp and he was told to drink tonic water by his GP and that worked for him. However, tonic water contains Quinine and does react badly with some medications so best to check with the leaflets in her tablets or GP (or chemist if your GP is unhelpful!) before trying it. Hope that helps.
Hi, thanks for your reply, she does take BP tablets but not Accupro, not sure what ones though but I have checked the side affects. I'm not sure she could take muscle relaxants as it may stop her walking at all? i.e. going to the loo at night etc.. She also has COPD and Dystonia which it may affect. I will speak to her doctor re the physio, so thanks for this. Hope all goes well for you.
This is a problem that your Mum should be referred to a Stroke specialist for - the cramp can be caused by many things: current medications or even the brain damage she sustained from the Stroke. In terms of the latter, it may be spasticity, a tightening of muscles caused by the Spine. Stretching can help and one medication: Baclofen is commonly used to reduce tightening or spasms. Its available in tablet form and a special pump can be fitted inside the body in extreme cases.
That said, I'm no medical expert but I was given Baclofen in my first year. As I recovered, I was taken off it eventually and now have only a mild tightness in my affected leg when I am ill, run down or have physically done too much, like walking several miles or going up a mountain, trying to run, work out or cycle.
As I've said - ask for Mum to be referred to a Stroke Specialist, who will know more than a regular GP
Hi im new to the stroke guide , i had a stroke 8 months ago just after i gave birth to my son, im only 19 , ive been placed on warfain and every night i get teally bad craps in my legs which leaves me unable to get up and i get a really bad pain in my back before i lose feeling in my legs i was wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else as me and my mum and worried as i have also lost quater of my vision.
Hello Kay and welcome to the board. You are so young to have a Stroke and all that goes with it. You have come to the right place for help and encouragement. I am sure there will be people who can identify with your pain and loss of vision.
Hi and welcome. Really sorry to hear about your stroke. I know from other stroke survivors that cramp in the legs at night (I'm a sufferer too) is very common. Sometimes it is the stroke which affects the nerves in the legs and sometimes it's medication that can cause it. However, back pain and losing feelings in your legs is something else and also your loss of vision especially at such a young age.
I think you should go to see your GP. Take your Mum or a good friend with you for back up and try and arrange a baby sitter that day so you only have to concentrate on speaking to your GP. Write down all your symptoms and a list of questions before you go and give a copy to the person coming in with you in case you 'dry up' mid way. Insist that you are seen by a neurologist/stroke specialist to find out what is going on with your back. As you have recently given birth to your son, it could be something that has dislodged a muscle which could be pressing on the nerves which affect your legs. Whether it be that or stroke related, it needs sorting as soon as possible. Please don't suffer in silence. You have your whole life ahead of you with your son so don't let your GP 'fob you off'. Stick to your guns and insist on help. Best wishes x
So sorry to hear of you suffering a stroke. I am about two million years older than you but I do get exactly what you described: cramps in the legs and quite a bad back ache when I wake up. My vision is fine, we are all different.
At eight months I would have hoped that there were good signs of recoveries.
It is so hard when you have to deal with multiple problems. They just pile up dont they.
My way is to take one issue at a time and deal with that. Its not necessarilty the right way, but I cant cope with dealing with two things at once.
A couple of ideas have worked for me: I have tonic water each day. That reduces the cramp (its probably the quinine in the tonic water). I also change the number of pillows. When I was struggling then I had four pillows to prop me up. Now I am improving its just two pillows and the back ache is much improved.
I am now 39 months post stroke. At times I thought things would never get better. But they do. Very slow, very gradual. I now drive, dig the garden (gently!) and I do some voluntary jobs. My memory is returning. Things do get better. And at your age they will get better a lot faster than at my age.
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