Anyone else get what feels like charley horses for extended periods of time?

[Jrasted79]

I get what feels like charley horses or for those of you that have been pregnant, those super bad leg cramps. It hurts so bad I can't help but scream and grab my legs in pain. The only difference now from when I was pregnant ( I didn't have MS then) is that they last for an hour or more. This is what led me to not being able to walk for 4 days last. In bed for 4 days and I had to crawl just to get to the rest room. As the ability to walk came back which happened little by little over a few days I felt like I had ran a marathon. It's been a week or so and it's still hanging on.

Is this the spasticity that everyone talks about? If so is what I experienced an off the charts kinda case or this is the new normal. I don't walk well in the first place. I have the drunk walk going on almost all the time. It's so embarrassing. I think it just came out of a bad flare up and I hope this isn't another thing that's gonna hold on as the flare calms down.

[dee32baby]

Charley horse and fire like painin both my legs

Jrasted79,
I get both on October 17, 2013 I was admitted in to the hospital the doctors just didn't know what to do with me at the time I had 3 x-rays, 2 MRI's, 1 Cat Scan, a spinal Tap, and blood work done and so 29 days and 3 weeks later I'm told I have MS. Yep just my luck right. So I finally get to see my own neurologist and I explain what's going with me that losing the us of both my legs (I don't feel them ,but do) due to this same pain you are having has now put me in a wheelchair from day one. Oh boy the look on that man's face was just so well let's just say not so comforting. One day I'm walking and the next pain's and 2 days after that in the hospital and in a wheelchair. Not my best day at all.

Well long story short he tells me lots of PT, water, vitamin D3, and do try to get a lot of rest cause your going to need it. Um no really?! Needless to say I still in a lot of pain at time's but also what helps me to is taking Tizanidine hcl it's only 4 mg but tell me tell you it really dose help me. It works by helping to relax the muscles from spasms. I'm not sure if this help's you. But I hope it does in some way. I'm new here and just recently got diagnosed this past December 2013 what a Christmas gift I had to give my family.

** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

[mjan]

OUCH! Sorry I know how much that hurts, but over an hour long? Yes, it could be part of spasticity, but could be an lack of minerals/vitamins too.

Don't forget to take in a lot of water, POTASSIUM and Magnesium. These supplements help prevent (or lessen) spasms.

Also learned that bad spasms can be a side effect of cholesterol medication. I went off to see if my year long weird spasms would lesson or stop. They did! This med which yes reduced my choles. but also raised my liver enzymes.

Get that water/supplements in and see your doctor.

Let us know how you are doing,

Jan

[hunterd]

I remember when I used to get those, my worst episode lasted three hours! I cried, moaned, and screamed the whole time. I called my numerologist the next day and relayed what had happened. I was told to drink extra water and to start taking a multivitamin. And that worked for me.

[MSer102]

I've had many episodes of charley horses that lasted for hours. That's how I found out that Zanaflex wasn't working for me.