My Toes Cramp

[Joss]

I often get cramp in the middle of the night and most often it's in my calf muscles. However lately my toes have been cramping badly, even during the day. I have been taking extra magnesium, but it doesn't seem to help.

My toes sort of turn up, which sounds funny, but it is extremely painful and nothing helps. Last night I tried getting up and walking around and that didn't help at all. The only way to relieve it was to hold my toes in my hand and try to relax. Now this is a pretty hard thing to do anyway, especially as one gets older.

Any other remedies out there?

Joss

[barbara123]

  Joss said:

I often get cramp in the middle of the night and most often it's in my calf muscles. However lately my toes have been cramping badly, even during the day. I have been taking extra magnesium, but it doesn't seem to help.

My toes sort of turn up, which sounds funny, but it is extremely painful and nothing helps. Last night I tried getting up and walking around and that didn't help at all. The only way to relieve it was to hold my toes in my hand and try to relax. Now this is a pretty hard thing to do anyway, especially as one gets older.

Any other remedies out there?

Joss

Have you tried bananas?

[codetalker]

I occasionally have these exact problems and have seen several opinions about how to treat them with vitamins (E, B-12, D) and/or minerals (calcium, magnesium).

I take a multi-vitamin and a calcium supplement. These problems usually occur only when I am not taking the supplements regularly. I don't have any experience with what vitamin and/or mineral is most responsible for controlling the cramping.

[bluewave]

  Joss said:

Hi Joss

My daughter has been getting a lot more cramps since she has been sick with what i think might be celiacs Im just wondering if you know whether this is linked to celiacs or not.

Thanks Josie

[Joss]

Hi Bluewave the local site states that low calcium levels with muscle spasm are among some of the less common symptoms in adults. I know that I have low calcuim levels due to the fact that I have osteoporosis. I suppose it can also occur in children too

Joss

[Gemini]

  Joss said:

I often get cramp in the middle of the night and most often it's in my calf muscles. However lately my toes have been cramping badly, even during the day. I have been taking extra magnesium, but it doesn't seem to help.

My toes sort of turn up, which sounds funny, but it is extremely painful and nothing helps. Last night I tried getting up and walking around and that didn't help at all. The only way to relieve it was to hold my toes in my hand and try to relax. Now this is a pretty hard thing to do anyway, especially as one gets older.

Any other remedies out there?

Joss

I had the same problem and it most likely is caused by vitamin deficiencies, most notably magnesium. Lack of it will cause muscle cramping. Take a good magnesium supplement and, with healing and time, it will go away. Mine did.

[Susan-in-NC]

Hey there! I also get toe cramps, most often in the large toe. PAINFUL! I have gotten foot cramps (in the arch) for years not so much in other large muscles. Then the summer before last summer the toe cramps started in earnest, so strong I could not stand or walk on the foot involved. Dr. gave me no reason or advice. Just massage and it will pass. Got the toe cramps just the other night when something supposidly prepared in a safe manner wasn't .

Now that I officially Dx, suddenly he is listening -- no longer my imagination. But, he still has no answer as to why I get the strange and varied symptoms I get. All he said is I'm the last persong he would suspect as having celiac and what I experience does not follow the normal path. I also get like pins and needles in my hands and feet with a burning sensation in my feet from a light cross contamination. With heavier contaminations, I get that also but along with some very def. other side effects!

Susan

[Gemini]

  Susan_in_NC said:

Hey there! I also get toe cramps, most often in the large toe. PAINFUL! I have gotten foot cramps (in the arch) for years not so much in other large muscles. Then the summer before last summer the toe cramps started in earnest, so strong I could not stand or walk on the foot involved. Dr. gave me no reason or advice. Just massage and it will pass. Got the toe cramps just the other night when something supposidly prepared in a safe manner wasn't .

Now that I officially Dx, suddenly he is listening -- no longer my imagination. But, he still has no answer as to why I get the strange and varied symptoms I get. All he said is I'm the last persong he would suspect as having celiac and what I experience does not follow the normal path. I also get like pins and needles in my hands and feet with a burning sensation in my feet from a light cross contamination. With heavier contaminations, I get that also but along with some very def. other side effects!

Susan

There is no normal path with Celiac disease and that's why doctors do so badly with diagnosing it. They don't really listen to what their patients are telling them or do not believe it could cause such varied symptoms, so tell people they are either crazy or just that they don't know. celiac disease affects your central nervous system so that explains all the weird tingling and cramping a person can get. Vitamin deficiencies also play a huge role. They need to start refresher courses taught by Celiacs!

[olalisa]

Before my diagnosis and going gluten free, my feet cramped constantly, with the big toe curling up very painfully. I think part of it is vitamin deficiency, but I think it can't be all from that because when I accidentally get glutened now (which is very infrequent, thankfully) I will get foot cramps for a few days. That makes me think that it's possibly part of the neurotoxic reaction that I and many other people with celiac experience. Hope this helps.

[home-based-mom]

Drink more fluids. I realize this causes a whole new set of problems - especially at night - but the only time I get those calf and toe cramps is when I have not been drinking enough fluids.

[Rivergirl]

Foot cramps, Hand cramps, and Charlie Horses (in my calves in the middle of the night) were one of my worst problems before getting diagnosed. I had no remedy. I tried everything - magnesium, banannas, drinking more water. Once I discovered I was Celiac, and went cold turkey and consumed no more gluten, my cramps pretty much went away. I still get cramps in my calves but mostly related to exercise and heat and I doubt to gluten. But I have a trick... at the first sign of your calves cramping point your toes to the ceiling. I use to point my toes to the floor (makes it worse). Pushing your heals down and pulling your toes towards you seems to help the calf cramping - then walk it out.

Good luck..

[Jestgar]

  home_based_mom said:

Drink more fluids. I realize this causes a whole new set of problems - especially at night - but the only time I get those calf and toe cramps is when I have not been drinking enough fluids.

This is what I was going to say. I now keep a bottle of water by my bed and if I'm woken up by cramps I chug the whole thing while try to stretch out my toes with the other hand. It seems to help.

[kbtoyssni]

I think it's most likely to be a vitamin deficiency or dehydration, but you might also want to consider stretching and what you're doing with your toes. I used to get really bad foot cramps from pointing my feet incorrectly in ballet and gymnastics. Haven't had a problem since I changed the way I point my foot!

[Kathy'sUnicorns]

You may need to get Potassium supplements (prescription - K-Dur is what I have to take). I had kidney failure and then a transplant and if I have too little or to much potassium I get those kinds of cramps. They make your muscles sore for about a day or so. I actually have to stand up and put all my weight on the foot that has the cramping toes.

I would talk to your doctor about it soon because if your potassium drops too low your heart can stop. I don't mean to scare you but it was what my doctors told me and since Celiac's have vitamin defisioncies (sorry about the spelling) you probably aren't getting enough and just bannana's and oj are not enough to bring it back up.