Publication Date: 9/30/2004
Remember that the information presented here is not intended to replace the care of your own doctor. Before making any changes in the management of your own illness, you should consult your physician or other qualified medical professionals.
Question
What is the best way to stop diabetic cramps? The cramps are in my legs.Answer
There are many causes of leg cramps. If you have low potassium, magnesium or calcium from medication or other reasons, correcting this will help. This could be evaluated by your provider. Some people have restless legs, which typically occurs when at rest and gets better if you walk around. These are not specific to diabetes and can be helped with quinine pills or other medications in some people. Other leg cramps occur after walking a specific distance and get better if you stop. This is called claudication and is due to decreased circulation. If this is present it requires evaluation by your provider and is helped by exercise, stopping smoking (if you smoke) and some medications. If severe enough then procedures to open the arteries can be done. The final cause of leg pain, not necessarily cramps, is nerve damage or neuropathy. There are a variety of medications that can be tried for this in addition to controlling the blood sugar levels if they are high. Medications used for this include: Neurontin, some antidepressants, some seizure medications, some pain medications, etc. Your provider can decide which approach would be best for you if this is the problem. Sometimes this problem improves with time without any specific therapy.Copyright � Colorado HealthSite. Reproduced with permission.
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