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NOCTURNAL LEG CRAMPS & OSA: A COUPLE OF ARTICLES - Plmnb - 12-21-2019

As I mentioned in my thread, Plmnb's Never Ending OSA Journey (Data): Post No.165 I have suffered from awful leg cramps.  I had read something, I thought it might be on this board, but I don't remember, about cramps and lack of oxygen.

I wrote that I was going to research this and I have found some interesting information that has REALLY shed some light on one of the symptoms I didn't even know was a symptom or possible result of OSA.

If you are interested, here are two links to check out:

A scholarly article on Nocturnal Leg Cramps & OSA: CLICK HERE

An article in Salt Wrap, talks about cramps and Circadian Rhythm: CLICK HERE

I hope this helps some OSA sufferers who are experiencing these particular type of cramp.

Plmnb


RE: NOCTURNAL LEG CRAMPS & OSA: A COUPLE OF ARTICLES - Gary1of2 - 12-21-2019

Have you been checked for diabetes? Low sugar at nite can cause cramps., Also low magnesium or potassium too. Dehydration.
Just other things to consider.


RE: NOCTURNAL LEG CRAMPS & OSA: A COUPLE OF ARTICLES - Plmnb - 12-21-2019

(12-21-2019, 09:08 PM)Gary1of2 Wrote: Have you been checked for diabetes?  Low sugar at nite can cause cramps., Also low magnesium  or potassium too. Dehydration.
Just other things to consider.

Hello Gary1of2.  Nice to meet you.

Yes, I have, very recently too.  The only thing the doctor found was that I was very low on Vitamin D.  She put me on prescription Vitamin D it was so low.  If you read the scholarly article it talks about the characteristics of NOCTURNAL CRAMPS specifically as opposed to regular cramps and I fit it to a T.  Especially the part where they do not go away like regular cramps.

I was looking at my sleep study report and my average oxygen awake is 94%.  My average oxygen while in REM is 88%.  My average oxygen while in Non-REM was 92%. My minimum O2 saturation asleep was 72%.  A HUGE reason I was getting headaches that nobody could figure out why I was getting them.  For the longest time I thought it had to do with my eyes but my eye dr. couldn't figure it out.  So, it makes total sense that I would be getting the awful cramps described in the articles.

It is so fascinating.

Regards,
Plmnb


RE: NOCTURNAL LEG CRAMPS & OSA: A COUPLE OF ARTICLES - ColoradoMom - 12-21-2019

Interesting, I also get brutal nocturnal leg cramps. My AHI puts me into the category moderate OSA, but before I treated my sleep apnea my oxygen levels weren’t good; average 88, under 88 for 137 minutes, low 74.
I’ve been on CPAP for 6 months, I don’t think it’s lessened my leg cramps, but I since I never made any connection between OSA and leg cramps I don’t think I have paid enough attention to notice if there was a difference.

To be honest, your links are underwhelming. The first is based on a ridiculously small test size of 4 and the second states the obvious, sleep disrupted by pain causes circadian rhythm problems. 
That said I very much relate to your problems and based purely on anecdotal evidence it makes sense to me. I would be very interested in reading any more info you may dig up on the topic, and would love to hear if there is anything you have found that helps keep horrible night cramps at bay.


RE: NOCTURNAL LEG CRAMPS & OSA: A COUPLE OF ARTICLES - Plmnb - 12-21-2019

(12-21-2019, 11:12 PM)ColoradoMom Wrote: To be honest, your links are underwhelming. The first is based on a ridiculously small test size of 4 and the second states the obvious, sleep disrupted by pain causes circadian rhythm problems. 
That said I very much relate to your problems and based purely on anecdotal evidence it makes sense to me. I would be very interested in reading any more info you may dig up on the topic, and would love to hear if there is anything you have found that helps keep horrible night cramps at bay.

A pleasure to meet you ColoradoMom.

I knew the one article from Salt Wrap was wimpy, but I was at work and it is one of the first things that popped up in my Google search.  The other one, seemed much more medical, but guess I didn't read it close enough to see that only 4 subjects were studied.  But you can believe I didn't plan on stopping with those.  When I catch up on everything else I plan on looking for more.  But it is a start, and maybe some other people with similar problem will post some links on this problem.

I NEVER would have put two and two together if I hadn't joined this board though.  Because I have, I now come across many things that make me go ah, ha!  

I will definitely post more on this, hopefully soon.

Plmnb