Will the foot cramps EVER stop?
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@Aquawave - You might somehow have been able to figure it all out as a lay person in the pre-Google days of 2001 and earlier, but most of us had absolutely no clue that LF was a ticket to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, insulin, and years of frustrating visits with docs brainwashed by the ADA, AHA, US Guidelines, etc.
That you both managed to get your BG down so quickly after so many years is amazing. I suspect you were careful in setting your macros and unusually diligent in adhering to your program. An inspiring counterexample for all T2Ds who get the "chronic and irreversible" hee-haw from their docs, dietitans, uncles, etc. Nice going!3 -
I just bought some magnesium gel to try. I think this might also be helpful for my partner, who finished with his surgery and chemo for colon cancer about 5 months ago. I think he'd benefit from electrolyte supplementation, based on his blood tests, especially magnesium, but because he has an ileostomy he can't take oral magnesium.0
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Yes. Starting in the 4th grade, my hands would shake about 2 hours after eating sugarcoated cereal, never told anyone since I did not want be be "weird".I was called hypoglycemic when I was 18 years old. Tried Atkins, got prego in 1978 and was told no more Atkins, it was bad for my baby even though I had gestational diabetes. Was told I had high cholesterol in the 80's and was put on a high carb diet. After my Dad had a triple bypass. I told my doc and he put me on Statins. Lost my gallbladder as a result of the low fat diet. After eating out Chinese with my hubby for a lunch date in 2001, I had my yearly checkup. I knew what was up after I gave a urine sample and the tech came in with a glucometer to check my glucose levels. Every elder in my family has died from complications of diabetes and even though I was professionally, a Medical Technologist, I should have known better.
I am just done with doctors, I took myself off Lipitor last month too after learning that it could be causing all these unsolvable joint problems. There will be no more donations to the American Diabetes Association from this household.
I suppose it might have been possible for a lay person to find something other than the standard ADA recommendations in the pre-Google world of 2001 and the last millennium, but few of us even suspected that LF was a ticket to metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, diabetes, insulin, and a parade of visits to docs brainwashed by the standard guidelines of the ADA, AHA, USDA, etc.
Your amazing reversal after so many years is a perfect counterexample for all T2Ds who are fed the demoralizing and bogus "chronic and irreversible" hee-haw from docs, dietitians, uncles, etc. Nice going!
PS I would rather throw to my money at a hungry alligator than donate to the ADA.2 -
@BaconSan2 Never heard of taking chromium for leg cramps, but will give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion.0
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OK. That's it.
I took over a tablespoon of pink salt yesterday. I had potassium pills. I took 800 mg of magnesium citrate AND rubbed magnesium oil all over myself before bed. And STILL I had foot cramps from 3:30 a.m. until now, when I finally gave up. That's the pattern. Even if I drink salty water just before bed, even if ALL of my magnesium is taken just before bed, I wake up at 3:30 and that's it for the night. Non-stop cramping.
The cramps are getting more and more frequent, and more and more severe. I haven't slept a full night for weeks.
Something is very, very wrong. I'll try eating carbs for a few days, maybe some fruit and oatmeal. If that works, then I guess I can't do low carb.
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How low carb are you. I can't remember if you mentioned that. I would gradual increase until the cramping stops. If you do go back to a regular amount if carbs for the standard diet, you could try gradually reducing carbs. I know some struggle when they go very low carb very fast, for some a gradual reduction over weeks is more successful1
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Basically, I get my carbs from yogurt and cheese, nuts, and vegetables, mostly salad vegetables. The odd night I might make something like a vegetable curry with coconut milk in it. I wuld say I'm hovering at around 30-40 carbs these days.
But you know, I was on Atkins three years ago for about 6 months, and I had no trouble with cramps, even in the induction phase, which is 20 carbs. I just don't understand this, but the lack of sleep has to stop. If it weren't for the cramps, I would be sleeping well.
So, oatmeal for breakfast, fruit for dessert. I'll see what happens.1 -
Good luck. I know the first time I did keto I had little issue, every time since then I have so much issue with keeping my sodium up that I have to increase carbs. I don't know why it's different than the first time but I'm ok if I hover around 100 or so grams, I don't log anymore but most of my choices are lc then at night I eat more carbs, I can feel when I'm losing to much sodium so it's a delicate balance. Good luck I hope the increase helps.1
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@LauraCoth: I absolutely understand what you are going through. I am sorry it has taken so long to find relief. You might try adding the carbs in slowly so you can test just how many you need to get a good night's sleep. If you tried Atkins 3 years ago and no cramps, it may be something else entirely. Good Luck!0
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The fruit in our neighbour's gardens is ripening, so I ate an apple yesterday to add a big chunk of carbs. I'll do that for a week and see how it goes. I'm hoping that will be enough, because I really enjoy eating low carb. It's so simple.
I've decided against adding grains. My brain just doesn't register them as food any more.1 -
I think I may finally have a handle on this.
I bought some serious magnesium bisglycinate. I took a dose of 1,000 mg last night and had one small cramp.4 -
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It's pretty expensive, though. The one I bought was on sale for $30.00, for what would be around a 45-day supply. Oh well. If it works I can keep going on the low carb.0
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the one I linked earlier in this thread is I think about 18 dollars on amazon for 180 pills at 400 mg for two, I think. that's the one I take, I take two a night and it does the trick.0
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I buy magnesium carbonate powder from Bulk Supplements on Amazon. It's the cheapest way I've found to get a well absorbed form.1
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I'll check those out next time I need some. It really depends on whether I can can get them on Amazon.ca as opposed to Amazon.com. But anyway, It was a relief - especially as I didn't have nearly as much sodium as I've been ingesting lately.1
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Hah. Thought I was going nuts (nutser?)
After all that, with little relief, I decided to stop taking my new thyroid meds, the added time-release T3. And the cramps stopped within 48 hours.
I guess I just cannot tolerate any of the synthetic thyroid medications. Synthroid did the same thing to me, which is why I decided to stop the T3.
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@LauraCoth - Wow, that makes me so sad!!! But I guess at least you know, right? I can't remember, did we ever talk about stomach acid and iodine for you? Apparently both those things, along with other co-factors, are critical to being able to convert T4 to T3, which I hadn't known until recently? Maybe a shift on that front could allow you better conversion rates? Or an increase to your current NDT meds??0
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Yeah, I think I'll have to focus on better conversion instead. The seleno-methionone should help, and L-Tyrosine also helps. ACV, too.
I spent rather a lot of time Googling to find out if there is a desiccated thyroid version of T3, but I couldn't find anything. Maybe it's impossible to separate? Bummer, anyway.
I discovered something rather encouraging last night, though, which may help with my overall numbers anyway. I normally take my thyroid medication thusly: 60 mg upon waking, 30 mg at 2:00 p.m. Both my GP and my ND told me I should never try to take the doses 12 hours apart because taking it later in the day would make my already world-class insomnia worse. The problem is that every now and then I forget to take the afternoon dose until much later in the day, and so I skip it; this doesn't happen often, but possibly once every two weeks. Last night, just before bed, I remembered that I'd forgotten it yet again, thought about it for a second in terms of possible weight loss consequences, and took my pill -- and slept as well as I ever do. I'm going to keep trying this, because if I can take my doses 12 hours apart, I could get a really good stream of T3 all day without needing the time-release formula.1 -
@LauraCoth - I've noticed that my T3 doesn't really seem to impact my sleep either. Maybe as I get healthier all around it will, but for now, if you find something that works, jump on that train!!!0
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OK just putting this out there - I watched Dr. Eric Berg's the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & in it he says contrary to most ppls belief they are too alkaline (Not acid like is commonly thought) as you age you make less acid. He says if you are on a high protein diet the protein leaves whatever (he has a name for it) in your muscles & it calcifies giving pain. But if your body is too alkaline the thing (again I forget the name H something) is switched off and then this residue from the protein remains. If your right your acidity it will switch on and again your body will begin to get rid of this whatever it is. Gee, I hope I haven't used too much medical terminology in this post.3
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I went thru the same thing you are going thru and the pickle juice did the trick for me surprisingly bc I was doing the same thing you are and still am supplementing magnesium potassium calcium and keto aide ( mio with 1/4 tsp lite salt, 1/4 tsp salt, and shake all in btl water) along with drinking broth several times a day and once a drank the pickle juice it all stopped. Hopefully that helps you
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OK just putting this out there - I watched Dr. Eric Berg's the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & in it he says contrary to most ppls belief they are too alkaline (Not acid like is commonly thought) as you age you make less acid. He says if you are on a high protein diet the protein leaves whatever (he has a name for it) in your muscles & it calcifies giving pain. But if your body is too alkaline the thing (again I forget the name H something) is switched off and then this residue from the protein remains. If your right your acidity it will switch on and again your body will begin to get rid of this whatever it is. Gee, I hope I haven't used too much medical terminology in this post.
@BaconSan2 - the Digestive Enzymes I take have the Ox Bile in them that's good for stomach acid. I do it with the ACV. I might experiment without the ACV for giggles at some point... But I do the pills that have 35% acetic acid. Concentrated. Wonder if that makes the difference? And I am generally not HIGH protein... So ... interesting. And yes, I can tell a huge difference in my body when I'm naturally acidic or not.1 -
I'm pretty much convinced I'm too alkaline, given that antacids never worked for me, but ACV does, in a flash.6
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »OK just putting this out there - I watched Dr. Eric Berg's the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & in it he says contrary to most ppls belief they are too alkaline (Not acid like is commonly thought) as you age you make less acid. He says if you are on a high protein diet the protein leaves whatever (he has a name for it) in your muscles & it calcifies giving pain. But if your body is too alkaline the thing (again I forget the name H something) is switched off and then this residue from the protein remains. If your right your acidity it will switch on and again your body will begin to get rid of this whatever it is. Gee, I hope I haven't used too much medical terminology in this post.
@BaconSan2 - the Digestive Enzymes I take have the Ox Bile in them that's good for stomach acid. I do it with the ACV. I might experiment without the ACV for giggles at some point... But I do the pills that have 35% acetic acid. Concentrated. Wonder if that makes the difference? And I am generally not HIGH protein... So ... interesting. And yes, I can tell a huge difference in my body when I'm naturally acidic or not.
I haven't used acv since the first week of starting the enzymes and feel good1 -
Well. the camps are back, with a vengeance.
I really thought it was the thyroid medication because the cramps stopped for a week after I stopped taking it. Now I'm back to less than 2 hours' sleep anight because of the cramps, just non-stop all night.
I was drinking very salty water ALL NIGHT LONG but eh cramps never stopped.
Yesterday in addition to my salt on my food I drank two cups of bullion, 900 mg salt each, and 5 postassium tablets.
I also took 600 mg magnesium glycinate, PLUS a magnesium gel rub on my legs just before bed, PLUS calcium pills in the middle of the night. But still cramps all night.
I think I have to give this up and go back to calorie counting and being hungry . This just isn't working for me. I can't sleep for more than an hour without being woken up by cramps.1 -
@LauraCoth , just hoping you figure this out...1
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I've been struggling with it for two months.
I should be adapted to the diet by now, but this just goes on and on.
I'm sure I'm taking in at a minimun 2500 mg sodium daily, and sometimes a lot more than that. And all the salt water nauseates me.
I'm up all night. I sleep for an hour and get a cramp, and then I'm awake for an hour or two. Just when I finally get back to sleep, it starts again.
I take my bed time medications with salt water, very salty, probably a teaspoon or more of pink salt, and still I get the cramps an hour or two later. It just won't stop. And I'm bloated from the salt.1 -
Poor circulation? Perhaps it is time to see a doc?1
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