MCTD Support Group
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) or Sharp's syndrome is a human autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body. MCTD combines features of polymyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic scleroderma and is thus considered an overlap syndrome. MCTD commonly causes joint pain/swelling, Raynaud phenomenon, muscle inflammation, and scarring of...
I was just wondering if any of you experience this? It happened to me again last night. I was holding my cross-word puzzle book down with my left hand and it all of a sudden cramped up on me to where I couldn't undo my fingers from each other for a few minutes. I took a quarter of my Zanaflex and rubbed some medicated cream on it and it let up. Then I was awakened this morning by a charlie horse/cramp in my left ankle extending into the top of my foot and into my leg. Again, rubbed the cream on it and took another quarter of my Zanaflex.
This has happened a few times before. I asked my endo about it and he said it could be low calcium. I'm on two different calcium pills a day. He had my blood checked a couple of months ago and it was fine.
I saw my rhemy yesterday and of course forgot to ask her about it. So I called her nurse today, but haven't heard back yet. I was just wondering if any of you experience it too.
It sure hurts like heck!!
Hugs,
PolarBear
This has happened a few times before. I asked my endo about it and he said it could be low calcium. I'm on two different calcium pills a day. He had my blood checked a couple of months ago and it was fine.
I saw my rhemy yesterday and of course forgot to ask her about it. So I called her nurse today, but haven't heard back yet. I was just wondering if any of you experience it too.
It sure hurts like heck!!
Hugs,
PolarBear
But yeah-- it sure is alarming, particularly if they hit during your sleep. I remember one night it literally threw me out of bed. There's nothing like waking up standing on one leg, screaming.
That kind of thing will really freak out your dog, too. My wife, however, can sleep through anything!
I found that muscle relaxants made no difference. When the charlie horse was over, it was over, so I was closing the gate after the horse left the barn. Also, I found that over time, my body learned to recognize the warning signs of an imminent charlie horse, and in those few seconds beforehand, you can sometimes stretch out the muscles and stop it before it gets started.
--Cat