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prednisone and charley horses

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/15/2009 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
Does anyone know if charley horses can be a side effect of prednisone?  I've been getting really bad ones lately in my calves and currently have had one for over 24 hrs and it doesn't want to go away.  I'm thinking there could be many reasons why I'm getting them really bad right now (pregnancy, prednisone, potassium imbalance) and being pregnant really makes it hard to pin point anything to things.  :(   
Posted 8/15/2009 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
Absolutely they can. I had horrible cramps in my feet and calves. Often it's because the pred depletes potassium in your body. Taking in extra potassium may relieve them - orange juice, bananas, soy and apricots are all high in potassium. I learned to always drink a glass of orange juice morning and evening when on pred.
Posted 8/15/2009 5:36 AM (GMT 0)
Yep. I got them so bad that my muscles in my calves felt twisted for weeks. I was told the same thing, that prednisone depletes potassium. My doctor checked my potassium level, and it was normal. I was then told, by someone else, that the prednisone could have messed up the balance of my electrolytes. Electrolytes include sodium, calcium, magnesium, and a few other things in addition to potassium.
Posted 8/16/2009 2:19 AM (GMT 0)
I would get horrible cramps in my feet and hands, that couldn't be "worked out" and were really painful!
Bananas worked for me, didn't irritate my gut like OJ might. I would eat at least 2 or 3 a day when on prednisone.
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