Hey Jaws,

I just wanted to let you know that I had the exact same thing happen to me, and my PM doc looked at me like I was crazy. I had never, ever had cramps before. They started right after the first shot, and were even worse after the second shot. And it was strange how it happened too. My left hand - and only the left - would cramp up into a "claw" about 20 times a day. That would make me laugh. But the lower-leg and foot cramps I started getting at night were not funny at all. I had a heck of a time getting them to go away.

Anyway, like I said, the PM doc said she didn't think it was from the shots, but now that the shots have worn off, I don't get them anymore, so I strongly disagree. I read Potassium and vitamin B12 might help, and so I tried it and it might have helped a bit.

Summer

i hav leg cramps, they are really bad, so the hospital prescribed quinine, it did help a little, but after a while the drug stopped working, like any drug i suppose your system gets used to it :

Thanks for the comments. And yes, my PM doctor looked at me like I was crazy too. Question 2. Did anybody also then develop hives that were only on the legs. I think it is also connected, but again PM clinic says could be allergic to stuff in shots but would have hives all over. Thanks.

wow my husband gets leg cramps at night they are really bad he screams and has to get out of bed and try to sleep in a chair. I did not connect the pain to PM shots Sacroiliac joint steroid injections. We are trying restless leg meds and minerals. He has had several injections over the past 4 years. He also had back surgery in 2000. Thanks for the posts I will watch to pain shots in the future.

I too have experienced leg cramps after epidural spinal injections of steroids. A few days after having the injection into two discs I cramped up many times every night in the calf. I had to jump out of bed and stand for a while to ward of the cramps. After a second set of injections a month later, the cramps in the calf stayed the same but I also got cramps in the thigh, hand and upper back.

I suffered from severe leg cramps for years until I started drinking more water!! That stopped them as long as I remembered to drink plenty of water.That also made me get up at night a lot....but not from leg cramps.
Then my Neurologist ordered a very expensive blood test for me(over $1,000.00!!) and it showed I needed B12. The B12 shots has stopped my leg cramps and I no longer have to drink water all day long!! Life is good now except for the savage leg and foot pain. I make sure I go for my B12 injections every month too.
Leg cramps are savage and I hope you find relief.
Best to you.
Hugssssssss
Patsy W

I'm glad I'm not going crazy! I've had two ESI's for my herniated L5-S1 disc. After the first shot I had some leg cramps but after the second the cramps are really bad. The calf muscle I've learned to deal with, but when both the calf and the muscle along the shin cramp up, I cannot move my foot in any direction. Lately, I've had both legs at the same time and it's a brutal way to wake up in the middle of the night. Prior to the ESI's I maybe had three leg cramps in 41 years. Since the shots I've had dozens and much more intense. I am qucikly loosing faith in these shots for fear of causing even more problems. It worries me that doctors don't list this as a possible side effect. What else are they missing?

Welcome to Spine Health. Sorry to hear that you are experiencing such spasticity and pain issues. Are you under the care of a Pain Management doc, Surgeon or Neurologist? How long has it been since your last visit with your doc? Are you taking any meds to combat the spasms and pain?

Welcome to a fantastic online community.

"C"

I've had trouble with leg cramps for years, but this thread made me start thinking about something.

I had a rhizotomy and steroid injections (at L5/S1 and SI joints) done in mid-October. Shortly afterwards, I was waking with the most incredible spasms where the hamstring attaches at the top of the leg; one morning I bent over too quickly and tore my hamstring. I also started having nasty spasms in my ankle as well, and this is also new; my ankle, especially my left one, will turn "inwards" and I almost have to manhandle it to get it to go straight again.

I hadn't put two and two together until I read a few posts here, but I am thinking that the increase in spasms might just have been related to my steroid injections, too.

My neurosurgeon tried to do a simple exam about 30 minutes after having a lumbar ESI. As soon as he tried to straighten out my leg, both my hamstring and calf knotted up so bad it took my breath away.

Rainsgirl, the only non-prescription treatment I ever had any relief from was my husband rubbing tons and tons of heat rub into my seat and legs. It was only temporary, but long enough to allow me to fall asleep for a few hours. Glad you are under the care of a couple of docs.

"C"

My mom told me to rub a bar of soap on my legs where they were cramping. It worked. I also have heard of just putting a bar of soap at the foot of the bed, but never tried it.
TracyLynne-I have the cramping like you where the inside of my ankle goes down, and the outside of my foot is pulled up toward my hip. It takes forever to "walk it Off-and it leaves your calf sore for days.

I can induce a hamstring cramp anytime by bending my heel to my butt. I thought there must be some connection between that "skill" and the herniated disc I recently got an epidural shot for. According to this forum, it seems the shot, not the disc, is the cause. Originally, it was pain in my right leg that caused me to go to the doc. The day after the shot, I didn't have to take Vicodin anymore. Then, I started feeling tingling in my other calf, like small cramps. The next day my left calf was sore as hell. Anyway, at this point I'm happy to trade my previous leg pain for these cramping issues.

My PM confirmed steroid injections can cause this as a side effect. He didn't have any suggestions to help them other then heating pads, hot water, that type of thing. I was having horrible inner thigh to hip cramps. Guess they are coming back as I had another injection, but worth the temporary side effect for the results.

Yes, I noticed increased and significant leg cramps after a LESI. I have only had one injection. Mentioned this to the doctor on a follow up visit and he acted like he had never heard of this. Thought maybe it was a coincidence, but then recently had a shoulder steroid injection and the same thing is happening with the leg cramps that are SO intense during the night. So upon reading all the previous posts, and my own experience, I feel there is definitely a link between steroid injections and leg cramps. It must be the steroid, as opposed to injection site, as one was lumbar, the other was shoulder.

I've had 3 ESI injections, 10 - 14 days apart, last one on 2/18/11. I have not had one full night of sleep since due to 3 - 5 bouts of night leg cramping. I've had puffy face, weight gain, and now day time leg cramping (night cramping also continues). I've tried calcium, mag., D, bananas, sport drinks with electrolytes, under the tongue Highland Leg Cramp pills, more water, and finally sleeping with a heating pad on my feet. Rt leg gets it the worst, I'll try the bar of soap and get back to blog/post. (BTW - Back feels great for now, it's been 2 weeks since last injection) I'

My cramps/spasms settled once I started taking magnesium/malic acid again; i buy something called Myalgia-X (in Canada) and it's made a huge difference.

Right now it's a spasm in my shoulderblade that is driving me batty, despite massage, trigger point injections and my tennis ball!!

Tracy

Seriously, rub the bar of soap on it. I know it sounds silly, but it works.

I have always had a problem with feet cramping at night if i dont drink enough water or too much white wine or champagne. Just thought it dehydration. Doctors offered no help, just take potassium or calcium or other supplements that never worked. about ten years ago i looked up leg cramps in a VERY old medical dictionary and they suggested a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. Now when i get these cramps i go downstairs drink the nasty saltwater and the cramps are gone when i get back in bed.
Now.........I had my first steroid edipural injection over a month ago. Not realizing why the cramping got worse and worse and it was every night now and much more intense up in my thighs. My Doctor had me stop all meds to see if it was my BP meds or Naproxen for my knee arthritis. Ten days ago I had my second injection and two days after the most painful nights ever. I had a flash driving to work and had my husband google leg cramps steroid injections and we found all of you! I called my Pain Mgmt Doc and he confirmed what you all say. He said the cramping should stop in two weeks. Not quite there yet and still trying to find something to help at night. I guess I will try the B12 next.
God bless you all for the terrible pain, as only one who goes through it can relate.

it's terrible dealing with that on top of all the other pain issues, but there are lots of people here with good recommendations!

No, whatever bar soap you have handy. My mom also has leg cramps at night a lot, and she uses bar soap to stop hers.
I don't know what is is about rubbing the damp bar of soap on the area that is cramping actually does for it, but it always stops mine.
I guess sometimes those old fashioned treatments do work!!
I hope it helps you! If it does, please comment because I am sure people think this is crazy!!

I also experienced leg cramps two days after my spinal epidural. VERY PAINFUL. Thankfully only happen three nights. My doctor said he had never heard of it either. But I had two shots and it happened the same way both times! No more of those!

I found a cure for myself. Requip (rx) combined wtih Klonopin (rx) for sleeping. The requip helps with the cramps but keeps you up at night and the Klonopin helps you sleep. Rarely do I have cramps and when I do, I can laugh through them. However, if I forget to take them and the weather is foggy or overcast, or cold, I pay for it. So I try never to forget to take them.
Diagnosis for this treatment was "Restless Leg Syndrom", also, medication is also rx'd for patients with parkinson's disease.

I had an injection for the first time last week for a rupture at L5. The back pain has CONSIDERABLY improved... but last night, early evening I began with the most HORRENDOUS leg cramps. NOTHING helped and they continued all night and into this morning.

I have intermittently had leg cramps in the middle of the night as a symptom of low calcium... but this was DIFFERENT...

THis prompted me to search this morning to see if anyone else was experiencing the same thing post injection...

I'm not sure if I better or worse that it seems to be a symptom.

I only had one ESI. It didn't help anything, and my left glut.Maximus went into total spasm for days. Went back to the Docs, and he gave me baclofen, a muscle relaxant. May have helped some. Only know my PM said she thought I had a steroid Flare up. Which I never did investigate, but I will not have injections again. They can kiss my bippy. I just wish I could get a physician to seriously treat my pain, with oral medication or patches. Not injections. They will only give me the lowest doses, and I can only take them once , or I have the side effect pruritis all over. I tried antihistamines and anti-itch med hydroxizine and it still wont stop it. Urggghhhhh.

As for all the people experience cramps, I can't say i've had those. I do get the feeling of what I'd call arthritis like pain in my joints when the iv drugs wear off. And i get some inflamation at the injection site, nothing abnormal. My bottom line has been that in the past, the few side effects were far more tolerable than the unbearable pain that was there before.

Good Luck

I had 2 epidural injections for a herniated disc in my neck. The first injection was on Aug 29,2011 i had no problems with cramps. I had the second injection on Sept 19,2011,and my first cramp started 5 days after the injection. I had a bad one last night at around 1 am. I had to wake my husband up to rub my right leg ,thigh and calf. My left leg shin area appeared to be num for sum reason. When i was able to stand on both legs i felt strange. I felt as if my left leg was num but just in the front.; I cramps were so bad i woke up out of a good sleep. I was scared that i might have blood clots in my leg. I contacted my pain management Doctor and ask him could it be a possible side effect. He told me yes!! he told me i should be in the clear in a week. It would have been nice if he would have told me this before hand. I will not have a 3rd injection. The Dr. advised me when it happens again to just stretch it out. how do you stretch pass the cramps.

I found this forum after waking up screaming from such severe leg cramps last night that I figured I'd google to find out if there was any explanation. I don't suppose you'll be surprised to learn I had my 2nd LESI injection 5 days ago! I have a L5/S1 spondy that was diagnosed almost a year ago and after the first injection I was really pleased with the relief, but now, after two injections, these horrible leg cramps have me wondering if I'll go for the third one!

has anyone ever had intense heel pain after steriod epidural, day two this pain is getting worse, cant bare weight on it, i never had this problem before, called pain doc, he told me to call family doc,and he told me to call pain doc, so i hung up.thanks Roxie

All of us having injections are just causing more scar tissue in those areas and causing more pain,problems, Rick ncpa

My doctor tried to pretend like he didn't know what I was talking about. I knew he did. He acted like it may have had something to do with something else. But he did prescribe flexeril to take at bedtime and it immediately relieved the problem. The cramping was weird. It included my feet. My arches would begin to hurt. Then my big toe would pull far away from my other toes. It was painful. But, again, the flexeril helped tremendously.

Wow after reading this I wonder if my injections were the innitial cause of my muscle spasms. Anyway I have annular tears at L3 & L4, disc herniations at L4/L5 and L5/S1. I have had marble sized knots/lump in my left outer upper calf since 1990 at least which my Chiro said was a result from disc probs at L4/L5.

I have been struggling with SEVERE muscle spasms so severe I actually fainted from the pain, collapsed smashed my face and hit my head on the way down. I worry I'll have a heart attack as they are so intense. I woke up still in spasm that lasted another half hour while I screamed. I googled "What do you do for night time muscle spasms?" and a bunch of people suggested using soap under your bottom bed sheets between your feet and knees. Well I actually wrapped the bars of soap (thanks hotels) to my calf where the knots are and all the way down my leg which actually relieves the "nerve bubbling" sensation and has helped with spasms. I saw on Dr Oz that he recommended lavendar soap under your sheets for RLS. My massage person said it helped her dads Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) as well. I've told many friends and it has really helped them to use bar soap and it can't be Dove because of the cleansing cream. Ivory and hotel soaps work well.

A few yrs back a company I work with bought Matol which made the rather bitter drink called KM. It has been a god send for my muscle spasms for keeping them at bay as its full of potassium and bitters. I tend to be very acidic and this drink really helps. I still struggle with spasms and have to adjust my sitting all day & night to fight them off but they are soooooooo much better and the half hour ones are no longer. If you are acidic I find the spasms come back so eat lots of greens and drink electrolytes.

Hope that helps,
Cheers all.... yeah I know... keep the happy face on