Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

BariatricPal

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Join BariatricPal free

  • Ask your own questions
  • Reply and follow topics
  • Message other members
  • No cost, no spam

Anyone have bad leg cramps?

I'm 10days postop and have the worst leg cramps in my calves all day long..... I know it's not a clot cuz I was in hospital yesterday for chest pain and I'm negative for clots or leaks so was wondering if anyone had this and if so what did you do to relieve it?

  • Replies 12
  • Views 1.1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Featured Replies

YES !!

I distinctly remember having leg cramps in my calves for 2-3 days after getting home from the hospital.

I kept walking and ensuring that I was getting in my Water and what I could of my Protein. It passed and never returned.

Weird phenomenon.

Keep yourself properly hydrated and active (walking, treadmill, etc.).

If it continues, some people take magnesium or potassium supplements for leg cramps, but I would ask your surgeon or PCP first.

I'm 6 1/2 months out, and for the last two days, I've had excruciating cramps, not only in my calves, but in the front of my thighs. The first night of this, I was awake every 90 minutes or so, walking them out.

I talked to my boss (a physician), and took a muscle relaxer (that I already had), potassium, and some extra Calcium. I already drink about 90 ounces of Fluid a day.

Last night was better, I only woke up once, but my legs are very tight and achy today.

I'm hoping this is a temporary situation.

I had the same problem and was diagnosed with low potassium. They said it sometimes happens to bariatric patients and they gave me potassium pills and told me to eat food high in potassium.

I get horrible cramps in my calves, thighs, abdomen, hands and sometimes even my tongue (!). They're a side-effect of a drug I have to take. They're exacerbated whenever I'm low in electrolytes (potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, etc.). It's hard to pinpoint which you're low in without a blood test. The best quick cure I can suggest is a sugar free energy drink like Powerade Zero.

In my case after months and months of trying the more likely candidates, I discovered that lack of magnesium (for me) is the culprit.

We're all losing weight. That means we pee a lot. When we pee a lot, we lose electrolytes at a higher rate--yet another reason to meet our Water requirements!

For me cramps are all about the potassium dunno why. When they show up, in the past at least, i'd start eating beans as much as possible and theyd go away.

Edited by RoscoColetrain

As someone else had said look at a potassium supplement. I did that for the first like 60 days after talking to my doctor about it. I stopped having crapping, achey, weak feeling legs after I did that. And I was walking daily at that time too. I was able to get at the 2 month post surgery mark about 1 1/2 miles in a day. Now 15 months out I'm getting about 3 to 5 miles of walking in a day if nothing (exercise related) else.

You can also get leg cramping if you are low on Iron.

Try G2 Gatorade or Powerade Zero, until you can get to the doctor to have your potassium level checked.

Edited by 1SlimmerMe

I'll second Powerade Zero

Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.