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Has anybody else gotten leg-cramps or shin splints as part of their withdrawal from nicotine?
I have been woken up by the worst cramps in my calves for the last couple of weeks.
I am tempted to chalk every tiny complaint to having quit smoking. Nicotine's reach was wide and deep.
This could be something completely unrelated or it could be a brain tumor. Y'know?
PT
Hanging on and hanging in
Day 22
I did. I suspect it was because I was drinking tons more coffee than normal, as sort of a replacement for the cigs I was missing. The coffee dehydrated me and gave me cramps. Here's a similar discussion on this from a couple months ago:
Spontaneous crying. Lots of it, over the most superfluous things. I made it all the way to day six before I crumbled and started smoking again. Here's a list of the effects I experienced:
1. Sobbing.
2. Extreme gluttony.
3. Exceedingly sleepy.
4. Afraid to go anywhere.
Ugh.
Here's a list of withdrawal symptoms you might find helpful: Early Withdrawal Symptoms .
The feeling that you need to eat all the time comes from trying to fill the void that smoking used to fill. Try increasing your exercise - even marching in place or doing a few sets of stairs will work.
A lot of smokers self-medicated for underlying mental health issues with nicotine. If your fear of going out continues, check with your doctor who might recommend a therapist. You might also try going out the door every couple of hours (without thinking about it first - just open and go out as you pass it during the day). Once you have conquered that, the next time go a step further. Keep increasing the steps over time. .I suffered from PTSD from a blind side car crash and was getting a panic attack every time I got in my car. I conquered it by not thinking about it ahead of time, just grabbing my keys, getting in the car and only going around the block several times each evening, then increasing the distance over time.
None of the things you are experiencing are REASONS to smoke; don't use them as an excuse!
Hang in there - it gets easier - I promise!
Nancy
Yes hitting my 2nd week and have found myself extremely sleepy which is the total opposite of me
You might be dehydrated? Hope you are keeping a cold bottle of water and sipping on it throughout the day - helps with the craves, too.
You also might try a magnesium supplement or adding foods rich in it to your diet: https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-rich-in-potassium#1
Out of the blue (I had not quit smoking) I started with leg cramps when I was walking and the magnesium took care of it.
If those don't help, I would definitely check with your doctor.
Nancy
Congrats on day 22. Yes, I did get Charlie Horses sometimes in my sleep. I had to ride them out. lol Massaging helped. Keep on keepin on.
There are also stretches that you can do to help alleviate leg cramps/Charlie Horses. You might search for a YouTube on it. Hard to describe - but two I do are to slowly go up on tiptoes and back down; the other starts with your hands flat on the wall, feet apart and about 2-3 feet from the wall and lean forward. You will feel your calves stretch just a bit. Hold for a count of about 10, then do the other leg. They helped a bunch when I was pregnant and got leg cramps nightly.
Could be dehydration. Also are you walking/exercising more than you used to? My husband, never a smoker, get leg cramps at night when he golfed during the day or has been driving a lot, especially on the motorcycle.
Dehydration is certainly a reasonable thought, so is increased activity, not sure about a brain tumor. That's like a med student hearing hoof beats outside his window and instead of thinking there must be a horse out there, thinking "wow, must be zebra." Low potassium can cause them, you can replenish that with orange juice or bananas, you can also use low dose magnesium which is supposed to help with muscle spasms. If it doesn't get better, see a doctor just to rule out the zebra.
Ellen
Just over 50 DOF. I actually had less leg cramps, but I also deceased the amount of running I do and only have recently started to pick back up (running was a trigger for me, i would smoke within 30 minutes of finishing a marathon). I did notice my legs were restless(and had been in previous quits). I wonder if it is dehydration or improvements in circulation and more blood flowing to an area to repair it. Nicotine dilates veins, increasing blood pressure, and reducing the flexibility of veins. I wonder if part of the issue is as circulation increases, the body is starting to repair that damage and this creates the cramps.
Great job, you're almost in no man's land! At 3 weeks, the nico receptors begin to draw back; your body is beginning to resemble that of a non smoker, your mind should be too!
Seriously this works.. put a bar of soap at the end of your bed under the sheet!
Eat a banana a day also helps alot
I’ve gotten really bad Charlie horses, but I’m also hypothyroid. They seem a lot worse since I’ve quit tho. None of my docs have said they think it is from the quit. I’ve just started chualk up a lot of things to it that I never felt before as nicotine had such a strangle hold on so much of the body. Unlikely a brain tumor. More likely not enough magnesium or potassium and our absorption changes when quitting. Check with your doc. Maybe they will be helpful.