I have varicose veins and am 53 years old. I only had Charlie horses as a teen, during sports in school. Today I am an active person. I've been experiencing leg cramps after wearing compression calf sleeves during the day and taking them off while resting before bed. Could my compression socks be the source behind my leg cramps? If so, what can I do to prevent the cramps from occurring?
The cramping could be from the varicose veins which means you have to fix them, or the compression stocking may be too tight. You need compression stocking 20-30mmg.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
If you indeed have varicose veins, then calf sleeves are not appropriate for you. A thigh high or full panty style compression stocking would be much better.
If you haven't been evaluated by a phlebologist (a physician specializing in vein and lymphatic disease) I'd suggest this first.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
If you wear hose every day, I recommend getting measured and fitted for a full compression sock rather than a sleeve. The hose must be correctly fitted or they can cause cramping/pain. You did not mention why you wear the hose? Swelling, Varicose veins?
Published on Jul 11, 2012
The cramps that you are experiencing are probably from your vein issues. When people have any significant amount of vein disease, they are in essence suffering from a venous circulation issue. The result can be an excess build up of metabolic byproduct within the leg tissue over the course of a day which in turn gives rise to night time cramping/Charlie horses. The calf sleeve that you wear may not provide much benefit in the long run. If you want to know if your cramps are vein related, I would tell you to take a long car ride. If you cramp that evening/night, your cramps are probably vein related. You would need to have your veins treated to have your cramps go away.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
I can see two possibilities for this. The sleeve are not working properly because the do not control the foot and ankle pump so the sleeve could actually make the problem worse. However it's more likely the sleeve is just having no effect on the leg cramps. I would recommend you follow up with your doctor to discuss treatment options.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
You may need more potassium in your diet. Orange juice and bananas are good for this dietary need.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
This is a complex issue, depends on the status of your venous reflux disease and how much varicose veins have progressed over the years.
Your legs may be cramping due to the compression hose being not adjusted correctly (either too tight or too loose).
Another reason may be your reflux disease has progressed to the point where the compression hose therapy is not adequate to address the degree of internal venous reflux. During the day, the compression hoses are keeping the symptoms of reflux at bay. But after removing them at night, the balancing of venous flow and distribution may be affecting your leg muscles, resulting in cramps.
It sounds like you have had this problems for many years, and with the change in your symptoms, I would suggest seeking a vein specialist for a thorough evaluation.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Compression hose should not be giving you leg cramps but rather should help with leg cramping. If you have varicose veins and leg symptoms then you should have your varicose veins evaluated by a vein specialist. These could be the source of your leg cramps and, if so, can be easily treated by an in office procedure.
Published on Jul 11, 2012