Muscle cramps are an unfortunate side effect of hemodialysis - as many as 20% of patients complain of cramps, and often the session is stopped early due to this problem. But help may be at hand now.
Recently published research from Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, shows that Vitamin E is a effective in relieving cramps. They examined a group of patients of various ages who had all proved to be susceptible to cramps during their dialysis sessions. The result? they report a 68.3% reduction in cramp attacks. This is a significant result, and if cramp attacks are a problem for you, it may be worth bringing this to your doctor's attention.
This was a small study, in terms of the number of patients participating, but it is still an encouraging result. Hopefully it will be repeated with a much larger sample size, which is necessary for all treatments. But with no side effects reported, it looks a promising form of relieve for those who suffer from this problem.
