Hi guys! I don't have an appt with my GI or surgeon for a while so thought I would ask this...I have been having horrible leg pain either above or below my knee. I am thinking it's a low potassium but not sure. I have been to urgent care and ER for this in the past only to find out my potassium was slightly off, 3.4. Does this sound normal? I am wondering if I need to have weekly labs drawn, like a standing order for a CMP and CBC. It would be interesting seeing as how I poop so much still. I had my whole colon removed for UC and my small intestine is fine so would I benefit from a Vit B12 weekly shot? I thought that vitamin B12 had something to do with the small intestine which should work fine for me??? I just feel like I am very low energy (prob dehydrated). It's so hard to keep up with the liquids lately. I eat at least 2 bananas a day and am getting sick of that too. Any other suggestions? I am still so nervous to experiment with other veggies/fruits cuz I am only 5 1/2 weeks post reversal. Not sure why I have all of this leg/calf pain. Any input is much appreciated! Thank you.

3.4 isn't too bad, but you don't want to drop much more. Specifically what do you mean by leg pain? Is it muscle cramping, constant pain, joint pain? It makes a huge difference what the quality of the pain is in diagnosing the problem. Vitamin B12 deficiency takes 3-5 years to develop because your body retains a large store. Dehydration is the most likely cause of your issues. Eat salty foods and drink more fluids, but avoid sugary drinks and caffeine.

Jan

Hi Jan. Thanks for the response. I would call it a muscle cramping pain which is intermittent in nature. I am guessing dehydration too! I have been trying to up the liquids and salt as well. Thanks for the tips...

I had problems with frequent leg cramps and foot cramps and all my labs were perfectly normal. The conclusion was that they were due to muscle fatigue and poor muscle strength. The fix was to do regular stretching throughout the day and gradually increase your activity levels.

Jan

I don't mean to be an alarmist here, but last year my calf pain that felt like muscle cramping ended up being due to a dvt/pe (blood clots). If you notice any swelling in your legs/ankles that would be a sign... again not trying to scare you, but I didn't realize at the time how serious my own condition was. I felt crampy pain in my calf, and just figured it was muscle soreness/weakness from being sick for so long. But about two weeks after my first surgery I ended up in the hospital again to manage the clots. I'd recommend a call/visit to your doc.

Best of luck to you; I hope the situation resolves soon.

Becky

Becky, I know what you mean. I had a DVT post op two that was not picked up until a week after I was sent home. My whole leg swelled up something fierce and could not bear full weight on that leg (could not put the heel down). Nearly 15 years later, I still have one calf larger than the other. I was lucky though, and was able to be treated at home with heparin injections after only one night in the hospital.

But, some reasons I did not think that Nutz has a DVT (or at least not YET), is because the pain is intermittent, not associated with swelling, and he has been evaluated in urgent care and the ER for this. If it is suspected, they can easily diagnose it with a Doppler study.

Jan