I work 12 hour shifts, spending a great deal of that time on my feet. One of the big motivators of my resuming Atkins after 20 years off it was the hope of reducing the wear and tear of over 100 excess pounds on my feet and legs. I was fairly active until the last three years; I'd downhill ski, go hiking, work out at the gym, etc. I weighed what I do now, btw. In the last three years, it's like my age (45) has caught up to me and I hobble around like an old woman, can barely make it up the stairs at my condo because of knee and hip pain, and can only sleep on my left side because of low back and right hip pain.

I have started taking chondroitin and glucosamine, the Atkins multivitamin and essential oils capsule, Vitamin C. In order to be able to sleep and do my regular daily stuff, I am pretty much forced to take an NSAID; I just switched from Ibuprofen to Naproxen to try to cut back on the amount I take. I, too, would at this point give just about anything to reduce the aches and pain! What makes it worse is that I am around a lot of people who have chronic pain issues, in some cases abuse narcotic pain meds, and I'm beginning to really empathize with them --- and I don't want to become that way.

Recently, for God knows what reason, the dorsal aspect of my left foot has developed a "cramping" sensation -- it usually goes away on my days off, and it isn't so bad when I'm on my feet at work, but it gets awful when I'm trying to sleep or I'm sitting for awile. I tried topical arthritis cream, heat "patches", and last night a co-worker said the same thing happened to her and that she got rid of it by taking calcium -- so I stopped at the drugstore on the way home this morning and got the Calcium 600 with D, and took my first two pills this morning. I don't think it has anything to do with the calcium I took, and I also know it is way too soon for the calcium to work, but I was awakened about half a dozen times during my sleep time today by the most horrid leg cramps that I have ever had! I've been on Atkins now for over three months, and I don't *think* this is because of postassium loss, although I also diuresed yesterday (again, dunno why -- eating the same as always) .

I do not want to have these leg cramps again!!! It was truly awful, like torture. My pain threshold is fairly high, and I was on the verge of crying. My question to you all is, do you think the calcium will help my aching foot and joints longterm? And what do you think I can do about preventing another session of godawful leg cramps? And does anyone know how long it takes the calcium to exert any effects?

I don't mind paying for supplements, but my BF thinks I pop too many pills already and my supplements have gone from a couple pills a day to two handfuls now morning and evening. I know that these things take time, but I'd like to get some feedback from others who've been there on how much time to give it.

BTW, although I was hoping for a lot more relief from the controlled carbs, I do feel *much* better and more energetic just from the lifestyle alone! My energy level has increased amazingly. I want to start resuming my prior active lifestyle, but it is really depressing when I have the *energy* to do things and the pain won't let me do them.