title: Muscle cramps associated with vincristine therapy.
abstract: The course of vincristine-induced neuropathy was evaluated in 14 patients who developed muscle cramps during chemotherapy. Cramps were noticed between 3 days and 4 months after the initiation of vincristine and following a cumulative dose of 1-9.4 mg/m2 (median 3.1 mg/m2). All patients reported daytime cramps and only 4 experienced nocturnal cramps. The lower extremities were involved in 11/14 and the upper extremities in 10/14 patients. Duration of cramps ranged from 1 to greater than 9 months. Physical examination revealed signs of peripheral neuropathy in all patients. Cramps were the first symptom of neurotoxicity in 4 patients. Other symptoms were noted in all patients, but only 3 had motor manifestations other than muscle cramps. Although symptoms of neuropathy tended to persist for several months, a rapid symptomatic improvement was noticed after withdrawal of vincristine. We conclude that vincristine-induced muscle cramps are not necessarily associated with severe neurotoxicity and should not automatically indicate interruption of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haim
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009120:Muscle Cramp / Q000139:chemically induced*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D014750:Vincristine / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine