Medications Associated with Leg Cramps

High-Risk Medications

High-risk medications for leg cramps include intravenous iron sucrose, conjugated estrogens, raloxifene, naproxen, teriparatide, and statins, according to the American College of Clinical Pharmacology 1
Raloxifene causes leg cramps commonly in postmenopausal women, with this risk observed during clinical trials, as reported by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2
Teriparatide commonly causes leg cramps and dizziness, as noted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology 3
SSRIs like paroxetine show very high relative risks for muscle and leg cramps, with a relative risk of 9.62 in vascular dementia patients and 7.73 in mild cognitive impairment, according to the American College of Clinical Pharmacology 1
Donepezil causes muscle cramps, particularly leg cramps, with very high relative risk in vascular dementia patients, as reported by the American College of Clinical Pharmacology 4
17α-alkylated androgens, such as danazol and stanozolol, commonly cause muscle pains and cramps, as noted by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology 5
Antifibrinolytics, including ε-aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid, can cause muscle cramps with increased muscle enzymes, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology 5

When a patient on any medication develops leg cramps, the American College of Clinical Pharmacology recommends evaluating the temporal relationship between symptom onset and any medication changes 1
The American College of Clinical Pharmacology also suggests reviewing all concurrent medications for high-risk drugs, such as those listed above 1
Consider alternative causes of leg cramps, including electrolyte abnormalities, such as hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia, as reported by the Mayo Clinic 6
Venous insufficiency or vascular disease should also be considered as potential causes of leg cramps, according to the American Heart Association 7, 8