Does anybody else get cramps in their calf muscles at night?

[Saffron]

Owie!!!!

If I walk a long distance, or work out to this stupid aerobic tape I have , and sometimes, but not always, after a lower body workout, that night, the calves of my legs will cramp up while I'm sleeping. It usally only lasts about 30 seconds, but this morning my right leg calf cramped up for about 5 minutes. It was agonizing! I couldn't flex my foot and if I tried massaging it, it got worse! I can feel the calf muscles when they cramp up, they literally feel like one huge round ball, not long muscles at all, they all seem to crunch away from my knee and ankle and ball up right in the middle of my calf! I always make an extra effort to make sure I stretch my legs, especially my calves after working out. Does this happen to anyone else? Do you have any recommendations?

 

[debster812]

Potassium! A lack of potassium can cause muscle cramping. I had a HUGE problem with calf cramps when I was swimming competitively. Bananas are very high in potassium, and our coach used to bring bunches to practice every day, and we all had to have one. I don't really like bananas, so it got pretty comical.

I also found that after a really bad cramp, putting a heating pad on my calf for about 20 minutes helped it feel better too.

Good Luck Maggie--they are NO fun at all.

 

[herc]

I used to. I take potassium and magnesium. It helps. I think the potassium more so than the magnesium.

 

[Michelemouse]

Yes, I agree with the banana remedy! Both my grandmother and father have had problems with leg cramping at night. Now each eat a banana in the evening and have no troubles.

 

[barbeml]

Dehydration is usually the culprit in my case. Those cramps are painful!

 

[Doug123]

Water; simple water. Make sure you're hydrated and you won't have the problem any more.

 

[lovemygoofy]

if you don't like to eat bananas you can take the potassium pills instead. Oddly enough, my granny puts a wrapped bar of soap under her legs to help or prevent calf muscles. I don't know what it does to help but anything my granny does I would trust completely. Good luck I know cramps hurt tons!

Tina

 

[sjh801]

Originally posted by lovemygoofy
if you don't like to eat bananas you can take the potassium pills instead. Oddly enough, my granny puts a wrapped bar of soap under her legs to help or prevent calf muscles. I don't know what it does to help but anything my granny does I would trust completely. Good luck I know cramps hurt tons!

Tina

Tina,
Your granny must have listened to Bob Logue and his all night radio show in Pittsburgh - KDKA 1020 AM. Bob Logue is famous for that remedy! http://www.kdkaradio.com

 

[leahannpen]

Ohhhhhh Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhh!!! I HATE THESE STUPID THINGS!

I know I need potasium. Do you think I'd actually take it...??? Nope. I'm dumb, I know.

 

[Lanshark]

Potassium is what the doctor recommended. He suggested using Morton's Lite Salt at the rate of 1/4 tsp daily if you can't eat bananas.

 

[Poohbear123]

Me too, thanks, I forgot about the Bananas!

 

[Feralpeg]

I've had them all my life. I try to eat a lot of bananas, but I still get them sometimes. When you feel the cramp start, grab your toes and pull them toward you (bend them the wrong way). I know it sounds silly, but it will often stop the cramp.

 

[KingsFanInRI]

as for preventing them I would go with the aforementioned remedies, but what I do when I get one is to stand up immediately and they usually subside within 15-30 seconds to at least a tolerable level.

 

[Saffron]

Thank you everybody!

I usually eat a banana every day. I eat alot of peppers and strawberries too. But ... I don't drink nearly as much water as I should. So ... I'll up my water intake, eat a banana before AND after working out, and if that doesn't work, I'd head to the store for some K tabs. And magnesium too herc!

Thanks again everyone!

Thanks feralpeg! I'll do anything to try to make them stop, no matter how silly it sounds! But I think I'll try all the other remedies first before I try lovemygoofy/Tina's. Not that I don't believe you or your granny Tina, just that I can't imagine sleeping with a bar a soap under my leg the way I roll around at night! LOL! But believe me, I will try it if all else fails! Couldn't hurt, right?

 

[drdelsol]

I would go with the hydration and K+ first. For some quinine helps also.

 

[Saffron]

That's good to know KingsFanInRI! Thanks!

 

[Saffron]

Thank you drdelsol. I don't remember what quinine is, although I could google it and find out. LOL! Thank you! I'll definitely try it if the potassium and water don't remedy the situation!

 

[Jenn Lynn]

My Midwives told me to eat a banana before I went to bed. It was for leg cramps during pregnancy.

 

[Blondie]

Bananas, bananas, bananas!

 

[Micca]

For me the only way to get rid of them is to "walk it off". This is especially disconcerting in the middle of the night when you are sound asleep and the cramp comes...and you have to bolt out of bed and start pacing up and down the hallway. Then, less than a minute later, the cramp is gone, and you go back to bed with your heart racing Fortunately this is about a once a year thing for me.