Leg Cramps anyone???

[minnie56]

Out of 'nowhere' I am suffering leg cramps at night. They wake me up in one calf or the other at least once or twice nightly...how have I managed to dodge these all these years?? What to do??

 

[Pugdog007]

I've always heard to eat a banana. Apparently potassium deficiency may cause leg cramps.

 

[Aurora63]

Funny you bring this up, I had a few last week that also woke me in the middle of the night. And I eat a banana every morning! Maybe someone here will have some input, meanwhile, I'm going to check webmd. I'll let you know if I find anything useful.

ETA - The only things webmd came up with were Restless Leg Syndrome (which has more to do with your legs moving at night than with cramps, though cramps do occur) and that leg cramps are common during pregnancy! I don't think either apply for me, how about you?

 

[minnie56]

Nope! Me neither!

 

[chell]

During the past two weeks I have had them fairly often. They are such horrible things to get.

Bananas are a great thing to eat but potatoes are even better.

 

[Microcell]

I had it every stinkin night of my pregnancy! I was told the banana thing,but the only thing that helped me was child birth!

 

[minnie56]

My muscles in my calves are sore all day from the intensity of them at night. And to think...all these years my hubby has been suffering with them I have been rolling over and ignoring him

 

[denisenh]

I have read that putting a bar of soap under the sheet at the foot of the bed will stop night time leg cramps. Worth a try. Hope it helps!

 

[pw2pp]

When you get a cramp in your calf, you should keep your leg straight and pull your foot TOWARD you and it will go away in seconds.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I have been getting them too recently. When they are in the calf, I have to get out of bed and walk to stretch it out. I have also been getting them on the front of my lower leg too.

 

[heart4pooh]

What helped me when I was pregnant was to take calcium with magnesium at night before I went to bed. Later, while I was at massage school, the instructor confirmed that the reason legs can cramp at night is that your body is trying to pull the calcium you need out of the gastrocnimius muscle (calf) muscle, causing a cramp. The important thing is to take minerals, like calcium, at night. They make a supplement called cal-mag. Magnesuim helps with the absorption of calcium. I tell all my clients who complain of leg cramps about it and it has helped all but one that I am aware of. Hope this helps someone.

 

[golfgal]

Another thing that could be causing the cramps is dehydration. Try drinking a little more water during the day and see if that helps.

 

[bballmom56]

Like heart4pooh, I had heard it was due to lack of calcium. When I would get them, I would think back and realize I hadn't had much dairy or calcium intake. I would increase that just by having extra milk, yogurt or cheese and the cramps would disappear. And boy those cramps are painful!

 

[sjh801]

WOW!!! This must be something related to the DIS!!! I had a cramp in my calf that woke me up this past week. I woke up poor Leontyne Kitty by grabbing my leg and yelling "Cramp!!!!!!"

Maybe we are DIS ing too much??? Oh, I do hope that I am wrong!!!

 

[gr8tpanther]

Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium. Those 3 minerals are important for muscle contraction and good function, can also be deficient in people who suffer from heart attacks. Milk and such isn't enough if you don't drink enough to begin with, you need to take these supplements at night with nothing else... why? Because many things in your diet hinder the absorption of Calcium. Your body generally ONLY absorbs a percentage of what you take in with your diet as a result of things like wheat, grains, and fiber sources.

ETA - you also need Vit D, your body will not absorb the calcium without Vit D. Vit D is also the only vitamin that you body manufactures, but only if you get sufficient sunlight. And if you live in the north, the sunlight you get during the winter months isn't near enough to help your body manufacture your needed vit D.

 

[newholidayx2]

Doc told me to up my potassium. In not a banana eater so I drink extra OJ

 

[Honu]

Another thing that could be causing the cramps is dehydration. Try drinking a little more water during the day and see if that helps.

Dehydration is what causes mine. I get up and drink two huge glasses of water while walking around and it goes away. They are painful though. I even passed out once.

 

[Kermit]

A deficiency of any mineral that ends in -ium can cause leg cramps (potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.). A sodium deficiency is possible, but not likely with a standard American diet. Some people don't absorb over-processed table salt well, though, so it's worthwhile to switch to gray Celtic sea salt and eat more vegetables natually high in sodium.

Taking supplements can help, but they should be high quality supplements, and you should do research to see if that certain nutrient needs to be taken with another vitamin or mineral to be absorbed well. Nutrients from food sources absorbed more easily and a better place to start. If you find that eating plenty of dairy, bananas, and OJ doesn't work, it's a good idea to consult a nutritionist who can point you in the right direction.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

When you get a cramp in your calf, you should keep your leg straight and pull your foot TOWARD you and it will go away in seconds.

Same for me- I've learned to do it really fast! Since I use to ride horses a lot, I think "keep your heels down!". Sure beats silently screaming and clutching leg!

 

[eclectics]

I get them due to poor leg circulation. Doc said Quinine helps relieve symptoms. There used to be some over the counter Quinine Pills but they are off the market for a few years now. A glass of Tonic Water (blech!) or Bitter Lemon (better) every other day or so works for me. Those two are the only bevvies I could find that contains Quinine. Doc said he could prescribe pills if it gets very bad, but better to just drink the Tonic (Gin is optional) or Bitter Lemon.