I used to suffer nighttime leg and foot cramps. A magnesium supplement pretty much stopped them.

Then a friend told me a trick she’d learned from an acupressure specialist: When the cramp starts, pinch your upper lip right below your nose. Surprisingly, it works.

See kkina’s post in this thread for a better description:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...480080215#2480080215

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
I've got the same problem. I walk at least 5 miles a day and just turned 72.
Dill pickle juice.
Really. I had to try it to believe it works.

Im 83 and this stops it when I have the cramps ,

I used to get these faily often and was taking flexeril if i woke up to a cramp. doc won't give me anymore. but someone recommended compression socks. So now I wear those to sleep and haven't had a cramp since.

Been there, done that. If I imbibe much (2 or three stout bourbons) or don’t drink my usual amount of water during the day, it can happen. Pretty miserable. My fix was Calm gummies (magnesium) and hitting the shower with the shower head on massage as hot as I could handle it beating on the cramping area until the leg stopped spasming.

A Physical Therapist friend gave me a stretch that worked to prevent the cramps I was having: Sit on the floor with back against the bed, spread legs as far as possible, then with the heels pinned down to the floor, roll the legs out, trying to put the outside of the foot flat on the floor. Three or four minutes of this right before bed stretches the adductor muscles nicely and fixes the problems I was having, resulting in a good night’s sleep with no cramps. It sounds like you’re cramping in a different place, so a different stretch might be appropriate. Magnesium is also likely to be extremely helpful.

Alcohol is a diuretic and can push one toward dehydration even if consuming a normal amount of water.

Easy fix, works every time: consume 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard when it happens. Leg cramps will stop within a few minutes, or less. Has worked for all our family and friends that had a problem.

Thanks for the advice SigForum!!!

I seldom drink, let's call it a toast at a wedding. The Mag supplements seem like a good start. I stretch every day and will continue to do that. I will also continue walking the golf courses. Soon I will be asking how to hit a driver Thanks again folks.

I suffered from severe, debilitating leg cramps for years. Some so bad they left the entire muscle body bruised. Tried magnesium supplements with no benefit.
I stumbled upon a solution that worked predictably. I purchased Nuun electrolyte tablets. I take 1 1/2 tab in the morning dissolved in a full glass of water. 1 tab with a glass at lunch and the same at dinner. I increase it a bit if undergoing strenuous exercise or dealing with exceptionally hot weather. I have been following this regimen for over a year now with not one single episode!
A bit of background. I am 72, bike at least 6 miles a day with a 26-40 mile ride on weekends. I do strength training twice a week. Even before this I kept myself well hydrated.
Good luck, I feel your pain!

Inner thighs! Wakes you up real quick. Doc has me on Potassium. Trying to phase out soda with water and gatorade.
I think it helps. Thankfully it doesn't happen very often.

Every night before bedtime I mix up my hydration water for the next day:

• Sea salt: 3g/liter (±1/2 tsp)
  
• Magnesium Chloride: 2-3g/liter
  
• Potassium Citrate: 3g/liter (±1/2 tsp)
  
• Lemon juice: 2 tsp/liter
  
• Honey or sugar - 1 tsp or 15g (±1 tbsp) per liter, respectively

Yeah, I know, Eurowienie measurements, but that's the way they were related to me so that's how I do it and how I pass 'em along.

I find the honey much better than the sugar, but you do have to use a bit of warmed water to prep everything before pouring it into the jug, otherwise it takes forever in a day to get it off the measuring spoon.

I still get cramps, but not as often nor as severe—usually

Without reading any other responses.... my father suffered (and still does) for years. All sorts ot tests, looking for low this or that. Diet changes, supplements, every "you need more ___ in your diet" advice, nothing helped.

I'm in the same boat now, which finally made me realize what his issue is. I have a disc in my neck that's in real bad shape. It's pressing on the nerves and giving me various side effect of nerve damage. One of them is bad cramping. If I get even slightly dehydrated, I cramp all over my body.

HOWEVER... where hydration doesn't play any part if it, is if I sleep on my back (doesn't take long), I wake up yelling with the most amazing cramps in my calf muscles. Usually my left, occasionally my. Right. (while I'd trying to deal with it, the right calf and my right thigh will try to get in the game) Really need to stand up and put weight on it, but I'm unable to get up out of the bed. Usually I try to arch my back, tilt my head way back and breath deep. Try to calm down, the shock of it is almost like hyperventilating. Often that will work if they're not bad. Real bad ones I have to somehow get out of the bed and stand up. When I do is when the other side kicks in.

I've dealt with "Charlie horses", muscle cramps in my legs my whole life. You know, when you over do it, or get dehydrated, or both. Hamstrings usually, calf muscles sometimes. But these cramps brought on by my neck blow them away pain wise. They're amazing. They're so intense I can't believe I don't get muscle or tendon tears from them, tear the tendon off the bone. Had one this morning, woke up nearly screaming the pain was so bad. It's also a terrible shock to your body, heart and all to go from sleeping to crazy exertion and adrenaline. Your body goes from 0 to 100 in two seconds. I worry as much about that as I do the pain.I couldn't get it so subside and had to fight my way to my feet. I've been limping all day from it and will for a couple days until the muscles recover.

So anyway... perhaps you should see a doctor, but not a GP, but an orthopedist/spine guy.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cas,

I get leg cramps often after working outside in the summer. If I can drink enough water (minimum gallon) I'm ok.

But my doc also recommended Liquid IV. It's like Gatorade on steroids and does the trick, unless I forget to take it.

It's in the sports drinks section at my local walmart.

This Magnesium from Amazon works for me.
Dosage recommended is 4, 2 or 3 usually is enough.



Natural Vitality Calm, (Gummies) Magnesium Citrate Supplement.

Pickle juice works in seconds for me when I get hit with leg cramps.

I also use dill pickle juice for my leg cramps.

Would always drink juice out of the sliced dill pickle juice jar. Finally found pickle juice in gallon jugs at the grocery store which I also use for bbq’ing.

Seem to remember others here talking about leg cramps while playing sports in school that mention being taught to have mustard packets on hand and would eat one to get rid of cramps.

You can buy "Leg cramp" tablets, they help with regular muscle cramps. You dissolve them under your tongue (not swallow them).

They don't work for my disc related ones. Neither do muscle relaxers, they lessen them, but don't stop them.

How is your hematocrit level? Are you on testosterone replacement?

T treatments can cause an increase in hematocrit, which is % of your blood that is red blood cells. Too high is not good.

I was getting calf and foot cramps, mostly at night. Coincidentally my hematocrit was up around 52 to 55. My doc had me donate blood to lower it. After donation I've had no cramps at all.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
You can buy "Leg cramp" tablets, they help with regular muscle cramps. You dissolve them under your tongue (not swallow them).

They don't work for my disc related ones. Neither do muscle relaxers, they lessen them, but don't stop them.

I used to take magnesium to help with cramps before my back disc problems. Now nothing helps due to the impinged nerves in my back. I only get them in my right leg and foot. It is horrible and daily. I can look at my right calf and see the muscles involuntarily twitch absolutely non-stop.

If I do work outside in the heat, I put a powder called LMNT in water and it helps prevent cramps in other parts of my body because I sweat a lot when doing outside work.

This stuff works very well. My wife and I both use it when we wake up with leg cramps. If you don't find it in a local drug store, you can order it from Amazon.

I took a couple of Magnesium tabs last night before bed and had no cramps. Not sure if that was the reason but damn, it felt good sleeping through the night. We'll see if a magnesium deficit was the problem. I've got this thread bookmarked to give other options a try if they come back.

Damn, for a bunch of knuckle dragging, mouth breathing, gun nuts... there is a ton of important knowledge on this forum. Probably the best delayed search engine on the planet. Great for humor too. I'm impressed as hell (not a new impression BTW). Thanks for the forum Para and thanks to the members. You folks rock!

Kidney disease causes cramps like you’re talking about. You’re mature enough in age that an annual wellness check wouldn’t hurt.