Tonic water over ice and a banana ...

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
I would recommend bananas, or other potassium source.

I used to get nasty leg cramps while sleeping. Why yes, I woke up IN PAIN. I now take these every morning and no more cramps.

https://www.walgreens.com/stor.../ID=prod3532-product

FWIW, I run a lot but never got cramps while running.

I’m beginning to think that cramps are a very personal thing. Not long ago I started a thread about my early morning (3am) foot cramps:

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/4560047724

As a former cyclist, I knew that potassium helps to prevent cycling leg cramps (the kind that the OP described) so I tried potassium gluconate in an effort to end my early morning foot cramps. But it didn’t help me a bit. But increasing my table salt intake, and taking a magnesium supplement, completely ended them for me.

It appears that different folks need different electrolyte enhancements. Not surprising, I guess.

This thread is interesting. I just woke up at 1:00 a.m. with painful leg cramps. Hobbled out to the kitchen, swallowed a potassium tablet with a large glass of water, and the cramps were gone within a few minutes.

I never get these leg cramps when my wife is away visiting the kids & grandkids, but I do get them when she is home. She likes the ceiling fan running when she sleeps and the draft brings the cramps on for me, even with a light down cover over my legs. If i sleep in a different room with no fan, I do not get the cramps.

Used to race bikes. For cramps my favorite remedy was a nice yellow Bah-nah-nahhhhh!

I started drinking pedialyte before, during and after extensive yard work and it seems to help.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Pickle juice? As in juice a pickle? Or the solution in the jar in which pickles are immersed? I usually don't buy pickles - I make sunomono at home. I'll go buy pickles - any brand recommendations?

Slam down some of this stuff when you start cramping, and you'll be cured in no time.

(That's what they advertise anyway )

I'm kinda curious myself how well it works.

https://www.amazon.com/Pickle-...DTY00THQEP0T0DGFEXKN

0 calories, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, 0 trans fat, 0 cholesterol, sodium 470 mg, (20%), total carbs, 0, dietary fibers, 0, sugars, 0, added sugars, 0, protein, 9, vitamins, D, 0, calcium, 0, iron, 0, potassium, 47 mg, vitamin C, 7mg, vitamin Water, 1 mg, zinc, 2 mg

The sure fire way I have found to combat cramps is bananas and Powerade cut with water 50/50. Works like a charm for me at work.

^^^ Dude, what the...I mean, this thread is over a year old for chrissakes.

I had not seen this thread before and as I get leg cramps at night after a long, sweaty day at the range, it’s good to learn what people recommend. Even a year ago.

quote:

Originally posted by stiab:
One tea spoon of yellow mustard will stop the leg cramps. A very old and effective remedy, usually works within one or two minutes.

Doesn't it stain the sheets?

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Originally posted by Eponym:

quote:

Originally posted by stiab:
One tea spoon of yellow mustard will stop the leg cramps. A very old and effective remedy, usually works within one or two minutes.

Doesn't it stain the sheets?

Quinine also helps with night cramps.
Tonic water etc.

Mother had a bad time with night cramps, the quinine helped tremendously.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
I would recommend bananas, or other potassium source.

I used to get nasty leg cramps while sleeping. Why yes, I woke up IN PAIN. I now take these every morning and no more cramps.

https://www.walgreens.com/stor.../ID=prod3532-product

FWIW, I run a lot but never got cramps while running.

This. ^ I take 2 in the morning with food and 1 with dinner. I have to take Lasix to rid my body of sodium in the morning due to emphysema and I will absolutely always have leg cramps at night that will awaken me if I don't take the potassium tablets.

Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. God Bless

My dr recommended to drink tonic water. The quinine helps get rid of the cramps. I also use a very cold and wet wash cloth on the bottom of my feet or on my calf to stop the cramp immediately. Those times when the cramps are frequent I keep a cold washcloth and a bowl of ice near my bed. Don’t want to hobble to the kitchen as I may really hurt myself...

I do some long hikes in warm weather, so cramps from dehydration are an issue.

For me; lots of water, and before, and during drink; "Body Armor". $1.24 each from Wal-Mart. Full of vitamins and electrolytes. REALLY works for me.

Gatorade does a powder called ENDURANCE , also very high in electrolytes. Tough to find though.

For leg and calf cramps,, pinch your upper lip between thumb and fore finger. It works for me. Was told it was an acupuncture site.

A bar of Ivory soap in the bed near your legs will prevent this. Yep, just toss it in there.

Of course this is old-wives tale BS, but I have three sisters who emphatically believe it to be true. One carries a bar with her when traveling, she and one other noticed the soap sometimes got on sheets and now place this remedy in a zip-loc bag. Miracle is it STILL works, the plastic barrier doesn't affect the magical properties.

These are all three college educated women 60-67 years old who have been doing this crap for nearly a decade. Just this summer watched them tell one of my neighbor of this rock-solid solution to his problem. He, an EMT, and his RN wife looked like they were hoping to sneak out alive.

Sometimes I wonder how we can possibly be related.

Tonic water over ice. Works within 3 minutes usually, for me...

Bananas are a very poor source of potassium, contrary to popular belief and advertising. one of the better sources can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX0MtgcOHSw

Taking potassium, magnesium, sodium, etc by mouth after you develop cramps requires several hours to fully absorb and reach the individual cells.

There are some interesting sports medicine studies on the use of pickle juice or mustard for cramps - again, it take a long period of time to actually absorb these "treatments" before they get to the intracellular level where they could help. The studies do suggest that as soon as these things hit the stomach, they may set up a reflex reaction that short circuits the cramps. Certainly, they don't help everyone.

The US Army has a research facility at Natick, MA which studies environmental issues that affect our troops in all types of weather conditions - even they don't have an answer that effectively treats everyone with cramps, nor is there universal agreement on how to prevent them. The fact that there are a lot of anecdotal treatments that help certain people, as documented on this thread, shows that there is not one that works super well in every case! Cramps suck!!