Leg cramp!

[Phil Thien]

So last night, at approx. 2am, I awoke with what I could best call a sense of euphoria. I had this super-comfortable feeling come over me, the temp was perfect, my nose was uncharacteristically extremely clear, I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud. I was laying there smiling, counting my blessings.

That lasted for approx. 10 seconds, and then I got the most God-awful leg cramp. This happens approx. once a year. It is interesting that I always wake right before the leg cramp.

Any good home remedies for leg cramps? I generally pound on my leg with my fist, and squeeze my upper lip, and I thrash about so my wife wakes up (and can appreciate my agony). Sometimes I have a banana, but I doubt the potassium from a banana is particularly fast-acting.

[Moses Yoder]

Camomile tea, drink water, eat less sugar. There are other teas but the dosage and preparation is critical, they should be administered by someone who is educated about them.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Salt,

Don't treat repeat leg cramp as something to ignore though Phil, I did and spent 11 days in ITU on the critical list with blood clots in my lungs (PE) from what I thought was cramp and turned out to be DVT.

cheers

Dave

[Phil Thien]

Salt,

Don't treat repeat leg cramp as something to ignore though Phil, I did and spent 11 days in ITU on the critical list with blood clots in my lungs (PE) from what I thought was cramp and turned out to be DVT.

cheers

Dave

Wait, too much salt or too little salt, causes cramping? Or salt is the remedy?

It really only happens about once a year, but wow when it happens, it is not fun.

[Phil Thien]

Camomile tea, drink water, eat less sugar. There are other teas but the dosage and preparation is critical, they should be administered by someone who is educated about them.

Well the cramp only occurs about once a year. I don't want to drink tea every night to avoid something that may only happen once a year.

I don't like the taste of tea.

But I do get plenty of water.

[George Bokros]

I usually walk around to stretch the leg out and walk the cramp out. I believe my Dad was told by his doctor to take quinine tablets. I would check with your doctor or at least webmdcom

[Bruce Page]

I get the big leg cramp once or twice a year, usually after a big stretch while laying in bed. I just try to walk it off but it hurts!
I used to get the twitching leg cramps almost nightly. I finally discovered that if I drink a minimum 24 oz of water mid afternoon, it will prevent the cramps.

[Leo Graywacz]

Put a bar of soap at the foot of the bed.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Usually too little salt Phil, it moderates the water content in the body so reducing cramps (or as Bruce said, drink more water)

That said I'm not that kind of Doctor (MD Vs Ph.D) so any advice is based on experience or hearsay :)

cheers

Dave

[Moses Yoder]

I would be very surprised if there is an instant remedy for cramps. Anything you would do to loosen the muscle I think would have to enter the muscle through the bloodstream but of course I am not a doctor, just applying common sense. If there were a pattern to the occurrence you might eventually pin point something that is causing it but the once a year occurrence kind of eliminates that. I have already gotten bad cramps in my feet and I think the best thing is just to get up and walk it off. I was just reading that the most common cause of cramps is over exercising while not getting enough fluids.

[Harold Burrell]

You might also want to check and make sure you are getting enough calcium.

[Chris Parks]

I used to get cramps in my feet regularly until I was told by several health professionals it was due to the lack of Magnesium and I now take a capsule a day and no longer have the problem. One cramp a year sounds very random for any specific treatment but when it happens pull your big toe back and this stretches the calf muscles which are in spasm.

[Larry Frank]

If something only happens once a year, I would not start taking anything. I would try to figure out what I did or ate in day before that may have caused it. I think you are lucky if it only happens once a year........

[paul cottingham]

Look up standing calf stretch. I can't remember what it is called, but that should work. I used to get them all the time swimming, as did many of my teammates. It comes from the single calf muscle pushing up from behind the double calf muscles ( soleus and gastrocnemius i think) and gets pinched between them.

we would stand a few feet from the wall, and lean forward, leaving the affected foot flat on the floor. This would stretch it back out. Hurts, but works.

i believe it is generally caused by an imbalance of sodium and potassium.

Hope this helps.

[Bob Turkovich]

Phil, you didn't say which leg muscle is cramping (although I believe for most people it's in the calf) but stretching the offending muscle is the best way to alleviate the pain.

I've been fighting leg cramps for over 30 years. Always occurs from dehydration and the resulting loss of potassium (per my doctor). I'm an avid golfer who prefers to walk (not ride a cart) but I sweat heavily and I often get the cramps later that day or evening.

For years my problem was in the calf muscles and the simple stretch Paul described worked wonders (or just straighten your leg with the toes pulled back - it's the same stretch). About two years ago, I started getting them in the inner thighs and have had a couple of episodes where both thighs cramped at the same time. I later checked the internet for the thigh stretch and the only one I could find was "lie down on your back on the floor, put your butt up against the wall and place your legs spread-eagled on the wall". Yeah, right... Massage and hot packs were the only thing that worked (and it took awhile.)

There are a lot of people on the internet who recommend drinking pickle juice to alleviate the cramps but I can't stomach the juice. A cyclist recommended swallowing plain yellow mustard instead. I've tried that 4 times now and the success rate is 4 for 4. Must be something about the salt/vinegar content that shocks the spasm. One of the times was after playing a particularly hilly course a couple of hours from the house. On the drive home, we had stopped at a fast food restaurant when the cramp occurred. I grabbed a couple of mustard packets and gulped them down. The cramp was gone in about 30 seconds. I now stash a few packets in the glove box and night stand.

[Jerry Bruette]

I'll get them in my hamstrings. The calf cramps are easy to get rid of just do the stretches like mentioned above.

The hamstrings are harder to relieve, sometimes hopping out of bed and standing will make it go away. Othertimes I have to have my wife help stretch my leg. If I catch it early enough and it's not too bad just pinching my ear lobe will help buy enough time to get the leg stretched out.

[Phil Thien]

I'll get them in my hamstrings.

Vastus medialis for me. Excruciating. Doing a little googling you read people worry they're going to pass out from the pain from VM cramps, and I can relate.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

Taking cholesterol drugs (statins) could be a cause too. Low Mg or K may set cramps off, for me, particularly after a hot, sweaty day. CoQ10 seems to prevent my statin-related cramps.

The physiology of cramps is poorly defined but it definitely requires spinal nerves to initiate/perpetuate them.

[Larry Edgerton]

On days that I do a lot of climbing, especially hot days I get bad ones that night. I have had them from head to toe so bad that they caused bruising. I get working and do not drink enough water so it is my own fault.

I used to race and also wake up just before, and it usually starts when I am mashing the gas pedal down and get one in my calves. It will then start moving through my body, sometimes in both legs. For immediate relief to make them stop I get to the shower and put the water on as hot as I can stand and run it on the affected area. This stimulates blood flow and makes it go away faster than anything else I have tried. If you don't have a wand on your shower that is something to pick up if this is a frequent problem. I have a nice Grohe I picked up reasonably at Faucets Direct that has worked well. Its on a slider bar so I can put it where I need it.

In my new house I purposely set up the shower right under the water heater for this reason, 5 seconds to hot water.

Larry

[Larry Edgerton]

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There are a lot of people on the internet who recommend drinking pickle juice to alleviate the cramps but I can't stomach the juice. A cyclist recommended swallowing plain yellow mustard instead. I've tried that 4 times now and the success rate is 4 for 4. Must be something about the salt/vinegar content that shocks the spasm. One of the times was after playing a particularly hilly course a couple of hours from the house. On the drive home, we had stopped at a fast food restaurant when the cramp occurred. I grabbed a couple of mustard packets and gulped them down. The cramp was gone in about 30 seconds. I now stash a few packets in the glove box and night stand.

I'll try that, thanks.

Larry

[Ken Massingale]

A couple tablespoons of vinegar usually works.

[Chris Parks]

Larry, my foot cramps were while I was driving, getting them if I was racing would be very interesting in a kart as there is no way to move or stretch. Try Magnesium but do some research as the capsule must have certain ingredients or the Magnesium does not stick in the body. Mine totally disappeared after I started using it on professional advice.

[Phil Thien]

Phil, you didn't say which leg muscle is cramping (although I believe for most people it's in the calf) but stretching the offending muscle is the best way to alleviate the pain.

It is the vastus medialis, the inner thigh.


I've been fighting leg cramps for over 30 years. Always occurs from dehydration and the resulting loss of potassium (per my doctor). I'm an avid golfer who prefers to walk (not ride a cart) but I sweat heavily and I often get the cramps later that day or evening.

Dehydration is always the first thing that occurs to me, but this last time I had plenty of water that afternoon and evening. So I'm sure at least this time that something else set it off, like my position or something.


For years my problem was in the calf muscles and the simple stretch Paul described worked wonders (or just straighten your leg with the toes pulled back - it's the same stretch). About two years ago, I started getting them in the inner thighs and have had a couple of episodes where both thighs cramped at the same time. I later checked the internet for the thigh stretch and the only one I could find was "lie down on your back on the floor, put your butt up against the wall and place your legs spread-eagled on the wall". Yeah, right... Massage and hot packs were the only thing that worked (and it took awhile.)

My technique is to try to walk it off. I hobble myself around until I can get it in control. I had another one maybe 10 months ago and it was so bad I just had to stay in bed and work on it. I did read that squeezing your upper lip is a way to control it. It does help. It must interfere with the nervous system's ability to communicate with the muscle.


There are a lot of people on the internet who recommend drinking pickle juice to alleviate the cramps but I can't stomach the juice. A cyclist recommended swallowing plain yellow mustard instead. I've tried that 4 times now and the success rate is 4 for 4. Must be something about the salt/vinegar content that shocks the spasm. One of the times was after playing a particularly hilly course a couple of hours from the house. On the drive home, we had stopped at a fast food restaurant when the cramp occurred. I grabbed a couple of mustard packets and gulped them down. The cramp was gone in about 30 seconds. I now stash a few packets in the glove box and night stand.

I read the pickle juice thing, but sometimes the problem would be getting TO the pickle juice. The mustard thing, though, makes a lot of sense to me. I can imagine how eating a packet or two of mustard would have the same sort of effect (but stronger) that squeezing my upper lip. I'm going to get some packets and put them in my night stand and give it a shot next time.

[Justin Ludwig]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Bob Turkovich http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=2256936#post2256936)

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There are a lot of people on the internet who recommend drinking pickle juice to alleviate the cramps but I can't stomach the juice. A cyclist recommended swallowing plain yellow mustard instead. I've tried that 4 times now and the success rate is 4 for 4. Must be something about the salt/vinegar content that shocks the spasm. One of the times was after playing a particularly hilly course a couple of hours from the house. On the drive home, we had stopped at a fast food restaurant when the cramp occurred. I grabbed a couple of mustard packets and gulped them down. The cramp was gone in about 30 seconds. I now stash a few packets in the glove box and night stand.

It's the vinegar in pickle juice that inhibits cramping. If you don't like pickle juice you can try Apple Vinegar with the "Mother". It's been used for millennia. My mother had very good luck drinking shots of a pickle juice to reduce her knee cramps after surgery. My father also drinks pickle juice during the summer to reduce his night cramps.

As for a once a year cramp... buck up. ;)

[David G Baker]

My DR recommended Magnesium for SWMBO for leg cramps. I take Magnesium and Potassium as a supplement on a daily basis. I have had only one episode of leg cramps since I started. When I was in Basic Training in the Army I woke up to a terrible noise of someone screaming, it was me suffering from my first major leg cramp. The Fire Guard came to me to find out what was happening and I had him force my leg down flat so the cramp would ease up. It did. My cramps started while I was still in the crib but they were in my left big toe. I was so young I couldn't do anything about it and couldn't communicate to anyone what was going on so I had to suffer through it. I learned not to curl my big toe in a certain way. I will still get a cramp if I move my toe in a certain way but haven't tried it since I started taking the pills, still afraid to.

[Larry Edgerton]

Larry, my foot cramps were while I was driving, getting them if I was racing would be very interesting in a kart as there is no way to move or stretch. Try Magnesium but do some research as the capsule must have certain ingredients or the Magnesium does not stick in the body. Mine totally disappeared after I started using it on professional advice.

I no longer race, I'm just having racing dreams..........:p

[ken masoumi]

I get Charely horses (or the calf muscles -- cramps ),my wife tells me standing on a cold floor gets rid of it but my problem is to walk the short distance to the cold hallway floor.

[Ole Anderson]

We also call them a Charlie horse, not sure why. I get them every once in a while, always in the middle of the night while sleeping. I can feel the results of a really bad one days later. But if I feel one starting to come on, usually only a few seconds warning, I lift my toes up as hard as I can, stretching the calf muscle before it has a chance to contract. Usually works if you catch it in time.

[Phil Thien]

As for a once a year cramp... buck up. ;)

LOL, did I tell you guys how bad these are? The ones to a calf muscle are nothing compared to these inside thigh cramps. These can kill a man.

[Darryl Hazen]

I've experienced these in the past. They can make you want to scream. What worked for me was 800mg Motrin and 100mg Potassium Gluconate with 8oz of water (Doctors recommendation). Cramp would be gone in a few minutes. Walking around the kitchen on a cold tile floor didn't work. Now I take the Potassium Gluconate with a glass of water before bed. Haven't experienced any cramps in over a year.

[paul cottingham]

Believe it or not, stretching your calf muscles and thigh muscles separately every night before bed can prevent theses cramps as well. I only got them swimming when I hadn't stretched first. The calf muscle cramp is caused by relaxing, then tensing your calf. If a certain sequence of events occur, your calf muscle will cramp. I can remember it hurting so badly, I wanted to scream.

[John T Barker]

Wow, I'd love to have only one a year. I get them a lot. My doctor associates them with mineral deficiency but I say it is body injury. I started getting hamstring cramps in my teens shorty after I tore up my knee playing football. A few weeks ago the knee popped and I was up half the night with cramps all through the calf this time. What I finally realized with the hamstring is that if I do a quick isometric exercise with that muscle it will go away. It took over forty years of cramping in that same muscle to come up with that. For quick relief I don't think digestion is fast enough for something you have eaten to do anything for you...maybe a drink like Gatorade?

[Erik Loza]

Hamstrings are the bad ones for me. I'm a cyclist and sweat a lot (sometimes 3-4 lbs. water loss during a ride). No amount of stretching helped and it took me a while to get my own body figured out. I was taking in a ton of water with electrolytes (Nuun tablets) and still cramping at the end of the day. For me, anyhow, I finally pinned it down to sodium. Now, I have one of those tiny cans of V8 juice (regular, not low sodium) at the start of the day, hydrate during the ride as needed, then finish with another can at the end of the ride. That seems to have fixed cramping issue for me and I feel less wrung-out afterward. Also, I have started to view hydration and electrolyte balance as a "lifestyle"-type thing. In other words, there will be problems if I get on the bike or go to the gym and feel dehydrated already. Sounds funny but I find myself studying the color of my pee all the time. Anyway, that's just what works for me.

Best,

Erik Loza
Minimax USA