Hi – I’ve had periods throughout my life where I’ve had bad leg cramps. When this happens, I just have some salt on my food (I basically don’t use it) for about a week and I’m right again for ages and ages and ages… Hope this helps. From an Aussie.
I take a prescription dose of potassium because I have to take Lasix due to lymphodema. Be wary of tonic water or Gatorade due to the high sodium content. Good old fashioned water will help you stay hydrated. My cyclist hubby carries a banana or two on every ride.
If you are not exercising the best thing to do is to start walking or get on a bicycle. It helps with circulation and getting the blood flowing. It could be dehydration and perhaps a potassium deficiency. Banana’s are a great source of potassium.
This piggyback’s some of what has already been mentioned! Hope you feel better.
I have started taking 1800 mgs of calcium daily. my legs used to hurt a lot. Also doing yoga helps strengthen your legs. I walk a lot so stretching is important. My Dr. put me on high calcium because i am pre osteoperosis.
I started getting them so bad I cried, a read an article and it said they were due to lack of minerals in your diet so I started taking 1 a day vitamins ( store brand) with minerals and I no longer have them. Good luck, the pain use to wake me up every night.No more cramps.
You need minerals! Try a liquid calcium-magnesium supplement called Genesis Today’s “4Total Calcium”. You can find it at most Whole Foods Markets. Also in health food stores… another powdered product I like called : CALM, a magnesium supplement. You will feel a difference almost overnight!
I have seen several posts on here about the bar of soap. I don’t think anyone is listening! My husband had SEVERE leg cramps and nothing, I mean nothing helped. I finally gave in and put a bar of dial soap under the fitted sheet. He hasn’t had a leg cramp at night since. It is cheap and it can’t hurt and it is not another drug you have to take. Try it! Of course you should also be getting enough water!
I recently had a blood test done and it showed a low Magnesium level, so I started taking a Magnesium with chelated Zinc ( to help it absorb) and haven’t had a cramp sinc
I have horrible calf cramping in the middle of the night and I’ve had them for several years. I checked with my doctor and she recommended magnesium and D3. Nothing helped. Laugh if you must but the old-fashioned remedy of a teaspoon of mustard really does work! I use Dijon but any mustard does the trick. It works within one or two minutes and I am able to go back to sleep. Check Joe Graedon, the People’s Pharmacy, columns and you will see many testaments to the efficacy of using mustard. Graedon also explains the chemistry behind using mustard for leg cramps and he makes sense of it all.
I agree with Frugeldietitian AND ALSO if it is your calves that are cramping, have your Kidney function assessed. If your kidneys are stressed, Bowen Therapy which incorporates elements of Chinese and Ayurvedic cultural medicine aspects can help to also balance your body and often rid you of cramps and help your overall health and function.
First check in with your doctor, but while waiting for that important appointment try Gatorade! Banana’s are a great source of potassium – a lack of potassium can lead to leg cramps.
There is a product called EmergenC, a packet of powder that produces a fizzy drink containing minerals including potassium and magnesium in a readily absorbable form. It should help put an end to your leg cramps..
try HYLAND’S brand “leg cramp” medicines…in pill or cream form. pills come in day or nighttime. some drugstores carry it. or go to the “EASY COMFORTS” catalog or website. my 92yr old mother & I both love this product..it works. it does have the quinine ingredient.
Quinine is still the active ingredient in Hyland’s for Leg Cramps. I have used this with good results. Also, my Pilates instructor always gave my mother EmergenC if she had them during class ( Mom was 93 at the time!)
Many years ago there was a product on the market called legatrin. It contained quinine and worked for leg cramps beautifullly. They took it off the market in that form and now it contains no quinine. Tonic water is the same thing so you may want to try that. I hate the taste but I guess I would drink it if it was a last resort.
I have problems from time to time and heat does help but I usually just walk a bit and it seems to help.
Massage therapy, lots of stretching and using a styrofoam roller tube for pressure/nerve points. I purchased one from Amazon for under $30.00. Love it.
From one Diane to another: There is an over the counter medication called simply LEG CRAMPS. It will help. I know it contains small amounts of quinine. Try it! (I have the same problem!)
First of all, as many posters have said, seeing a health professional is essential. But like kdivasilver, I wondered where you are feeling these? Do you by any chance take a statin? A small percentage of people taking statins get a rare side effect which is muscle pain and muscle weakness. Some people can switch to another statin and get better. Others will get muscle pain on any statin. I didn’t take mine last night and I realized that today is the first day I haven’t been in extreme pain in my legs. In your case, it may be magnesium or calcium, but it seems to have happened to me, so, just a thought…Good luck!
Tonic water, which contains quinine seems to work – my husband’s cardiologist recommended this to him, and it helps! However, I agree with the others who suggested you see your doctor to rule out anything more serious.
My Aunt told me that someone had suggested to her to drink Quinine water for leg cramps. Not sure if it works but it is cheap to buy and can be purchased almost anywhere.
Be very wary of the advice re taking calcium! Two recent studies (Google them!) have shown women who take calcium supplements have a 30% higher risk of heart attack! Taking Vitamin D3 is what our bones need! My doctor’s advice on D3 has also helped my horrible leg and foot cramps but you should also have your magnesium levels checked.
Stying hydrated plays a big role in that too. I have started carrying cold water with me every where and drink it all day long. Even on these brutally hot days I am not getting the leg & foot cramps any more. I do take the other supplements others have suggested also.
My husband has been doing tornado recovery work for David Stewart, aka Big Country, on his AL farm. Since the weather has been so hot and my husband sweats out his electrolytes he was getting leg cramps. David told him that the sports doctor for the team encouraged them to consume a teaspoon or two of prepared mustard, yep plain old French’s, and it has been working for him.
I have terrible charlie horses due to a flexion contracture. Popping 250 mg of magnesium in the evening before bed really does the trick for me. My doctor is the one who suggested that I do it.
I would see a doctor, like CatEbeling says. You want to make sure it is nothing serious. If the cramps are in the calf, that could be a sign of problems that will lead to stroke. Please make sure to see a doc to be safe.
Take magnesium pills or quine water before you go dancing or work out. If you forget, take a heating pad and put it over your foot or calve. Stops the cramp.
Magnesium pills before you go dancing or work out or quine water. Works great. During cramp, simply put a electric heating pad over your foot or calve and it relaxes the muscle almost immediately (at least for me) if I forget to take my magnesium before I go dancing.
Leg cramps can be caused my deficiency of potassium in your diet. Bananas are rich in potassium. An appropriate amount of magnesium is also required for proper absorption of potassium so I recommend that you should also try over the counter Beelith. If these suggestions are not helpful then please see your physician to rule out any other causes. You can find more detailed health information on the Speaking of Womenâs Health website at http://speakingofwomenshealth.com/health_library/listing/category/health_information/ I encourage you to subscribe to our monthly email newsletter where I share up to date health information, recipes and more http://www.fathompbm.com/SpeakingofWomensHealth/SWH-FOF.html
Hi Diane,
You don’t mention when you have leg cramps. Is it when you are exercising? Walking? Sitting still? Sleeping?
Have you been to a dr lately? Leg cramps could be a sign of something serious like venous insufficiency or arterial spasms.
However, many people get leg cramps from a combination of either being dehydrated or having their electrolytes off balance. For about 80% of the population, leg cramps and other symptoms like eye twitching, anxiety, asthma, restless leg syndrome and more, it is because of a lack of magnesium in their diets.
Magnesium is a vital nutrient important to about 300 or more bodily functions. Try taking a small dose before bed and see if it helps. The best form of magnesium is a chelate, not magnesium oxide. A good starting dose would be about 200-250 mg. Also be sure you are drinking plenty of water, and get a reasonable amount of sodium and potassium in your diet.
Hope that helps!
Catherine Ebeling RN BSN
Calcium and or potassium.
If they happen at night, put a bar of soap in your bed. I know that sounds crazy but it is an old remedy and I know people who have done it.
I was getting leg cramps in the calves and occassioanlly in my feet when I was sleeping and moved the foot and leg and then got intense cramping like a charleyhorse. I now take vitamin E and I no longer get them. A RN I talked to also said to make sure you were getting enough calcium with vitamin D as well. Used to be that quinine (spelling) was used but I do not think it is on the market anymore
Are these all up and down your leg, or just the calves? Do you do intense workouts? A couple of things occur to me, but the initial thought is you might need more potassium. Check out this link for good food sources of potassium: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php — bananas are also helpful. (How’s your calcium intake? Sometimes insufficient calcium can cause the cramping; it’s vital for muscle action.) If you’re doing intense workouts, are you stretching your legs after? Good luck–and as always, if it keeps happening, check with a doctor or naturopath.
I would add one more mineral to rule out- magnesium deficiency. Do you take omeprazole (Prilosec) for heartburn or GERD? In some people it can cause Mg deficiency. In some people even Mg supplements won’t help and they have to stop the medication.
0 Answers
lakefrontmary wrote on :
I keep a bottle of tonic water next to my bed when I go through episodes of leg cramps. Not sure if it is the quinine, but it works.
eleanor lopez wrote on :
give up soda, i use to have them terriable. now none, the govt made a study found that was the cause.
Kimbo4546 wrote on :
Hi – I’ve had periods throughout my life where I’ve had bad leg cramps. When this happens, I just have some salt on my food (I basically don’t use it) for about a week and I’m right again for ages and ages and ages… Hope this helps. From an Aussie.
Linda Grubb wrote on :
I take a prescription dose of potassium because I have to take Lasix due to lymphodema. Be wary of tonic water or Gatorade due to the high sodium content. Good old fashioned water will help you stay hydrated. My cyclist hubby carries a banana or two on every ride.
Renae Moore wrote on :
If you are not exercising the best thing to do is to start walking or get on a bicycle. It helps with circulation and getting the blood flowing. It could be dehydration and perhaps a potassium deficiency. Banana’s are a great source of potassium.
This piggyback’s some of what has already been mentioned! Hope you feel better.
Cecilia Hernandez wrote on :
I have started taking 1800 mgs of calcium daily. my legs used to hurt a lot. Also doing yoga helps strengthen your legs. I walk a lot so stretching is important. My Dr. put me on high calcium because i am pre osteoperosis.
Mindy Sprung wrote on :
Drinking tonic water relieves the pain of leg cramps
kathyire50 wrote on :
I started getting them so bad I cried, a read an article and it said they were due to lack of minerals in your diet so I started taking 1 a day vitamins ( store brand) with minerals and I no longer have them. Good luck, the pain use to wake me up every night.No more cramps.
arlene satz wrote on :
My yoga teacher always suggests drinking more water. I’d try that first, it really can’t hurt.
Jacqualin Davies wrote on :
Try quinine, either tonic water from your local supermarket, or if you’re into exotic, the special concoction from Jack Rudy Cokctail Company on line.
Barbara Feist wrote on :
Un wrap a bar of Camay soap in put between the sheets at the foot of your bed.
cherylwd wrote on :
You need minerals! Try a liquid calcium-magnesium supplement called Genesis Today’s “4Total Calcium”. You can find it at most Whole Foods Markets. Also in health food stores… another powdered product I like called : CALM, a magnesium supplement. You will feel a difference almost overnight!
Vera Brasher wrote on :
I have seen several posts on here about the bar of soap. I don’t think anyone is listening! My husband had SEVERE leg cramps and nothing, I mean nothing helped. I finally gave in and put a bar of dial soap under the fitted sheet. He hasn’t had a leg cramp at night since. It is cheap and it can’t hurt and it is not another drug you have to take. Try it! Of course you should also be getting enough water!
Sharronsue wrote on :
I know this sounds crazy but you just unwrap the bar soap out of the package and place it under the sheet? Correct?
Vera Brasher wrote on :
That’s it! I put it on the mattress at the foot of the bed under the fitted sheet. It sounds crazy, but it works for us!
TedMax@optonline.net wrote on :
Highland’s leg cramp tablets with quinine…They really work!
Pat Franco wrote on :
Elevate your legs are when at rest and try supplements of magnesium, calcium and potassium.
wendy weimann wrote on :
I recently had a blood test done and it showed a low Magnesium level, so I started taking a Magnesium with chelated Zinc ( to help it absorb) and haven’t had a cramp sinc
Cécile Wheatley wrote on :
Potassium.
Cécile
Cheryl Wilson wrote on :
I have horrible calf cramping in the middle of the night and I’ve had them for several years. I checked with my doctor and she recommended magnesium and D3. Nothing helped. Laugh if you must but the old-fashioned remedy of a teaspoon of mustard really does work! I use Dijon but any mustard does the trick. It works within one or two minutes and I am able to go back to sleep. Check Joe Graedon, the People’s Pharmacy, columns and you will see many testaments to the efficacy of using mustard. Graedon also explains the chemistry behind using mustard for leg cramps and he makes sense of it all.
meredith kerrigan wrote on :
I agree with Frugeldietitian AND ALSO if it is your calves that are cramping, have your Kidney function assessed. If your kidneys are stressed, Bowen Therapy which incorporates elements of Chinese and Ayurvedic cultural medicine aspects can help to also balance your body and often rid you of cramps and help your overall health and function.
Christine McCoy wrote on :
Sounds like low potassium. Try coconut water. It’s very high in potassium. Good luck.
Deborah House wrote on :
First check in with your doctor, but while waiting for that important appointment try Gatorade! Banana’s are a great source of potassium – a lack of potassium can lead to leg cramps.
Alyson Widen wrote on :
Sometimes you’re low on Magnesium so take a supplement at a low dosage. Ask the pharmacist which is the best brand.
Shirley Farley wrote on :
There is a product called EmergenC, a packet of powder that produces a fizzy drink containing minerals including potassium and magnesium in a readily absorbable form. It should help put an end to your leg cramps..
Katie Katie wrote on :
try HYLAND’S brand “leg cramp” medicines…in pill or cream form. pills come in day or nighttime. some drugstores carry it. or go to the “EASY COMFORTS” catalog or website. my 92yr old mother & I both love this product..it works. it does have the quinine ingredient.
Maci Berkeley wrote on :
Quinine is still the active ingredient in Hyland’s for Leg Cramps. I have used this with good results. Also, my Pilates instructor always gave my mother EmergenC if she had them during class ( Mom was 93 at the time!)
deborahthedancer wrote on :
Many years ago there was a product on the market called legatrin. It contained quinine and worked for leg cramps beautifullly. They took it off the market in that form and now it contains no quinine. Tonic water is the same thing so you may want to try that. I hate the taste but I guess I would drink it if it was a last resort.
I have problems from time to time and heat does help but I usually just walk a bit and it seems to help.
Kim Kline wrote on :
Massage therapy, lots of stretching and using a styrofoam roller tube for pressure/nerve points. I purchased one from Amazon for under $30.00. Love it.
adin wrote on :
You may need to see a doctor, but try elevating your legs above your chest and a banana a day.
Diane Hinkle wrote on :
From one Diane to another: There is an over the counter medication called simply LEG CRAMPS. It will help. I know it contains small amounts of quinine. Try it! (I have the same problem!)
Sharon T. Sharon T. wrote on :
Drink IsAgenix IsaLean Shakes comes in two different flavors. They also have a Cleanse program that Rocks! Check them out on the web!
Terrie wrote on :
First of all, as many posters have said, seeing a health professional is essential. But like kdivasilver, I wondered where you are feeling these? Do you by any chance take a statin? A small percentage of people taking statins get a rare side effect which is muscle pain and muscle weakness. Some people can switch to another statin and get better. Others will get muscle pain on any statin. I didn’t take mine last night and I realized that today is the first day I haven’t been in extreme pain in my legs. In your case, it may be magnesium or calcium, but it seems to have happened to me, so, just a thought…Good luck!
Margo Taylor wrote on :
Tonic water, which contains quinine seems to work – my husband’s cardiologist recommended this to him, and it helps! However, I agree with the others who suggested you see your doctor to rule out anything more serious.
Nan Sasso wrote on :
My Aunt told me that someone had suggested to her to drink Quinine water for leg cramps. Not sure if it works but it is cheap to buy and can be purchased almost anywhere.
Mary Lewis wrote on :
Potassium and Gatorade helps my sister with leg cramps.
Carrie Makover wrote on :
The first thing you need to do is make sure you are drinking enough water! Dehydration can cause leg cramps; I know from past experience. See this from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/night-leg-cramps/MY00410
Cheryl Wilson wrote on :
Be very wary of the advice re taking calcium! Two recent studies (Google them!) have shown women who take calcium supplements have a 30% higher risk of heart attack! Taking Vitamin D3 is what our bones need! My doctor’s advice on D3 has also helped my horrible leg and foot cramps but you should also have your magnesium levels checked.
recordsclerk wrote on :
At night I put a bar of ivory soap in my bed so my legs touch it and my legs don’t hurt any more.
deb13 wrote on :
Stying hydrated plays a big role in that too. I have started carrying cold water with me every where and drink it all day long. Even on these brutally hot days I am not getting the leg & foot cramps any more. I do take the other supplements others have suggested also.
Marcelle Cole wrote on :
My husband has been doing tornado recovery work for David Stewart, aka Big Country, on his AL farm. Since the weather has been so hot and my husband sweats out his electrolytes he was getting leg cramps. David told him that the sports doctor for the team encouraged them to consume a teaspoon or two of prepared mustard, yep plain old French’s, and it has been working for him.
zipporahs wrote on :
I have terrible charlie horses due to a flexion contracture. Popping 250 mg of magnesium in the evening before bed really does the trick for me. My doctor is the one who suggested that I do it.
Donna Turovac wrote on :
Drink a glass of tonic water. The quinine is medically proven to stop leg cramps. Worked for me. I received this advice from a vascular surgeon.
Susan Pertierra wrote on :
Sometimes a symptom of high calcium is leg cramps. Have your parathyroid checked out.
Karen Canning-Millar wrote on :
I had them too… increased my water intake and they have all but disappeared!
Geri Brin wrote on :
Hi Diandj2872
I would see a doctor, like CatEbeling says. You want to make sure it is nothing serious. If the cramps are in the calf, that could be a sign of problems that will lead to stroke. Please make sure to see a doc to be safe.
Geri
atlellie wrote on :
Take magnesium pills or quine water before you go dancing or work out. If you forget, take a heating pad and put it over your foot or calve. Stops the cramp.
atlellie wrote on :
Magnesium pills before you go dancing or work out or quine water. Works great. During cramp, simply put a electric heating pad over your foot or calve and it relaxes the muscle almost immediately (at least for me) if I forget to take my magnesium before I go dancing.
Danielle Kramer wrote on :
Leg cramps can be caused my deficiency of potassium in your diet. Bananas are rich in potassium. An appropriate amount of magnesium is also required for proper absorption of potassium so I recommend that you should also try over the counter Beelith. If these suggestions are not helpful then please see your physician to rule out any other causes. You can find more detailed health information on the Speaking of Womenâs Health website at http://speakingofwomenshealth.com/health_library/listing/category/health_information/ I encourage you to subscribe to our monthly email newsletter where I share up to date health information, recipes and more http://www.fathompbm.com/SpeakingofWomensHealth/SWH-FOF.html
recordsclerk wrote on :
I want to subscribe to your news letter but get an error when I click on the link.
Danielle Kramer wrote on :
Sorry about that! Try this one. http://www.fathompbm.com/SpeakingofWomensHealth/SWH-FOF.html
CatEbeling wrote on :
Hi Diane,
You don’t mention when you have leg cramps. Is it when you are exercising? Walking? Sitting still? Sleeping?
Have you been to a dr lately? Leg cramps could be a sign of something serious like venous insufficiency or arterial spasms.
However, many people get leg cramps from a combination of either being dehydrated or having their electrolytes off balance. For about 80% of the population, leg cramps and other symptoms like eye twitching, anxiety, asthma, restless leg syndrome and more, it is because of a lack of magnesium in their diets.
Magnesium is a vital nutrient important to about 300 or more bodily functions. Try taking a small dose before bed and see if it helps. The best form of magnesium is a chelate, not magnesium oxide. A good starting dose would be about 200-250 mg. Also be sure you are drinking plenty of water, and get a reasonable amount of sodium and potassium in your diet.
Hope that helps!
Catherine Ebeling RN BSN
machoja wrote on :
Calcium and or potassium.
If they happen at night, put a bar of soap in your bed. I know that sounds crazy but it is an old remedy and I know people who have done it.
Laura Jarvis wrote on :
I was getting leg cramps in the calves and occassioanlly in my feet when I was sleeping and moved the foot and leg and then got intense cramping like a charleyhorse. I now take vitamin E and I no longer get them. A RN I talked to also said to make sure you were getting enough calcium with vitamin D as well. Used to be that quinine (spelling) was used but I do not think it is on the market anymore
Kathleen Silloway wrote on :
Are these all up and down your leg, or just the calves? Do you do intense workouts? A couple of things occur to me, but the initial thought is you might need more potassium. Check out this link for good food sources of potassium: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php — bananas are also helpful. (How’s your calcium intake? Sometimes insufficient calcium can cause the cramping; it’s vital for muscle action.) If you’re doing intense workouts, are you stretching your legs after? Good luck–and as always, if it keeps happening, check with a doctor or naturopath.
Nancy Ortiz wrote on :
I would add one more mineral to rule out- magnesium deficiency. Do you take omeprazole (Prilosec) for heartburn or GERD? In some people it can cause Mg deficiency. In some people even Mg supplements won’t help and they have to stop the medication.