Leg cramps---help or advice beyond what I already do

[Jilly_in_VA]

Last night I was woken up by horrible leg cramps about every 2 hours. Nothing would fix them. I got up and tried walking them off, no luck. Ame with stretching. At one point my husband had to rub my leg with peppermint salve. I drank so much of a home remedy (cider vinegar + garlic + ginger) that I thought my insides would pickle. And don't suggest magnesium because my Dr. has told me not to take it on account of my kidneys being in rather poor shape. Any other advice?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. Try some electrolytes like gatoraide

[LuckyCharms]

2. Are they mainly in your calves?

[Jilly_in_VA]

14. Nope

Feet, ankles, all the way up my thighs sometimes.

[LuckyCharms]

17. Have you had bloodwork done?

I would suggest that, so they can hone in on the cause.

And whatever you do, never take ibuprofen if you have renal insufficiency (kidney problems). Not even once.

Good luck!

Edit: Your doc may also want to do an ultrasound to rule out blood clots.

[Jilly_in_VA]

31. Yes

And no blood clots. Not even one. I'm on a blood thinner.

[Ninga]

3. I too suffer from debilitating leg cramps that attack in the middle of the night. My granddaughter

is an athletic therapist and always carries prepared mustard in her medical bag and recommends it for leg cramps.
I tried it during my last episode and it worked in a matter of few minutes.

.

[BigMin28]

30. That is what

My Mom uses. She takes a teaspoon of mustard. It may take a few minutes but usually takes care of them.

[Ninga]

34. Yes, our granddaughter was written up in the local

paper when, as the Athletic Therapist, she gave the star quarterback prepared yellow mustard as he was experiencing leg cramps and he returned to win the game. 😇

[Lovie777]

54. Mustard?...............

thanks, since a child I've had muscle cramps in my legs and still do, and I'm 41.

Recently the doctors told me I have arthritis in the left leg and the physical therapy has helped me, no drugs.

[yellowdogintexas]

62. I was just going to suggest the mustard myself! It works!

I have them occasionally; every once in a while a huge one will run up the major nerves on my inner thigh. I limp into the kitchen as soon as I can and eat saltines with mustard on them - lots of mustard.
It is the turmeric in the mustard I think. But it has to be yellow mustard.

Runners use the little fast food packets and just rip them open with their teeth.

[magicarpet]

4. Have you given bananas a try ?

The high content of potassium is supposed to help keep leg cramps at bay.

[c-rational]

5. Water. I wake up occasionally with leg cramps and now I go for water.

[CrispyQ]

6. Both legs? Calves or thighs? Do you have problems during the day?

If it's only one leg are you sure you don't have a blood clot? I woke one night with horrible pain & that's what it was. I also have issues with Charlie horses & my toes cramping in bed (not clot related) & I started an exercise routine, but I think the one that helps the most is simple toe raises. I just stand & raise myself on my toes. 30 times, two or three times a day. Sometimes I go slow, sometimes fast. Doesn't matter, just do it. I do a lot of squats, too. I used to walk 4-5 miles a day but now I'm lucky to get 30 minutes in & that's up from 10!

[CTyankee]

7. Physical therapy

Does your health insurance cover any physical therapy? You might be able to get leg massages that help.

My calves are painful because I go up and down stairs often during the day. I have cut down on those stair trips. I also go to a nail salon that massage calves during a pedicure, but I have to cut that out of my budget because it's just too expensive. There's a very cheap nail salon that does a pedicure for $35 which I will start using. I doubt if they give much of a leg massage at that price.

I take Ibuprofin during the day as prescribed. It helps a little.

A glass of red wine in the evening relaxes my muscles. I get a bottle of red wine for about $12 and it lasts for a week or so. Once in a while I drink a glass of beer which is also relaxing (but if you get it at a supermarket they may card you -- I'm 85 and they carded me!).

[Jilly_in_VA]

15. Not really

and wine gives me hellacious headaches.

[CTyankee]

26. Can your doc give you a referral to Physical Therapy? It might help.

I start out the day fine but the wear and tear of just daily activities slows me down a lot. One shopping trip to the supermarket can put me supine for the rest of the day...

[UpInArms]

8. I take a large

rather nasty spoon of black strap molasses ..

The cramp leaves within minutes …

Mine are so bad they wake me from a sound sleep

[CTyankee]

11. where do you go to get that?

[Emile]

21. Google your area for a country store. I get

Black Strap Molasses locally.

[UpInArms]

23. Any grocery store should have it

Brer Rabbit blackstrap molasses

[Keepthesoulalive]

27. Saunders brothers used to carry it.

My doctor recommended pickle juice ,can’t do it high blood pressure.

[Marthe48]

40. I got Brer Rabbit at Kroger

I use it for BBQ ribs

[LuckyCharms]

9. A medical solution may vary depending on what is causing them, but if they are in your calves...

I get horrible cramps in my calves occasionally. Dreadfully painful. Panic inducing.

If they are in your calves, for immediate relief, try this the moment you feel one coming on. Try to catch it before it gets unbearable.

As soon as you feel it start...think TOES to HEAD.

If laying on your back for example, bend your ankle upwards as far as you can, while keeping your leg straight. Try to get the tips of your toes pointing toward your head. Hold it there like that.

The goal is to stretch out your calf muscle by bending your ankle upwards. If you have to, get out of bed and stand up and do whatever you can to stretch that calf muscle.

This may at least prevent the mind numbing ones temporarily.

I usually panic when I feel a bad one coming on that wakes me up, so I think TOES TO HEAD.

[CTyankee]

44. Yes! I get those and do approximately what you do, reflexively.

[electric_blue68]

65. Very, very rare now, but when I got them more often - i usually caught it in time w that motion.

[justaprogressive]

10. +1 on potassium

Orange juice
tomatoes
bananas
avocados
spinach
sweet potatoes

a hot bath before bed...you deserve it!

[Xoan]

12. A 'trick' I learned from my wife, nearly always works for me ...

Stand on your tip toes until the cramp goes away. Usually less than a minute.

[Mike 03]

13. You might try Vitamin K - New Studies!

I'm sorry, those are incredibly painful. I get them from time to time, especially as the weather cools off.

These studies are fairly new. Just found out about them earlier this month.

Vitamin K Supplementation Reduces Nocturnal Leg Cramps in Older Adults

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/vitamin-k-supplementation-reduces-nocturnal-leg-cramps-older-2024a1000kkv?form=fpf

Vitamin K reduces frequency, severity of nocturnal leg cramps

https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20241107/vitamin-k-reduces-frequency-severity-of-nocturnal-leg-cramps#:~:text=Vitamin%20K2%20markedly%20reduced,in%20China%2C%20and%20colleagues%20wrote.


Have leg cramps while sleeping? Try adding this vitamin to your diet

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/living/health-fitness/article295926309.html#storylink=cpy

[Kali]

42. I wonder if there could be any issues while they are also on a blood thinner?

doesn't K affect clotting?

[rurallib]

16. this really works - I do it all the time - I get leg cramps all the time

pinch you upper lip where the lip and skin meet directly below your nose.
Pinch hard and don't let go until the cramp has fully subsided. Mine usually takes about 30 seconds.

https://www.wpr.org/shows/larry-meiller-show/physical-therapy-advice-charley-horses-more#:~:text=Right%20away%20when%20you%20feel,for%20leg%20cramps%20every%20time!”

Many callers shared some folk remedies that they swear by. A listener identifying herself as Bobbi from Stoughton said, “I have something that works well for me when I have a leg cramp. I heard it on public radio years ago. Right away when you feel the pain you grab your upper lip and pinch the sides of your lips together “pinching” the lip as hard as you could stand. You will immediately feel the cramp loosen. I hold the pinch until the cramp is completely gone.” Interestingly, several other listeners agreed that they’ve used that technique successfully.
Other ideas included a widely held idea that a bar of Ivory soap tucked in the bed sheets helps, although no one seems to know why. A listener identifying herself as Amy in Appleton shared that her grandmother recommended 2 tablespoons of white vinegar taken orally. She swears that “It works for leg cramps every time!”

Believe me it works. I have been doing it for 30years or so

[Emile]

18. Have you tried cannabis?

[gab13by13]

19. This advice can't hurt you

I have been doing pre-surgery exercises for getting a new knee. I thought I was in good shape because I rode a bike an hour a day, but there are a lot of different muscles in the legs. I started doing the exercise and I was cramping up, I was using different muscles. It took about 3 weeks for my cramping to stop. The exercises take about 40 minutes and I have been doing them religiously since Sept. 21st.

Ask a physical therapist to give you a list of exercises to do. In 3 weeks you will be over your cramps. You stated you have kidney issues so I would tell you to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water so long as it's OK for your kidneys. Dehydration can cause cramps and that should show up in routine blood work.

[Shambala]

20. Try a spoonful of yellow mustard.

I haven’t tried because I don’t like like yellow mustard and am told brown mustard doesn’t do the trick but my brother and others swear by it. On edit, he keeps a little mustard packet in his night stand and just takes a squeeze when he gets cramps.

[surfered]

22. Ask your doctor.

[quaint]

24. Two more cents...

Even if it turns out to be an organic problem, this may help -- all my feet and leg cramps went away.

Free your sheets and covers at the end of your bed so nothing restricts your feet.

I read somewhere that putting a bar of soap next to your feet in bed would help and I wondered why. I asked a friend (in her late eighties) if she had heard if it. When she quit laughing she said she had heard that it was for leg cramps, but found loosening the covers before climbing into bed actually works.

[jojog]

25. Tonic water with quinine

Works for my mom. Her doctor said to use this.

[Jarqui]

28. You might try Himalayan salt

Dissolve one grain under your tongue
In about 5 minutes, I get relief.
A doctor through a very good homeopath suggested it.

Potassium, calcium, and magnesium can also help.

Drink more water.

[Mosby]

29. Do you take a statin for cholesterol?

Like others have said, take a potassium supplement and maybe coQ10. See a Dr and get some blood work done.

Eta - you know how to deal with a cramp? Stretch the muscle out and hold it in that position for a minute or so until it's gone.

[Jilly_in_VA]

32. I do not

Can't take 'em, cause muscle cramps and weakness. I do take CoQ10. No Potassium because of kidneys. Tried the stretching and immediately cramped in opposite muscles. I am at my wits' end.

[Mosby]

35. You're taking a diuretic.

That's probably the culprit. Maybe have the doctor suggest a different one. I'm guessing that's because of your kidney problems, your retaining fluids.

I get random cramps at night, on Sunday night I got a bad cramp in my right hammy, that sucked. So far the cramps are just occasional. Fingers crossed.

[karin_sj]

33. Drink more water?

I used to get terrible leg/foot/toe cramps at night. One time, it was so bad that I fell down on my way to the bathroom and started not making sense when trying to talk. So my husband took me to ER. Long story short, they didn't find anything except being dehydrated (and a large tumor on my kidney, but that's another story). All is well now & I had the kidney & tumor removed, but I discovered along the way that dehydration probably caused my cramps and the resulting gibberish (it's a symptom if you're severely dehydrated). And since I started drinking more water (6 cups/day for me), I have not had a single cramp.

[SWinter]

36. V8

My husband has a lot of leg cramps, and when they start he immediately drinks a can of V8 juice. The cramps are gone in minutes. He got this recommendation from a sports medicine professional. We always keep a few cans in the fridge. Hope this helps.

[Meadowoak]

37. Drink pickle juice.

[Phentex]

47. My husband uses pickle juice too

he's on a blood thinner too. He swears the pickle juice helps.

[Jilly_in_VA]

49. The home remedy is essentially that

[Deep State Witch]

38. Can you do a magnesium cream?

I've found that rubbing magnesium cream on the cramping area helps to relieve it. Can you do that?

[Elessar Zappa]

39. Try a banana or two.

You may have low potassium.

[Jilly_in_VA]

50. I don't, which is something else

Screwed up kidneys. I only have one and a half (long story) and the half doesn't work well, hence potassium is in the normal level all the time. I don't even take potassium supplements with the Lasix. I tried and potassium level went too high.

[Marthe48]

41. I wear sweat or yoga pants and bed socks to sleep in

I think I have circ. issues, because my bloodwork is fine. I found that if I wear long pants and the socks when I go to bed, I have less chance of cramps. I usually kick the socks off, but keep the pants on. I have a footboard on my bed, and get positioned so my feet are against it, so if I start cramping, I shove my feet flat against the board to ease the cramp. I have muscle rub, which is the next step. I also sleep with a flat pillow to prop whatever needs support. I eat an avocado almost every night before I go to bed.

Day time, I move around every hour for several minutes at least. I try to remember to do strectches and point my toes toward my knees and hold for several seconds.

Good luck. They are no fun.

[Kali]

43. I get them worse when I am fatigued

there is some actual evidence for the soap at your feet and the vinegar/pickle juice/mustard folk remedies - it has to do with overriding the misfiring nerves, (for the soap it is likely just the scent so it would probably be better to just open a new package and sniff than leaving at foot of bed)

magnesium and potassium deficiencies as well. so if you are unable to supplement, ask your doctor.

[questionseverything]

45. Walgreens sells leg cramp pills, hubby swears by them

[cksmithy]

46. Calcium supplements.

I used to have leg cramps at night, calcium supplements were recommended and it worked. Because of my other health issues, I now cook from scratch, nothing processed, no gluten, additives, all fresh ingredients. Kind of a Paleo, (except no red meat, aged or cured meats) lots of veggies, low histamine diet. I don't have stomach aches anymore and no more leg cramps. I also do not consume dairy products. My blood work, which always test for vitamins, minerals and other things is always spot on.

[Sun-Moon]

48. Drink more water during the day

Reduce salt in take

Use the spoon massage method. Google spoon massage for calf cramps- you will see some videos. Take a tablespoon, hold the round part in your hand and use the long handle to gently massage the areas you are feeling the cramp in. For example, if your cramp is in your calf, start from the ankle and gently bring the spoon handle up toward your knee and adding little pressure , but if it hurts, lessen the pressure. I found that I don’t need to put a lot of pressure on my muscle I’m massaging. Don’t go up and down. Start From bottom and go up. Do this 5-10 times and it should help. Well it helps me…
I hope it helps you.

Loved all the other tips- will try the standing on tip toes. Next time. Hope you feel better soon

[Bluethroughu]

51. Water & bananas!

Make an Ovaltine chocolate malt 2 banana shake with ice and milk!

It helps!

[Karia]

52. A hot water bottle at the foot of the bed

It doesn’t stop my leg cramps entirely, but keeping my feet very warm definitely helps.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

53. Magnesium foot cream? Hear me out

Topical magnesium oil massaged to arches of feet wouldn't be too systemic.

Pointing and flexing feet slowly and repetatively, with slow foot circles changing rotation after 6 circles.

Then in bed lay flat/ no obstruction- slide pinky side of foot up and back repetively and again
v e r y s l o w e l y 10 times, breathing through your nose best you can and lengthening exhales. One leg at a time.

Legs up the wall for 10 minutes, or at least elevate your legs on pillow to support back on knee and getting feet
slightly higher than your heart. Diaphragmatic breathing as described above.

Good luck.

[woodsprite]

55. I do low sodium V8, water, and Hyland's leg cramp pills.

The Hyland’s works wonders, but I usually try the V8 first. It has a good amount of potassium in it. I get the small cans and I keep one on my nightstand just in case. Follow it by some water. If I still am getting them, I’ll take a dose of the Hyland’s. I’m diabetic. My dr suggested OJ or a banana, but they shoot my blood sugar up. I love tomato juice and the low sodium V8 has a higher level of potassium than the regular V8 or plain tomato juice.

My leg cramps usually are in my thigh muscles and rolling over or sitting on the edge of the bed is sometimes enough to trigger a cramp. As my neuropathy has increased in my feet (thanks to chemo and Ciprofloxacin) sometimes I’ll get cramps across my instep and shins. Those I can usually walk off on a cold tile floor.

I hope you find something that works for you.

[Jack Valentino]

56. I used to suffer from the same, too frequently, although very rare anymore---

Things I read in the past suggested it was important to keep from being dehydrated, so drink plenty of water---

and that the episodes could indicate a shortage of potassium, which most people are short of---

I got more by adding bananas to my diet, but there are many foods richer in potassium:
https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-rich-in-potassium


My blood pressure is higher than it should be, so I have been cutting out table salt from my diet,
and replacing it with potassium which has a very salty taste, but no salt--
I haven't bought any, still using a supply which my late father had---
I guess it is available in most health food stores, maybe elsewhere,
I've never had to search it out yet---

but I can say, since I started using it to "salt" my food about a year ago,
I have NOT HAD ANY such leg cramps occur!!! EVER!

(and I know what you mean, they troubled me for some time, and made me scream--
and after a bad one, the leg could be sore for a day or two)


There IS a certain way you are supposed to massage and/or position your leg or foot,
in the midst of such an attack--- now I can't recall exactly,
but suggest you Google for such--- it helped me some when this was happening to me.

Good luck!

From Google:
Potassium is a nutrient that helps facilitate muscle contractions. It is a neuromuscular transmitter that provides communication between muscles and nerves. This communication breaks down when potassium levels are low, and muscles can “get stuck” in a contracted position that we feel as spasms or cramps.Oct 25, 2024

[Pisces]

57. Check your iron levels. Low iron can give you horrible cramps.

[WhiteTara]

58. Lack of hydration is often the cause of leg cramping

I'm sorry you're suffering so.

[AwakeAtLast]

59. Tennis ball on the bottom of you foot

Along with pickle juice. I know you replied about your home remedy being the same, but I would try actual pickle juice.

[yellowdogintexas]

63. or a wooden rolling pin. Lay it down and put your weight on it, then roll back and forth

It helps a lot with the foot cramps.

[pansypoo53219]

60. a cause would be good, but botox works. i have a leg cramping issue. but lasts only 4 months. $$

[pansypoo53219]

61. CBD for muscle relaxing works too.

[nuxvomica]

64. I've used a massage gun

They can relieve a cramp in just a few seconds. It's a good thing to have around for any stubborn muscle pain and they are usually sold in drug stores this time of year.

[electric_blue68]

66. I thot so but checked - Yellow mustard has tumeric AND vinegar