Muscle cramping severe

I have had severe horrible leg cramps in multiple locations, and haven't found anything that stops them. I can wake up screaming, and sometimes it goes on for 20 minutes. I've tried cold and hot bath water, various supplements, drinking water right then, trying to improve general hydration, massage, and even spray potassium. I thought it was activity level, and played with moving the time and level around.
Now, after years of this, I went back to stretching before bed, but with more intent, and time involved. Someone suggested it and rather than thinking I already tried that, I went at it again, and it's worked.

Your husband is indeed fortunate that he benefits from that OTC cream.

I know that muscle cramping can be a result of many different conditions. Statins can cause muscle cramps and they can be excruciating; the spasms on the front of the leg are so very painful they cause me to cry out. I found I can not tolerate any statin. Right now I have a half banana each day, a supplement of low dose magnesium every other day and what seems to be most important for me is to assure I am well hydrated. I drink two 12 oz glasses of water every day, mostly before 5 PM so I am not waking all night for a different reason. If I neglect the water or drink too little, those pesky, excruciating leg, foot and ankle cramps remind me not to neglect it again.

I hope everyone finds their muscle spasm solution.

Donna

I know EXACTLY what you've endured!
Many of the sources that I researched included stretching as not only an important activity but also highly recommended its inclusion in evening activities. I stretch using movements that I learned via Silver Sneakers videos, online, and from my oh-too-many PT and OT sessions. I also stretch not just legs/feet, but also the upper body as well. I do a step-by-step relaxation from toes up to cranium that I learned decades ago while taking Lamaze classes for childbirth. I believe it's also called The Military Sleep Method, an activity that helps soldiers de-stress and fall asleep. I just know that it feels dang great! And it does melt away the tightness from the day. Here are a few sites that I found that explain the method (and probably have a video that goes along with the explanation; I did not click on the sites to find out):
https://www.verywellmind.com/military-sleep-method-711116
https://sleepdoctor.com/how-sleep-works/military-sleep-method
https://www.choosingtherapy.com/military-sleep-method
And for a video, go to youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpBj5Z1TbyU

Also, I'd like to recommend that you try this activity, which I absolutely love to do :
•Lie down on the floor (I prefer that to my bed because I can get really close to the wall).
•Skooch your body all the way up to the wall, with legs straight up against the wall and thighs touching the wall.
•Place arms out on your sides.
•Now focus and relax your body, keeping your legs against the wall with feet facing the ceiling.
•Feel how your legs start to feel less heavy, and for me the sensations of neuropathy and other pain issues that affect my legs and feet seem to flow down, bringing relief. I have collapsed valves in my legs (had one "corrected" but still feel pain). This position really helps me obtain relief and comfort. Just feels amazingly good for me and my specific issues.
•Stay in the position for about 8 to 15 minutes. If you begin to feel any kind of pain, STOP. But all I've ever felt is relief. I've been doing this for decades; started doing it while teaching on my feet all day for nearly 25 years.
•Get up slowly, allowing yourself to not engage in any strenuous activities afterward. I especially like this relax strategy as a prep for bedtime. Great to have in evening ritual.

Also: I never apply cold, only warmth. Cold makes muscles contract and increases my pain. I love the large heating pad that our daughter gifted us a couple of years ago.
I agree with you on the gentle massage.
I have a favorite nail salon in town where I've developed a nice relationship with a young woman who respects that I don't want vigorous treatment on my feet/legs. She gently and slowly massages my feet, ankles, legs but not my toes since I have three neuromas that can shriek out nasty pain. No nail polish, just a pedicure, gentle massage, lightly "sanded" heel areas. All the nice oils that she uses during the pedicure. Same price as basic pedicure, but I am happy to pay it since I feel valued as a customer. She puts on my socks and shoes, then since I have gait-balance issues, Sue helps me down and guides me to the front desk. I go when the salon opens first thing in the morning and I'm often the only customer there that early in the day. AND everyone wears masks!

As for pain creams: I do not use any of the OTC creams on the market. Either too stinky, or they burn my sensitive, dry skin. I wasted a bit of money trying out a few, then gave up. I especially detested Tiger Balm, and anything with a hideously strong eucalyptus or menthol odor.
My husband uses Vicks on his feet and hands for arthritic and neuropathy pain, and it helps him tremendously (covers his feet with socks and hands with cotton gloves). I have read in several articles (discovered while doing research) that give credit to the use of Vicks. I don't like the smell, but the Baby formula is less odiferous. I used it on my feet/ankle one night when Pain Level was an 8 out of 9. Made pain dissipate down to a more tolerable 4'ish. But I can't stand the thought of smearing larger areas of my body with that ointment. Uh-uh! You might want to try it, see if it helps you. Get a small jar, CVS and similar stores often have sales/coupons.
I've written a book with this long response! I hope some of the content is useful for you.
If you try out any of my suggestions, I'd love to hear from you.
May you find longer periods of time without pain🌺.

I have endured the types of cramping you describe here for years too. I worked with my primary care doctor for a year to find a dietary/supplement fix for this, including drinking tons of water. The only things that worked somewhat were 1) eliminating caffeine from my diet, and 2) taking testosterone supplement injections. Also, for a quick remedy, Theraworks foam applied once or twice directly to the cramped area would typically get it to stop within minutes. Unfortunately I couldn't carry it around in my pocket all day so there were plenty of times when it would not be handy.

Another quick fix was to take a fizzy magnesium drink (though I can't recall the name of it). Taking regular magnesium supplements had no effect, so now I'm wondering if that drink may have contained magnesium malate. If it did I plan to add that to my routine diet. I don't care for getting a shot in my rear every two weeks just to avoid cramps. But it does work. At the end of two weeks I typically begin to start cramping again within a couple of days, so I have that not-so-gentle reminder that it's time for a testosterone injection. I will also investigate magnesium aspirate to see if that is a good cramp preventive for me.

I have just recently tested high (6.0) on a PSA test and my urologist is telling me that I should give up the testosterone. He says that there is a correlation between testosterone use and prostate cancer while my primary care doctor says that this was recently disproven. I would just like to be rid of the need for shots if possible.

My question for you is you mentioned several changes that you made to combat your cramps. Do you have any feel for which change is most responsible for the relief that you are seeing? It is difficult for me to imagine that all of the changes would be needed together even though they all sound reasonable and safe. I hope to keep the solution well-contained and relatively simple if at all possible.

@delia74
I thought I was by myself with these cramps 😫
They were and are horrible 😢
Yessss I've been told dehydrated I think that was the new word dehydration so I started drinking water and drinking water and drinking a Gatorade everyday and it may have helped a little but I also found out I had neuropathy and my feet and legs but not the rib cramps they are so bad I've been told I have moving ribs or an extra rib that could be causing my cramps but I can't even lay on my stomach without getting a rib cramp or turning to the sides are getting a rip cramp it is horrible I may try the Magnesium to see that will help me thanks for your advice I hope we all get better have a blessed day

For me, they are just random. Come and go. No fix except to walk til they ease. I believe they are random for most people, but if people think they have a fix for them, that is great. I can have a few for a few days and then not again for a year and I dont do anything to prevent them.

@lltk you don’t offer much background on your condition and responses may not be appropriate for what’s bothering you. Do you exercise, do you stretch, do you walk daily? Are the cramps due to an electrolyte imbalance? There can be many answers but more info from you is needed.

I just noticed this thread and I wanted to share what has worked for me. First, I take calcium, vit d, vit k 4, magnesium, drink water…..everything you are supposed to do. Nothing worked. I had severe cramps in feet, ankles, calves, shin bone area, and ham strings. This went on for at least 20 years. Maybe longer but you lose track of time over the years. A few years ago I had a herniated disc which left me in pain for almost a year. After 4 injections I was on the mend. I decided to take a supplement for nerves and chose Gaia Lions Mane Mushroom 400 mg once daily. From the first week of taking this supplement my cramps went away. It was mind blowing to me to say the least.
It is now 2 years later and I only get a cramp rarely and really believe that happens if I don’t monitor water intake. I always thought that a cramp was due to a muscle issue. I decided to do some research on nerves since I was taking a supplement to help nerves. And lo and behold I found out that motor nerves are responsible for firing muscle movement and if your motor nerves fire too quickly, you will have cramps. I got my information from google search and I cannot attest to its validity. But I.can tell you that I am basically free of cramps. I hope this post can help someone because I have been there and know the frustration.

I am over seventy and have suffered from cramps most of my life.
I lived off bananas and Gatorades. I drank more water than a camel.
Then about twenty years ago, my wife told me to drink pickle juice, and it would stop the cramps.
About three years ago, after eating my hands would cramp. Pickle juice would stop the cramps, but I wanted to know the cause. I saw a Neoplastic Chiropractor. He suggested that I take extra strength Magnesium (1 -four hundred mg a day.) He also suggested I start "Calm". That is a magnesium citrate supplement that I buy at COSTCO. I drink glass at nighttime. There is one side effect. Many folks get diarrhea from the magnesium. I do not suffer from diarrhea, but I do have 4-5 solid bowl movements a day. I asked my gastroenterologist if that was a problem. He said in my case no, that the alleviation of cramps by the intake of magnesium outweighs the numerous bowl movements.
Bottom Line: I have not had an attack of cramps since I started the magnesium and the glass of Calm each night.
PS. I do keep the pickle juice in the refrigerator but have not touched it since I started the magnesium and Calm.