Nocturnal Leg Cramps - Help!

magnesium glycinate capsules have done the job for me! I buy them at Costco and take 2 as directed on the bottle each evening before bedtime.

I assume everyone with leg cramps below the knee knows if it is a calf cramp, simply get out of bed and stand on the leg for a minute or less and it will go away. I usually get rid of them in about ten seconds or so. When I get hit with double calf cramps at same time it is harder because you have to watch slipping when half awake. All the other stuff, rubs, stretch, water, electrolytes should also be part of your antii-cramp diet. If the cramps are on the side of the calf, it is much harder to get rid of them and standing helps some but will not stop them. Usually I have to find heat because these cramps last many minutes, not seconds. I used to get groin cramps but when I stopped playing pickleball they went away.

I also take Ropinirole - usually in the afternoon and at night. You are right - it is absolutely a life saver. It works immediately upon swallowing for me. No wait time!
For actual leg cramps I find that staying hydrated really cuts down on the number/severity of lower limb cramps, but it can pose its own problem overnight - lol.

Huh! Must be a reflexology thing. Good to know! I was told that pinching (real hard) the fleshy area between one's thumb and forefinger would take away headache, and sure enough, that works. Thank you for the tip!

I’m so glad you’ve found help with Ropinrole. Anything that helps us with this problem. 👍🏻

I leave the sheets untucked at the foot of the bed as well.....it works, along with not suddenly stretching my legs during the night but instead doing it very slowly and carefully....seems to not trigger the cramping.

Hello picartist - I would just add that those night cramps below the knee are a real pain if you have to jump out of bed. I also realize there is no alternative. If you are in pain you
must jump out of bed. I have been taking CoQ10 and that
has helped quite a bit, but now and then cramps come out of nowhere in all sorts of body parts. 🙁 I wish we had more scientific research to help us find a cure for this annoying anomaly. If our govt. would not screwing around with the funds for medical research, we might be able to find a cure for leg cramps in particular. And so it goes....:( d.

I don't know about the others but I had a point where I had at a minimum calf cramps every night and often hit both legs at same time. The real pain were the groin cramps which is the muscle that runs from the groin down to the knee. It is a killer, unbelievable pain like a hamstring. I would get about two or three of those a month and the only way to stop them was to somehow get some heat on them, shower, etc. An occasional calf cramp is kind of a normal thing if you become dehydrated, low sodium, electrolytes, etc. But other people get these and doctors really don't know why, in my case. I spoke to a neurosurgeon two days ago about something else and I told him about my double leg calf cramps and he acted like he did not know much about them. But they do happen, internet has a few other people with same issue.

Exactly, I've found after many years that sudden jerks can bring them on.

A pathologist told me that calf cramps at night are from low magnesium; during the day low calcium is the cause. I haven't been able to verify either theory. tonight I'll double the magnesium per maribarry .