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Nocturnal Leg Cramps - Help!

Posted by ashby1947 @ashby1947, Oct 20, 2019

Does anyone have a suggestion to help deal with foot/ankle/leg cramps in the middle of the night? I take plenty of calcium and magnesium and am thinking that I need to increase my potassium intake. Topical lotions (Theraworx, Tiger Balm, etc.) have not helped. I hope this is a good day for whoever is reading this! Sue

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mari | @mari | Oct 24, 2022

I can use thick, long, warm sox - it works.
Where sock top ends - above top of sock cramp stays.
Where sock is covering leg = no cramping.

REPLY
patjack2 | @patjack2 | Apr 9, 2023
In reply to @imallears "@ashby1947 Hi, I’m jumping in late on this topic but would like to add my thoughts..." + (show)
@imallears

@ashby1947

Hi,
I’m jumping in late on this topic but would like to add my thoughts before the Christmas Eve festivities get under way. I’ve had occasional restless legs and cramps over the years. I started taking Magnesium glycinate a couple of month ago (400 mg) for better sleep because it is reputed to have a calming effect.
I noticed that I have had hardly any leg cramps or restless legs.....maybe one in a month or month and a half. I take the Mg right before bedtime. It is one of the many forms of magnesium that it easily absorbed into the bloodstream.

I just want to emphasize that you should not opt for a cheap brand of any supplement. There are many types of calcium and magnesium, for example, and you should research which type would benefit you more Not all supplements are created equal. Research the labs that produce them and the country of origin. The Magnesium Glycinate I take has the the amino acid glycine which is supposed to have a calming effect. It happens to work for me.

Hydration , as several people mentioned, is another important factor for everyone no matter what ails ya. Try stretching your hamstrings before bedtime as that may help. If you find something that works, that’s terrific. Nocturnal cramps seem to happen more often among the older population. I just don’t hear of younger people mentioning it as a problem.

Anyway....they’re the most god awful annoying things to happen when you are trying to sleep and have to jump up out of bed and stumble around in the dark trying to walk it off or massage it and then sliding back into bed when you think it’s over and trying to find the perfect sleep position and not move because it will happen again...argh. There’s a vision I have of all these people doing the cramp dance during the night.

Happy Holidays to all who celebrate

FL Mary

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I am going to try the magnesium glycinate but have also tried Thera worx that you massage into the cramp and it seems to work after a short period of time

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2 replies
jnb | @jnb | Apr 10, 2023
In reply to @patjack2 "I am going to try the magnesium glycinate but have also tried Thera worx that you..." + (show)
@patjack2

I am going to try the magnesium glycinate but have also tried Thera worx that you massage into the cramp and it seems to work after a short period of time

Jump to this post

Increasing my water intake throughout the day cures me of night cramps.

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ga29 | @ga29 | Apr 10, 2023
In reply to @patjack2 "I am going to try the magnesium glycinate but have also tried Thera worx that you..." + (show)
@patjack2

I am going to try the magnesium glycinate but have also tried Thera worx that you massage into the cramp and it seems to work after a short period of time

Jump to this post

I’ve used the magnesium supplement too, and my doctor suggested trying CoQ10 it seems to help a lot. The statin meds I’m on probably started this problem.

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patjack2 | @patjack2 | Apr 10, 2023

Did you try magnesium glycinate or just magnesium? I’m on a drug for high cholesterol but it’s not a statin but I’ve had the leg cramps longer than I’ve been taking the medication. I take CoQ10 from time to time.

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jmd5 | @jmd5 | Apr 11, 2023

I used to have horrible cramping in my legs for years. I did get relief from Thera works, but I had to get up and massage it into my legs. Now I take magnesium, drink more fluids during the day, and I stretch my leg muscles after I walk. The stretching hurts, but I haven't had the horrible leg cramps at night by doing this. I feel my muscles and sometimes they hurt, but the tight cramping is not there now.

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greff | @greff | Apr 11, 2023

Wow, I didn't know there were so many people suffering from this. I also get severe cramps, especially in my calves but also on the bottoms of my feet or the sides. I've been eating OTC leg cramping medication. I've also tried compression socks, topical creams to relax muscles. They aren't effective. I thought it was my low iron levels but that hasn't been the case since being put on iron supplements. Disheartening to not find a remedy.

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1 reply
ljbrindle66gmailcom | @ljbrindle | Apr 11, 2023

To eliminate the leg cramps I started drinking Powerade Zero or Gatorade Zero which increased my intake of fluids and electrolytes. Leg cramps went away & have not come back.

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tenclawz | @tenclawz | Apr 12, 2023
In reply to @greff "Wow, I didn't know there were so many people suffering from this. I also get severe..." + (show)
@greff

Wow, I didn't know there were so many people suffering from this. I also get severe cramps, especially in my calves but also on the bottoms of my feet or the sides. I've been eating OTC leg cramping medication. I've also tried compression socks, topical creams to relax muscles. They aren't effective. I thought it was my low iron levels but that hasn't been the case since being put on iron supplements. Disheartening to not find a remedy.

Jump to this post

Hello ''greff'' I have had night time leg cramps for years but finally found that '' magnesium oxide '' which was given my wife for heart palpitations works wonders
for me. No more cramping.
You might like to start with low dose and go higher as needed. THAT is how it was told to me in starting.

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2 replies
greff | @greff | Apr 12, 2023
In reply to @tenclawz "Hello ''greff'' I have had night time leg cramps for years but finally found that ''..." + (show)
@tenclawz

Hello ''greff'' I have had night time leg cramps for years but finally found that '' magnesium oxide '' which was given my wife for heart palpitations works wonders
for me. No more cramping.
You might like to start with low dose and go higher as needed. THAT is how it was told to me in starting.

Jump to this post

Thanks. I'll give it a try.👍

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