Constant excruciating leg cramps

Hello there @delia74, @jenatsky, @realitytest - there are a lot of helpful tips in this conversation, I'm chiming in regarding muscle cramps and spasms simply because I just witnessed my father almost go down to the ground from calf spasms (along with a few cuss words). I've experienced my share of these symptoms, and it can be brutal, but am thankful to say they are far and few between nowadays. My dad, however, he's a diabetic with terrible neuropathy, who doesn't eat well, smokes, doesn't exercise or stretch, but does drink tonic water with quinine. He swears it helps. I just bought him more today. See the picture below.

Of course, as we all know you can't put a puzzle together without all the pieces so yes, movement; walk, stretch, gentle resistance and weight exercise, in addition to massage, hydration, healthy diet, proper breathing techniques, meditation and mindfulness all help a balanced approach to manage symptoms.

Here's a bit more on quinine for anyone interested:

Medical News Today - What to know about quinine in tonic water -
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323692#is-quinine-safe

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's and Grandpa's out there, 🍻🥂 tip your tonic waters!

Same problems with the cramps - other suggestions:
be sure to stay well hydrated (even in the middle of the night if the cramps strike), also OTC Hyland anti leg cramp meds and I take prescription muscle cramp relievers - omeprazole in my instance (PRN)

Lastly, I keep an electric massager plugged on my bed (~$30-40 at Walmart) to turn on and use if needed. I kind of push the vibrating ends into the painful muscles (usually calves or thighs), sometimes really almost gouging with the more pointed ends - there are choices. That gets to the spasms in the leg muscles which can get to feeling like stone.

I also stretch my calf muscle. I lean against my bed with my feet pressed against the floor , sometimes knead the calves with my own fingers.

Good luck to you all. I know how painful it can be.

Please read my post here about the magnesium product that helped my cramps. Also Smart water probably has vitamins and electrolytes that do help some people. Gatoraide also has electrolytes. And you might benefit from potassium.

I appreciate what you shared regarding what helped your cramps.
Magnesium was recommended by an incredible rheumatologist who unfortunately retired after being with him for almost 5 years. What an intelligent man! He was quite versed about incorporating supplements as an integral component in his patients' health, and magnesium became part of what I took after dinner every night. Did help for a few years, with sleep and with reducing the intensity and frequency of cramps.
There were other supplements, such as Vitamin D3 and alpha lipoic acid, all which I take after dinner. While the magnesium is known to help with (among other things) sleep, it can do only so much if there are other health components that can affect and even interfere with its efficacy. And I do juggle quite a number of disorders, including autoimmune ones. Not to mention taking medications which have muscle pain/cramping and insomnia and sleep disturbance as possible side effects. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place right now, trying to find a glaucoma med to replace the Timolol that was prescribed last August '22 when glaucoma resulted from intense uveitis in both eyes. After having been glaucoma-free for 2 years following surgical stents procedure (which eliminated the need for drops), I am dealing with that disorder AGAIN, almost a twelve months now. I'd had glaucoma for years and was having cataract surgery just before the pandemic in '20, so the stents seemed like a great idea at the time; I was led to believe that it would be a permanent solution. Lucky me to have had a "film" develop on the new lenses, requiring a laser "slit" which then made vision 20/20 in the left eye, but despite instilling prednisolone drops post surgery in left eye, things went wrong and excruciating uveitis developed. (I've opted not to have the right eye done, afraid of having another uveitis episode, thus my sight is not as clear in that right eye, and have not only double vision but also color distortions, among other issues.) And within days of the laser procedure on that left eye, uveitis-related glaucoma emerged, much to my total dismay. (After the fact, I learned that this situation is "quite common.") Then bilateral uveitis required the Timolol AND the prednisolone drops, and searching for an ocular immunologist (and thankfully located, via the Uveitis Foundation site). Finally got the uveitis successfully erased with the expertise of the ocular immunologist , but the glaucoma remains....along with a slew of side effects. I've been told that "other glaucoma medications have additional undesirable side effects" but I am desperate at this point: Timolol affects sleep, depression, and quite a number of issues which I experience, along with serious hair loss 😳!!! (The prednisolone also affects hair loss but I've been uveitis free for months, so not taking that medication.) Gee, let's see 🤔... do I accept all of that to keep from going blind, or do I continue trying to find another medication that can do that without my having to endure all the nasty side effects, inclusive of having lost so much hair that I can clearly see my scalp from front to top of head😱? I am both weary and leary...With so much going on, the magnesium is being stymied and I continue taking it "just because." So much to ponder contributes to anxiety that creeps into bed with me nightly...
As for Gatorade: I have a problem with overly sweet drinks/foods, and the few times that conditions required having to drink it, I found it so difficult to swallow without gagging. So Gatorade or related products are just not possible to imbibe on a regular basis. Not trying to be resistant to your suggestion, just stating what I've experienced with overly sweet drinks.

I’ve experienced horrific leg cramps on several occasions and the only thing that stopped them was by taking a heavy dose of magnesium and potassium. It took about a day or so. Also, sitting in a bath with 7-8 cups of Epsom Salt for 20 minutes can help and feels great.
Best of luck. Hope you get relief soon.

I appreciate what you shared regarding what helped your cramps.
Magnesium was recommended by an incredible rheumatologist who unfortunately retired after being with him for almost 5 years. What an intelligent man! He was quite versed about incorporating supplements as an integral component in his patients' health, and magnesium became part of what I took after dinner every night. Did help for a few years, with sleep and with reducing the intensity and frequency of cramps.
There were other supplements, such as Vitamin D3 and alpha lipoic acid, all which I take after dinner. While the magnesium is known to help with (among other things) sleep, it can do only so much if there are other health components that can affect and even interfere with its efficacy. And I do juggle quite a number of disorders, including autoimmune ones. Not to mention taking medications which have muscle pain/cramping and insomnia and sleep disturbance as possible side effects. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place right now, trying to find a glaucoma med to replace the Timolol that was prescribed last August '22 when glaucoma resulted from intense uveitis in both eyes. After having been glaucoma-free for 2 years following surgical stents procedure (which eliminated the need for drops), I am dealing with that disorder AGAIN, almost a twelve months now. I'd had glaucoma for years and was having cataract surgery just before the pandemic in '20, so the stents seemed like a great idea at the time; I was led to believe that it would be a permanent solution. Lucky me to have had a "film" develop on the new lenses, requiring a laser "slit" which then made vision 20/20 in the left eye, but despite instilling prednisolone drops post surgery in left eye, things went wrong and excruciating uveitis developed. (I've opted not to have the right eye done, afraid of having another uveitis episode, thus my sight is not as clear in that right eye, and have not only double vision but also color distortions, among other issues.) And within days of the laser procedure on that left eye, uveitis-related glaucoma emerged, much to my total dismay. (After the fact, I learned that this situation is "quite common.") Then bilateral uveitis required the Timolol AND the prednisolone drops, and searching for an ocular immunologist (and thankfully located, via the Uveitis Foundation site). Finally got the uveitis successfully erased with the expertise of the ocular immunologist , but the glaucoma remains....along with a slew of side effects. I've been told that "other glaucoma medications have additional undesirable side effects" but I am desperate at this point: Timolol affects sleep, depression, and quite a number of issues which I experience, along with serious hair loss 😳!!! (The prednisolone also affects hair loss but I've been uveitis free for months, so not taking that medication.) Gee, let's see 🤔... do I accept all of that to keep from going blind, or do I continue trying to find another medication that can do that without my having to endure all the nasty side effects, inclusive of having lost so much hair that I can clearly see my scalp from front to top of head😱? I am both weary and leary...With so much going on, the magnesium is being stymied and I continue taking it "just because." So much to ponder contributes to anxiety that creeps into bed with me nightly...
As for Gatorade: I have a problem with overly sweet drinks/foods, and the few times that conditions required having to drink it, I found it so difficult to swallow without gagging. So Gatorade or related products are just not possible to imbibe on a regular basis. Not trying to be resistant to your suggestion, just stating what I've experienced with overly sweet drinks.