Nocturnal Leg Cramps - Help!

@911deanos I was warned not to wear compression socks when sleeping.

Wow @vlharvey -- I feel for you!!! All cramps are painful and miserable, but the most unbearable ones for me are calf cramps. Is that what makes you scream? I come flying out of bed (I no longer tuck in sheets or blankets so I can get out fast) and jump on my foot to press it out. I've had ones so strong I had to get between furniture and the wall to do a leg press to get it out -- sooo tight. Once I got them in both calves at once while sleeping, jumped out of bed and they were too tight to push out so I was like a ballerina on my toes, falling all over the room, crashing into things. It woke my son up and he yelled, "What's going on in there???" It was awful. You said you tried the massager, but maybe try it all over your legs for a few minutes before bed to see if you can loosen up the muscles before you sleep. See my earlier post with pics. It works for getting my odd, chronic ones out. A calf cramp is too unbearable to have time to go get the massager. Time is of the essence for that!

Only a doctor who suffers from unbearable cramps will take you seriously.

Not sure if you have anyone else in the house, but teach them how to jump up and push your foot up toward you shin to get the calf cramp out. Instant relief. A colleague at work started screaming suddenly and I saw his leg stretched out and toe pointed. I knew it was a calf cramp and raced over and pushed his foot up. He screamed more, but then he was fine. He was shocked I did that, but I know that pain and you can't just sit there and hope it goes away. Good luck to everyone who suffers from cramps! They are the worst!!!

I had to stop wearing dress shoes with heels long ago because when I took them off, all my toes would cramp constantly for the next 24 hours. I mostly wear good sneakers (walking shoes) with good arch support too.

I suffered from leg, foot, toe, shin cramps almost nightly. The shin cramps were the worst. I tried potassium and magnesium supplements with little relief. I know this is almost too simple to believe but I started eating a half a banana each morning. Shin cramps are totally gone, I still get the occasional calf or toe cramp but those are rare and maybe I just need to eat the whole banana. When I think of how many years my sleep has been disrupted with these excruciating muscle spasms, I get annoyed with myself for turning to supplements rather than food to supply the needed nutrient. I hope this works as well for others as it did for me.

Oh, I even had a L4/L5 spinal steroid injection to get rid of these cramps. Did nothing.

I think the docs don't understand issues of nutrition -- they are more focused on medical treatments to solve issues.

What is your understanding of how cold feet effect cramping at night? I have cold feet often, and it's a life long thing. But it sounds like your connection to cramping worked for you, and I'll try it. Thanks a lot.

I've tried bananas, but maybe not consistent enough, and I get what you mean about nutrients
and Doctors, and I am trying everything I can. Wow about the steroid injections. I find that encouraging in some way, maybe just that I've suffered alone and not pursued it further with doctors after the initial question, and no interest in assisting.

Hey all, thanks for all of the replies on the night leg cramps. I've tried the Magnesium Glycinate for over 2 months, I drink huge amounts of water daily (have since I had kidney stones twice), I stretch morning & evening and use a "Stick" roller morning & night. The Theraworx prolongs the cramps 1 hour but I get them every night ususally 2-3 o'clock. My doc has upped my Gabapenten at night from 300to 600 milligams fer evening. The only thing that helped any was the Theraworx but only 1 hour delay. I usually walk 1-2 miles 4-5 days a week which never hurts my legs walking. If I don't walk for 2-3 days I get them every night as usual. I'm still drawing straws because my legs are so tender a lot in the mornings like cramping from skin to bone which may make me limp for a while. Yes, I tried the Tonic water too & Gatorade to the max. Please help!

sorry ! I´m new in this community and I wrote something and missed...

I was telling you that, I don´t know about any medicines to relieve the cramps... but in my experience, when I have nocturnal leg cramps (sometimes) I get up of bed and put my bare foot over the cold floor and is so quickly comforting, and the cramp vanishes.

I have the same. It began durning chemo. I used to sleep really well. Its discouraging.

Magnesium usually makes my leg cramps go away ... but absorption can be an issue. So can the type of magnesium. There are evidently several kinds. According to this ... Magnesium Chelate is the one we want for cramping. https://magbreakthrough.com/a/classic?gl=61d41db18ebf585569ba7838. This article is also an ad but it has lots of info. I have not tried it, but Johnathan Bender is an X NBA player, who now is the "Joint Pain King" who holds online workouts and sends research and product info to followers. I first found this info because he has some very good light muscle stretches I do daily.
I would recommend the stretches too, especially the hamstring one. Finally, I would also recommend an occasional massage, if you can manage it. Good luck.