Calf cramp every night, any remedies?

Question

Everytime I sleep on my back I get nocturnal calf cramps.
If I sleep on my stomach the problem doesn't occur, but of course people move in their sleep and it would just be nice to lie on my back. Has anyone suffered from the same ailment or found a cure?

I don't have enough points on these forums yet to be able to respond individually. But I want to say a big thank you to all of you who have been kind enough to suggest remedies.
so THANK YOU

Answer 1

I contacted my alternative healer for persistent cramps in my feet. (I also got them in my legs occasionally.) Potassium might help, as stated above, but it may not do the trick. I will give you some information that is going to sound mighty strange if you aren't familiar with alternative medicine. I wrote this down and rely on the info:

For cramps in the left leg:
Calcium and magnesium. Add vitamin D if you don't get 15 minutes of sun daily.

For cramps in the right leg:
1) Potassium, sodium and magnesium balance may be out of balance. (Most of us get too much sodium in a diet high in processed foods.) Try potassium and magnesium. If this doesn't work:

2) Try a homeopathic phosporus with above. Or:

3) Take trace minerals. Or:

4) Take lecithin, choline and inositol.

Drink red clover tea or spearmint tea. Spearmint essential oil rubbed on the cramp may be helpful. (I like organic oils if I'm putting them directly on myself, since I don't want solvents absorbed into my body with the oil.)

Cramps are no fun. Hope this works for you, too.

Answer 2

I used to get them all the time, once a month or so, but nothing for the last few years. I don't have a cure, but I do have a way of stopping the pain and making it go away so I could get back to sleep: grab your toes and pull the foot back towards you. The cramps remain if you let the calf muscles twitch and the foot is stretched out almost straight, but if you pull the foot back so it's flat the way it would be if you're standing, the pain goes away. Other than that, I have no suggestions as to cure.

Answer 3

I have had success in many cases of nocturnal leg cramps recommending calcium-magnesium-zinc pills taken 3 times a day with meals. Also, eat at least 3 fruit servings daily to get more potassium.
Good luck!

Answer 4

avoid excessive stretching and excercise in the calf area before bedtime

your problem is most likely beacause while you sleep you are stretching yuor leg way out straight as a balerina does as a result the calf muscles gets too much strain and cramps

sleeping on your stomach doesnt make this occur mainly because it is physically harder to stretch in such a manner while lying on your stomach while you sleep

tired muscles or muscles under too much strain can result in cramps

Answer 5

Eat foods high in calcium (such as milk and cheese), potassium (bananas and dates), and Vitamin E (spinach and sweet potatoes).

Apart from low levels of the above cramps can also be caused by dehydration, heat stroke, inactivity, and strenuous exercise.

Answer 6

you need more potassium in your diet a banana and a glass of orange juice a day will help. I get them awful from water pills, and that seems to do the trick.

Answer 7

It sounds like you need more potassium in your diet someone else has said calcium also. If you don't like bananas you can take a potassium supplement.

Answer 8

Have you tried calcium, magnesium and Vitamin-D3. I highly recommend it for muscle cramps.

Answer 9

my wife puts a shoe upside down under her bed for cramps. says it works?