What causes a charlie horse and how can you stop it once it starts?

Question

It wakes from sleep when its about to happen. What can I do?

Answer 1

When you're woken up in the middle of the night, you're think "Oh my God, that hurts!!" You don't think, "Oh, I need more calcium or potassium". Get out of bed as easily as you can and stand up, leaning forward with your feet flat on the ground and that will stretch the muscle. If it's really bad, sometimes it helps to walk around a bit, stepping with your heel first so the muscle stretches. You can do wall push ups too. My husband offers to rub my legs and I yell at him to not touch me, it hurts more. The other answers are right though about calcium and potassium. Bananas, cantaloupe, extra vitamins, you might have to try a couple things to figure out what works for you. Good luck!

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What causes a charlie horse and how can you stop it once it starts?
It wakes from sleep when its about to happen. What can I do?

Answer 3

Usually when you are having chronic charlie horses, its either low potassium or calcium. If you have been outside working, and sweeting alot, your sodium and postassium can be low.

Used to be an over the counter drug called Legatrin, that worked. Its active ingredient was quinine.

The never version has benadryle and don't work. Go see your doctor, they may want to run some labs to see if it shows up. If they find nothing, try eating a couple of tums daily to increase your calcium intake.

Answer 4

I agree with Bigmike your Potassium is low this is caused by Dehydration drink lots of Water!

Answer 5

Lack of pottasium. Stand up and gently stretch it out. Drink some OJ or eat a banana.

Answer 6

This is going to feel at the time like the exact wrong thing to do, but stay laying down, tighten your leg muscles, and curl your toes in. It will stop RIGHT THEN.

Answer 7

Low pottasium levels.Either take a supplement every other day or eat a banana every other day.