I get leg cramps often... why and what can i do to prevent it?

Question

I'm 14 years old. All of a sudden I start to get leg cramps and they hurt A LOT i feel like if i'm gonna die. I get them often, almost once a week. I also get them during my sleep. Why does this happen? How to make them go away? How Do i soothe the pain?

Answer 1

IT SOMETIMES HAS TO DO WITH WHAT YOU EAT.....
I GET THEM TOO.....
AND I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL..... (you dont even what to move cause it hurts soo bad....)
I USUALLY GET THEM WHEN I EAT PORK....
TRY AND SEE WHAT YOU EAT AND IF YOU GET CRAMPS....

Answer 2

The spasm, commonly called a charlie horse, occurs when the electrical impulses that get sent constantly -day and night- by the brain, get off track due to the lack of potassium along the pathways.

Potussium molecules connect the pathways and allows the impulses to get to the intended place. To prevent the backup, which causes the intense muscle spasms aka a charlie horse, eat BANANAS! Potassium pills and multivitamins will help too, but bananas really work wonders.

To help you get through the pain should it bother you again, rub deep into the muscle of the area and keep massaging it til you can stretch you leg. Then stand up and stretch the area, like you're trying to stretch ur calves, either propping ur toes up on the wall and pressing your heel down, or one foot in front and the hurt one behind ( I think it's called a lunge) and then straighten the back leg and try to keep your back heel on the ground

Prevention is the key in fighting the pain. Just don't eat a bundle of bananas or you'll end up constipated! 2-3 spread out through the day is plenty to start u off, and one every (or every other) day will keep you spasm free! And always make sure you're drinking enough water.

Answer 3

Are they in the MUSCLE part of your leg? Like in the back of your calf muscle? This sounds like calcium and potassium shortages and they DO hurt. They used to make me bolt straight out of bed in the middle of the night.

Add more bananas, dried apricots, prunes, for the potassium, or take supplements. There are probably other foods too.

For calcium, of course, there are dairy foods. Cheese, milk, ice cream. But also brocolli I think has calcium.

When you play sports or exercise, make sure you both WARM UP and COOL DOWN, in the form of stretching, so you don't add injury to this problem.

And if it is like a stretching, joint kind of pain, well, that is part of growing...so there isn't much you can do except take pain relievers. Take them under your parents' and doctors supervision, and don't mess with any street drugs like Vicoden or other narcotics that you didn't get from a doctor. You don't want to make physical pain turn into any more of a problem by getting addicted to medicines.

If you go to the doctor, you can get muscle relaxers, also need to take these carefully. And a chiropractor or massage therapist may help you too.

When you are in the middle of a cramp, in the middle of the night, I know it hurts but you can try to rub it out. Just push and massage it right on the muscle until it relaxes. Flex your feet, too...this is stretching your foot up as if your toes are trying to reach your knee...pointing your toes will cramp up more. Then get up and walk around a little bit, maybe go get a glass of milk.

You can also use muscle rubs like Aspercreme, BenGay, etc.

Doses of medicines at your age can be tricky depending on how big of a person you are. You aren't really grown, and you aren't a kid either. So follow dosing directions carefully according to your weight.

Answer 4

Sounds as if you are getting growing pains. This is where your bone is growing at a faster rate then the muscle causing you discomfort. Unfortunately there is not much to prevent this from happening. You can try eating more bananas for added potassium that can help with muscle cramps and ask for some liniment for your legs, like Ben Gay or Icy Hot. This will pass in time. I lived through it as well as my 2 girls and probably lots of other folks! Best of luck to you.

Answer 5

they sound like growing pains! and if they are you cant do anything about it. Start taking a multi vitamin and becareful of otc meds. tylenol isnt good for your liver if taken in excess! maybe asprin maybe better... talk to you doc.
take a nice bath and relax your legs before sleep.
I think that its just growing pains but to be on the safe side
get it looked at could be a bad diet too if you are very physical.
your muscels cramp up when you dont feed your body well balanced meals with good carbs ,good ffat & protien.

Answer 6

Try taking a calcium-magnesium-zinc pill with each meal. Also take a good women's multivitamin and a vitamin E 400 IU pill daily. Eat at least 3 servings of fruit a day to be sure you are getting enough potassium.

Answer 7

Firts try drinking a more fluids, dehydration can cause muscle cramps. Second, try taking vitamins, low potassium and other electrolytes can also lead to muscle cramps. If this doesn't work then see a doctor.

Answer 8

I would not suggest any medicine. Daily in the morning do some stretching exercise for a few minutes to being and take it upto 5 minutes. In the meantime, please take a table spoon of olive oil, boil to lukewarm stage and add a pinch of salt. Massage this mixture on your both the legs.

You are not using your legs properly. You are unnecessarily stretching your legs or cramping them. This is the cause for your cramps. Keep the legs light.

Answer 9

could be lack of calcium or lack of hydration bring yourself up to the recomended amount of calcium by the fda make sure to drink 8 glasses of water a day and exercise and stretch! Lack of excersice and stretching can also make you cramp up

Answer 10

Drink more water. Dehydration can do all sorts of things to you including cause cramps, zits, bloating. Cut the sugary sodas out of your diet and drink water instead.

Answer 11

It seems that you are too week or tend to be tensed always.
The leg cramps you are experiencing is because of nervous disbalance.During sleep the weight of your own body makes the blood circulation go slow leading to the cramps.
Eat well, think well. surely it will help.