Sometimes while sleeping at night I get very bad cramps in my legs that causes me to awake screaming. What causes this and how can I prevent it? What is actually going on inside my leg? It feels like a large foreign item in my leg turning around and around, slowly moving and knotting up. The pain usually last for a minute or more. I usually just squeeze my leg and scream until it stops. When it finally subside, it leave me exhaulted.
2007-09-16 00:00:50 · 11 answers · asked by Shorty Dee 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Pain & Pain Management
Leg cramps are the first place your body targets when you are dehydrated. Drink lots of water! I recommend purified water and Mineral Water mixed 50/50. The Mineral Water is going to put back into the muscles the minerals they are losing on a daily basis. You must drink beyond your thirst to get the benefits of hydration.
I suggest that adults and children drink 40 ounces of water per 100 pounds of body weight every day. Realize that exercise, ambient temperature, and state of health affect the water needs of your body.
In the evening take a hot bath with 2c. of dissolved Epsom salts and soak for 30 minutes. Afterwards, if you have something shaped like a cylinder and made out of hard material (think of a large rolling pin you would use for pizza dough or something) place it under your leg and push down and roll it back and forth...this should massage the spasms out of your leg. It will hurt while you're doing it, but more so the type of pain that actually feels good, in the long run. Afterwards massage an analgesic cream into the area. You will start feeling better very quickly.
take 500mg of calcium and magnesium before bedtime. This will also help stop the leg cramps.
2007-09-16 00:23:33 · answer #1 · answered by Cherokee Billie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I too suffer night leg/foot cramps, they're horrible!
You already have many good answers; ie potassium through bananas and drinking more fluids, but I just wanted to throw you an old wives tale that's been going around.
Place a bar of soap at the foot of your bed in between the sheets. LOL... Who knows, but some claim it works.
I just get up and walk them out. Yes, it hurts like H*** but they go away faster if you put pressure on or massage the area.
Good luck.
2007-09-16 01:27:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A bar of soap under your bottom sheet does NOT work!! People who say it does do not have leg cramps at night to start with,
The only thing that helps the leg cramps I have been having for years is to drink plenty of water throughout the day. I have tried all the supplements but nothing helps except to drink water.
Good luck!!
2007-09-19 22:11:33 · answer #3 · answered by patwhite101 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A sports trainer once told me that night cramps are usually the cause of an imbalance with being dehydrated and the calcium level being too low.
This occurs due to being overheated with heavy bed clothing, or doonas that are too hot for the climate.
Doonas where originally designed for Nordic and European winters not tropical or sub-tropics. Blankets and sheets breath.
2007-09-16 00:31:55 · answer #4 · answered by jemima 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Potassium did not help me with this problem, but magnesium did. Spasms occur when there is an imbalance in calcium and magnesium, and the problem is aggravated by dehydration. My doctor put me on 400 mg magnesium three times per day (breakfast, dinner, bedtime), with a glass of water with each. The spasms cleared up on the first day, and have only returned when I forget to take magnesium after a lot of sweating.
2016-05-20 23:40:37 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Usually cramps come from dehydration, if you notice football and basketball players get them and the first thing the doctors do is give them some gatorade and water. Just make sure you are drinking enough threwout the day, if you have one in the night stretch it out, if you stretch the muscle out it will stop hurting faster.
2007-09-16 00:11:28 · answer #6 · answered by applebeer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My husband had the same problem his doctor told him to drink more water and get as much potassium as possible .Bananas and potatoes are good sources. There are also supplements but he choose to change the diet to make up for it.He hasn't had a leg cramp for about 6 months ,so it seems to be working.
2007-09-16 00:20:24 · answer #7 · answered by dymond 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know this may sound silly to you, but trust me it works!!! Get a bar of soap and place it under your sheets on your bed, and you will NO LONGER have nite time leg cramps!! Has worked for me for years now.
2007-09-19 15:45:54 · answer #8 · answered by jmada05 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i suffered alot from this when i was pregnant. the advise i got was to increase my potassium levels (eat more bananas) and to do some leg and ankle stretches before bed. it worked for me, hope it does the same for you
2007-09-16 00:14:30 · answer #9 · answered by wiccanto 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Me too. Warm woolly bedsocks did the trick.
2007-09-16 00:09:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋