Leg cramping?

Question

Sometimes in the morning or the middle of the night I'll wake up from the pain of leg cramps. It's always in the calf muscle, and doesn't happen in one leg more than the other. The cramping usually lasts 5-10 seconds after it wakes me up. I don't get this every night - it's more like a few times in a month. I never get it during the daytime. I've been told that it can be from electrolyte imbalances, but my diet is not lacking in that area.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

I get these occasionally. (They're horrible in the middle of the night. A rude awakening.) Try getting more potassium in your diet (a banana a day works for me) and stretching the muscle gently before bed.

Answer 2

My father, who was in his 80s at the time, was told by his physician that taking quinine would stop the cramps. It worked well for him.

Since then I have had occasional night cramps in my calf. A physical therapist advised that simply stretching out the leg and pulling back the toes (this stretches the achilles tendon) would halt the cramps. Worked perfectly!
Seldom have them anymore, but the last few times my calf cramped, the procedure always stopped the cramp.

Answer 3

yeah, I know what this is, it's a magnesium deficiency, same with heart palpitations --- buy a magnesium supplement, it will take 3 weeks to load up in your system. don't eat too much calcium because that is what depletes magnesium -- Vitamin K will also help absorb some of the magnesium -- about 55% more.
I'm guessing you get the hickups a lot and your hearts skips once in a while -- same cause -----

Answer 4

Doc told me often times it is a lack of potassium. Since I started keeping bananas on hand the cramping has pretty much gone away.

Answer 5

Try eating a banana or drinking a glass of orange juice every day, and see if this helps the leg cramps.

Answer 6

I feel for you,I get them too and boy do they hurt,my Doctor told me is lack of potassium,he gave some potassium pills 500MG one a day it works.I believe u could get them over the counter at any drug store.I hope u could sleep better.

Answer 7

Besides dehydration, too much caffeine or too much booze it could also be a deficiency of potassium, calcium, magnesium or vitamin B6.

Answer 8

in drug stores and pharmacies calumet is supposed to be
good for leg cramps. before buying it ask the pharmacist
about iut.