Muscle cramping

[p_town_mami]

Does anyone know of any good medicine (whether traditional, modern, or whatever) for muscle cramping while sleeping? My leg muscles and back muscles cramp a lot when I sleep and it's so painful, I wake up screaming and my family thinks someone's murdering me. Anyway, they're so painful that my muscles then hurt for the next couple days...driving me nuts. I heard potassium (i.e. bananas) are good for it but I don't eat bananas in my sleep!

[~pathwalker~]

Ya, i was gonna say potas too but also look into the med section at pharmacy, they have something for that there... I used to get that too when I was competive skater....potas does help, one banana a day...

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

...AND LOTS OF WATER...AND COLD FEET CAN CAUSE CALF CRAMPING...THATS WHAT MY MOMMA TOLD ME..LOL..HMM MAYBE WEAR TOE SOCK

[p_town_mami]

Do you know what causes it? Or have any ideas? I work out a lot, and am a very strong chick with lots of muscle, but I don't know if the working out is adding to it or what. I noticed that I start to cramp up a lot during powwow season too so I don't know...anyway thanks!

[p_town_mami]

...AND LOTS OF WATER...AND COLD FEET CAN CAUSE CALF CRAMPING...THATS WHAT MY MOMMA TOLD ME..LOL..HMM MAYBE WEAR TOE SOCK

Good lord...I cannot wear socks! I hate socks! LMAO...my feet are my body regulator...if my feet are hot, then I'm hot. And my feet are hot more often than not. I can't even sleep with them covered up cuz then they get hot! LOL...I don't know though...I'll give it a shot tho...maybe a toe sock will help! LOL

[~pathwalker~]

Diet Dairy Products Avoidance There is some information suggesting that milk may make leg cramps worse due to an underlying calcium deficiency. Milk does not make a good calcium replacement source because of the amount of phosphorus it contains.

Pregnant women and others who get legs cramps due to low calcium levels should reduce milk intake, because drinking milk does not correct the underlying imbalances in calcium and phosphorus. The most common cause of nocturnal leg cramps is calcium deficiency. Non-phosphate containing calcium supplements should be used if low calcium is suspected. However, some people are helped by taking milk before bed.

One person writes that "Both my son and I have severe nocturnal leg cramps if we eat cheese, milk,,etc. Even the 'hidden' lactose added to sweetened sausages has this effect…"


Drug
GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate) An IND (Investigational New Drug Application) has been filed with the FDA for GHB's proposed action on reducing nocturnal myoclonus (painful leg cramps at night).


Habits
Aerobic Exercise Exercise, such as riding a stationary bicycle for a few minutes before bedtime, can help prevent cramps from developing during the night, especially if you do not get a lot of exercise during the day.


Mineral
Calcium Both calcium and magnesium are involved in relaxing nerve impulses and regulating muscle activity. Calcium is needed to contract the muscle, and magnesium is needed to relax it. An imbalance in this dynamic duo can irritate and confuse the muscle.


Oxygen / Oxidative Therapies
Oxygen There are some reports that muscle cramps at night may be associated with shallow breathing, or the oxygen depravation from sleep apnea. Try taking several deep breaths at the first sign of cramping to see if more oxygen helps.


Physical Medicine
Hydrotherapy

Vitamins
Vitamin E Nocturnal leg cramping often responds to 400-800iu of vitamin E per day. In one of the largest studies, 103 of 125 people who had been experiencing leg and foot cramps at night reported relief after taking vitamin E. A daily dose of 300iu was effective for half of the participants, while the others required 400iu or more for relief.

Vitamin D Here is the story of one man's journey to find an answer for his night time leg cramps:

'I need to tell you about my quest for nocturnal leg cramp relief and how I achieved it. I am a healthy 60 year old male who five years ago, was being treated for hypertension. The doctors were giving me medicines to treat this and then a heart specialist put me on some kind of diuretic. I don't remember the name of it but it was a small white pill.

I think this caused some type of electrolytic imbalance because not more than two weeks into this treatment I started being awakened in the early mornings (4AM) by painful calf cramping. I was also having cramps in the arch of my feet. It was so bad that I had to jump out of bed and walk around the bedroom for relief. Even quiting the treatment didn't cure the cramping.

These are not the kind of fatigue cramps that I've had in my large muscles, such as thigh or hamstring which can be cured with quinine sulfate tablets, these come right out of the blue and are very strong. The GP doctors that I complained to kind of poo poo'ed my problem and told me I should get plenty of potassium and calcium etc. I loaded up on these minerals (calcium, magnesium, and potassium) and it reduced the problem by about 20%.

This went on for YEARS before I told a co-worker about this problem and he said "Oh, You need vitamin D". I started taking a 400IU vitamin D pill daily along with a Calcium tablet and IMMEDIATELY stopped having these nightly cramps. I think this cure is remarkable and have never seen this reported in any article about leg cramps and hoping that I am telling the right people. Someone should launch a study on this." Barry M.

found this....

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

YA ATHLETIC PPL HAVE MORE CRAMPS THAN US LAZY ASSS PPL

[p_town_mami]

LOL @ Lazy assss ppl!

yeah PW thanks for the info! My chirpractor just put me on a multivitamin and told me I had to quit dairy and wheat, for that same reason about calcuim thing etc. Anyway, I'll have to ask him if this mutlivitamin has enuff of E and D or if I should take an extra set of those.

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

TOO MUCH VIT E IS BAD 4 UR HEART....YA CUS IMMA KNOW-IT-ALL EH

[p_town_mami]

Dammitall then! Guess I'll do what my gramps always used to say: Just take me out back and shoot me! Then I won't have to worry about the cramps, the back pain, and beating red-headed b*tches azzes!

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

LOL GEEZ....MY BACK HAS BOTHERED ME TOO SINCE I HAD MY LAST KID...CANT EVEN SLEEP ON IT ANYMORE....WELL COULD BE CUS I HAVE BIG BOOBS TOO HAVE U TRIED ACUPUNTURE OR MASSAGE THERAPY?

[p_town_mami]

Haven't tried acupuncture but will...massage therapy no way. My tissue is real sensitive...even a regular massage hurts me. But yeah my docs have got me trying all kinds of $hit I NEVER thought I'd catch myself doing but it has just gotten to that point where I'll go see a witch doctor and do some voodoo or sell my soul to the devil to get rid of it! LOL

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

i know the feeling..lol...but i dont know any witch dr's and they arent listed in the yellow pages

[musicedu77]

i get that every once in great while especially during the winter...i use hot towels and wrap them around my leg...i also try heating pads and hot baths with relaxing salts in it...the point is to relax the pain...i also try rubbing it if all else fails to get the blood flowing...

[MariaMaria]

Leg Cramp Relief

Straight from Marathoner Hal Higdon AND "Runners World Magazine"...8 ounces of Tonic Water before bedtime. I tried it and it works! I recommend it to everyone. Tonic Water contains quinine. Doesn't taste real good, but highly effective. If I have an especially hard workout and I think I might have leg cramps, I drink my 8 oz. and I'm good.