# Severe leg cramps at night



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

This morning I had another severe cramp in my calf. I was screaming in pain as I fell out of bed and landed on my head. Now my neck is really messed up and painful.

My legs are in pretty good shape because I've been snowshoeing, x-c skiing and hiking all winter at least 2-3 per week. My calves are also the most flexible that they have been since I was a kid.

Is there any kind of boot that would prevent me from pointing my toes down in my sleep and triggering a cramp? Has anyone tried them?


----------



## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Magnesium and potassium solved the problem for me. It is pretty horrible to stretch and have a cramp.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Ditto above mineral advice and be sure you are drinking enough water.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I had a bowl of oatmeal and a banana last night before bed. I probably could drink more water and maybe stretch before bed time. I should probably restart taking multi-vitamins again and see if that helps.

It looks like a boot of sorts would prevent me from extending my toes in my sleep. I sometimes get a cramp while watching TV if I stretch my toes but I'm awake so I can catch it in time to stop it from turning into a full blown cramp.


----------



## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

The boot will not solve the problem in my opinion. It just puts off the problem. You are mineral deficient. The cramps will happen any time of day if you don't solve that problem. You can also do an Epson salt soak every night instead of the magnesium. If I don't take my mag and pot for three days, it comes right back.


----------



## Gabesgram75 (Jun 20, 2016)

Have hand, arm,leg cramps frequently & have had them for many years. The only things I have found that help is potassium & magnesium daily, you need more of these than you can get from a single banana. 

At least 64 oz of water daily, and if the cramp is severe, drink an 8 oz bottle of tonic water with quinine. Doctors used to be able to prescribe quinine pills for cramps, but the tonic water works just as well.

Rubbing the cramped area with something like Ben-Gay helps, I think it is the heat that is generated.

As far as I know, there is no boot , which would be uncomfortable to sleep in,I would think, or brace, etc that will prevent cramps. 

Good luck


----------



## Hoopy Frood (Mar 2, 2018)

Ditto what everyone has said: Potassium and magnesium and plenty of drinking water. That is the only thing to cure cramps. 

I've dealt with cramps for years even though I've a very active person. I also have had to deal with heart palpitations for years as well. And the solution for palpitations is exactly the same! Maintain good hydration and make sure you aren't deficient in those minerals.

I used to have to take one supplement of each every day. I've learned to adjust my diet. Now it's only about once a month that I need to take supplements.

Keep enjoying your activities and massage if that helps, too. Hopefully a little supplement and an extra glass of water before bed will cure what ails ya! Better to have to wake up to go to the bathroom than repeat how you woke up this morning, right?


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I just got the results of today's blood test. My potassium and magnesium are normal.

I'm going to start drinking more water and make sure to stretch every night before going to bed. It just seems strange because my calf muscles are toned and flexible. I'm thinking it's low water since I sometimes go all day without drinking any.


----------



## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Leg cramps always seem to act up for me in the spring and the fall.


----------



## Hoopy Frood (Mar 2, 2018)

fishhead said:


> I just got the results of today's blood test. My potassium and magnesium are normal.
> 
> I'm going to start drinking more water and make sure to stretch every night before going to bed. It just seems strange because my calf muscles are toned and flexible. I'm thinking it's low water since I sometimes go all day without drinking any.


Wow! Yeah, definitely try drinking a little (lot) more water, hopefully it helps you feel tip top


----------



## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

fishhead, There's a kind of "sock" to wear to sleep, you can buy on-line or in a regular pharmacy, to use against Plantar faciatis which is a severe cramp in your foot. I had leg cramps for years, do the minerals and extra water, then the cramps moved into the feet...much more severe. Am trying the sock myself...Also, a normal range mineral test is not always conclusive, as normal can be pretty varied...


----------



## Hoopy Frood (Mar 2, 2018)

ldc said:


> fishhead, There's a kind of "sock" to wear to sleep, you can buy on-line or in a regular pharmacy, to use against Plantar faciatis which is a severe cramp in your foot. I had leg cramps for years, do the minerals and extra water, then the cramps moved into the feet...much more severe. Am trying the sock myself...Also, a normal range mineral test is not always conclusive, as normal can be pretty varied...


Oh those ARE the worst! I dealt with that a lot last year went I spent a huge amount of my waking hours on ladders for months on end.

A friend of mine that ran marathons showed me a trick that really helped me. He used tennis balls, but I used a lacrosse ball to great effect. I'd just "roll out" my feet on the lacross ball once or twice each morning and again once or twice each evening. Hurt like a mofo. But if I skipped a day it... oh man... It was BAD. 

Just throwing that out there in case it might help someone


----------



## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

don't forget to get eat a lot of salt. You have been active in the winter months but you still sweat.


----------



## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

An interesting and timely thread. Like most people, I've had the odd bout of cramp over the years, usually in the legs but also around the sternum and hands. Nothing too major. However, in the last 6 months or so, leg cramps have become a bit of a problem and like fishhead, it seems to be associated with bed and pointing the foot downwards. That has started to change though in that I can be kneeling in which case the top of the foot is flat on the floor/ground in the same way as it would be when pointing downwards in bed, and bang, I'm cramped. It can be on the floor brushing the cat or in the garden weeding the carrots - either way it's damned painful. 

Magnesium and potassium are where they should be and I don't feel inclined to take something for the sake of it. The reality is that nobody really knows what causes cramp. As a matter of interest, and don't say if you don't wish to, but what is the age of those experiencing the problem. I'm 66 and I have a gut feeling it's more age related than anything else.

I don't care where I am when it happens or how stupid I might look but I've found how to stop it when it comes on - and I do get a bit of warning. Grab my foot and pull it upwards as far as I can, at the same time bending the knee and pulling the leg up to the chin as far as I can possibly get it. I did it once in the supermarket, hanging on the trolley with one hand and pulling my knee up to my chin with the other. An older woman walked by and said you've got cramp haven't you? So, not an uncommon problem. 

I have no cure to offer but interesting to know that I'm not alone and it would appear to be a very common complaint. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


----------



## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I started having cramps 5 years ago. My magnesium and potassium are normal. Guess what I need more. My young body did fine with those levels. My older body need a bit extra. It sure can't hurt to try. I am happy not to wake up in the middle of the night wanting to scream. My husband appreciated it as well.


----------



## Darren (May 10, 2002)

fishhead said:


> I just got the results of today's blood test. My potassium and magnesium are normal.
> 
> I'm going to start drinking more water and make sure to stretch every night before going to bed. It just seems strange because my calf muscles are toned and flexible. I'm thinking it's low water since I sometimes go all day without drinking any.


Those are blood levels. IIRC, that doesn't say anything about cellular levels in the muscles. Try the Epson salt soak painterswife suggested.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Ronney said:


> An interesting and timely thread. Like most people, I've had the odd bout of cramp over the years, usually in the legs but also around the sternum and hands. Nothing too major. However, in the last 6 months or so, leg cramps have become a bit of a problem and like fishhead, it seems to be associated with bed and pointing the foot downwards. That has started to change though in that I can be kneeling in which case the top of the foot is flat on the floor/ground in the same way as it would be when pointing downwards in bed, and bang, I'm cramped. It can be on the floor brushing the cat or in the garden weeding the carrots - either way it's damned painful.
> 
> Magnesium and potassium are where they should be and I don't feel inclined to take something for the sake of it. The reality is that nobody really knows what causes cramp. As a matter of interest, and don't say if you don't wish to, but what is the age of those experiencing the problem. I'm 66 and I have a gut feeling it's more age related than anything else.
> 
> ...


I'm 64. In the last few years I've experienced sudden cramps in my feet if I sit on them with the sole of my foot facing upward. I have to quickly get out of that position but if I'm careful and go slowly I can sit on my feet.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

ldc said:


> fishhead, There's a kind of "sock" to wear to sleep, you can buy on-line or in a regular pharmacy, to use against Plantar faciatis which is a severe cramp in your foot. I had leg cramps for years, do the minerals and extra water, then the cramps moved into the feet...much more severe. Am trying the sock myself...Also, a normal range mineral test is not always conclusive, as normal can be pretty varied...


I contacted a local medical supply company and they have what you described. The starting prices is $70. If the extra water doesn't solve the problem that may be my next step.


----------



## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

Have you had a look at your calcium levels? How is your daily calcium intake? Got milk? Eat sardines, herring or mackerel? You need your omega 3 every day anyway to balance out your omega 6. You don't have to have whole body tetany to be considered low in calcium. Serum calcium can be normal while your ionized calcium (what really matters) can be very low, causing the cramps. It may start with cramps in feet, then hands or vice versa. Eventually it will happen to both, sometimes at the same time. One of the causes of carpopedal spasm is caused by low calcium. Again, if it's calcium, just a few days of starting to up your intake of calcium will put it to rest. Unless you choose unfiltered tap, spring or mineral water, extra water intake like purified will just dilute/flush already low calcium levels and make it worse, if that's what it is. If your doctor won't check your ionized calcium (some won't listen to the patient), you can use a service like *Ulta Lab Tests* (online) to check your own levels. I've used them several times already and they make it very easy to get your blood drawn and see the results online. You use a local PCP office or other local Quest Lab to take blood, included in their price. I woke up to excruciating spasms almost every morning for a week or so, especially in the top of my feet. Those where you wake up screaming in pain. My serum calcium was fine, but ionized calcium was subnormal. A few days of drinking an extra cup of milk a day and eating more fatty fish every week stopped it for good. I don't miss that at all. Hope you find out the cause soon.


----------



## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Think about it fellow cramp sufferers. What time of the year do you have the worse cramps? Is it chemical, electrical or mechanical?


----------



## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Hello fellow cramp sufferers. How are we doing - haha because we are probably still dealing with it no matter what.

I got woken at some ungodly hour this morning with a cramp doing it's best on the outside of left leg. While I was bending my foot upwards, knee banging on my chin and the cat sent flying, it dawned on me this was the first cramp I'd had since I'd posted and they did actually come in bouts of maybe a week or so and then give up for a while before coming again. So why do they come and go - anybody else find this?

I did some research after first posting and came up with very little that I didn't already know - at the end of the day nobody can say what causes them and they tend to occur in older people. Magnesium, potassium, calcium tends to be anecdotal and while it might work for some, there is no evidence that is what is the problem. 

Just to push it out a little further, I also get cramp in the sternum area. Nothing like as painful as the legs but still extremely uncomfortable and renders me pretty useless until it passes.

Cheers,
Ronnie


----------



## Murby (May 24, 2016)

If you are older and taking medication related to your cardiovascular system, go pick up a bottle of CoQ10. Some blood pressure meds, cholesterol blockers, and beta blockers, can strip your body of its naturally occurring CoQ10. 

You can usually find it on any drug store shelf. Take one pill per day for the first week, then taper down to two per week.

It worked wonders for me. I've been able to fine tune my intake of it. Before the hard cramps set in, I get little tiny warning cramps in my calves that tell me its time to take another dose. Then I'm good again for a week to 10 days or so.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Well so far no more runaway cramps. I still feel the twitching of a future cramp but am able to prevent it. I've started doing the stretching exercises again. They stretch the whole tendon from the toes to the back of the knee. I'm still trying Amish cramp remedy. It doesn't do everything it says for me but we'll see how it does if I get another one of those awful cramps. So far my theory is that I stretched my calves a lot and then stopped stretching. That may have left some muscles more limber than others and they fight.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

One thing that I've learned is that I was not drinking enough water for my gut to function normally. It works much better now.


----------



## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

What type of water? Spring, tap, purified?


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Dihydrogen monoxide.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

How Do I said:


> What type of water? Spring, tap, purified?


Well water


----------



## 1948CaseVAI (May 12, 2014)

Hydration took care of my muscle cramp problems.


----------



## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

You know when you start feelin' a tad dry 9 AM then push it another couple hours before takin' time for a drink you will have the 1 AM wake up call.


----------



## JeffreyD (Dec 27, 2006)

My wife used to get leg cramps all the time. Now she takes a swig of pickle juice. I can see a difference in less than a minute! maybe the vinegar. She swears by it now and she's getting full nights sleep with no issues during the day! ymmv


----------



## timMe (Mar 28, 2018)

JeffreyD said:


> My wife used to get leg cramps all the time. Now she takes a swig of pickle juice. I can see a difference in less than a minute! maybe the vinegar. She swears by it now and she's getting full nights sleep with no issues during the day! ymmv


There you go, or a tablespoon of Mustard and eat more banana's..


----------



## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

There is much good information here regarding mineral deficiencies, which generally the cause, so I won't belabor the point, but I have found that the toe pointed stretch is generally induced by my feet or legs getting cold, so keeping them covered and warm stops the immediate trigger.


----------

