Here in the past couple of months I have been getting occasional yet severe nighttime leg cramps. For some reason a random innocuous and seemingly harmless movement will sometimes bring on bad leg cramps on the inner thigh.
My problem is this, I don't want to go to a doctor and I don't want to go to WebMD because the inevitable prognosis from using WebMD will be a diagnosis of some horrible disease or ailment. I will leave WebMD convinced I have several forms or cancer and brain tumors and have 72 hours to live.
Does anybody here experience nighttime leg cramps and what have you found to alleviate them.
I take potassium tablets already.?ÿ
Try adding some extra calcium in your diet. I started eating bananas (2) daily and mine went away. ?????ÿ
Sure beats turkey trottin' around the bedroom in the middle of the night.
Drink more water, like a lot, 16-24 oz. before bed and avoid diuretics like beer. Or go see a doctor and pay a couple hundred bucks for him to tell you the same thing. Bananas are good too.?ÿ
@flga
I can say with absolute certainty that inner thigh cramps are far more painful than the more common ham string ones.
Hydrate yourself. I used to get charlie horses a lot. Started drinking 8+ glasses of water per day about a year ago. Can't remember the last time I experienced any cramps.
Drink more water, like a lot, 16-24 oz. before bed
If I drink that much before bed I'll be up 3 times to pee. I hope I'll be up because I'll definitely be peeing. Better to get that water in earlier in the day. But I agree about more water, generally.
Also, review things like your office chair, your truck seat, your shoes and boots. May be contributors. Causing you to overuse your thighs and underuse other muscles.?ÿ ?ÿ
All the other things are probably the best remedy, but in a pinch, sure doesn't hurt (no pun intended) to have some of these around. In our local store they are in with the homeopathic/organic stuff. In Walmart they are generally in the pharmacy area.
Here are three things that have helped me:
1. Drink a lot of water during the day, but of course stop a couple hours before bedtime.
2. ?ÿPut an ordinary bar of soap in a sock and tie it closed and toss that down between the sheets amongst my cramping leg region.
3. ?ÿYoga.
EDIT:
(4.?ÿ Ignore Jim from AZ when he comes along telling you to seek medical expertise).
Forced hydration has worked for me.
What is the result of employing item 2? What qualifies as ordinary soap? I have only extra ordinary soap. Always have.
JA, PLS SoCal
If you are diabetic it's best to pass on the bananas...
Besides stating well hydrated and eating bananas, apple vinegar, just a few table spoons before bed. ?ÿAn old trick from my commercial fishing days. It really works.
I can tell you what "cured" mine.?ÿ I was diagnosed as diabetic and when I got my blood glucose under control the cramps stopped.?ÿ What caused them was the constant urination which is one of the symptoms.?ÿ The urination depletes the electrolytes and causes the muscles and nerves to "malfunction".
It's probably not your cause, but I would get my blood sugar checked.?ÿ It takes about 10 seconds.
Andy
I can tell you what "cured" mine.?ÿ I was diagnosed as diabetic and when I got my blood glucose under control the cramps stopped.?ÿ What caused them was the constant urination which is one of the symptoms.?ÿ The urination depletes the electrolytes and causes the muscles and nerves to "malfunction".
It's probably not your cause, but I would get my blood sugar checked.?ÿ It takes about 10 seconds.
Andy
That can be a sign of a blockage in your arteries and stints would fix that is what a pulmonary specialist told a friend of mine recently.
I take medicine to lower my cholesterol and have been on Klonopin for a few years for severe head to toe muscle cramps.
Drinking excessive amounts of water does help.
Do you drink alcohol regularly?
If you are drinking large amounts of water, whether it is eliminated via sweat or the kidneys, you may want to use 10 or 20% of that as a sports drink like Gatorade with electrolytes.
Chocolate is leg cramp culprit for some. Eliminate that dish of ice cream just before bed.?ÿ I have had high blood pressure for decades and mitigate that with a little pill everyday.?ÿ As a result, my kidneys have misbehaved for about the same time because they tend to "spill" potassium which isn't good.?ÿ It wouldn't hurt to schedule a visit with your doctor about your wellbeing.?ÿ?ÿ
I was tormented by leg cramps - thighs, calves, hamstrings - so bad I couldn't negotiate our stairs.?ÿ They were worse after a day in the field, because I do not drink enough water to stay hydrated.
Someone said, "try a couple of shots of dill pickle juice".?ÿ I did, and it worked a treat.?ÿ Haven't had a cramp since.?ÿ 2 shots and a lot of water when I get in from the field.
After draining the brine from our resident jar of kosher dills, I got serious:
$14?ñ @ Amazon
YMMV
Better hydration and CALM - a magnesium supplement cured mine.
