Nocturnal Leg Cramps Sucks
Posted by Cap on May 10, 2007 |I usually leave these random rantings for a Sunday post, but I just woke up in the middle of the night with a very, very, painful leg cramp (I was dehydrated too so that made it worse).
Had I been in a pool instead of my bed, I am 92% positive I would have drowned. It’s a good thing I don’t swim while I sleep.
It’s also been a long time since I’ve had a muscle cramp in my calves, and I believe this is the first time for it to happen while I was asleep. Ow.
31 Comments to “Nocturnal Leg Cramps Sucks”
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May 10th, 2007 at 5:38 am
You probably got the cramp BECAUSE you were dehydrated, I used to get these at night after working out but not drinking enough water. Drink more water fool. Or, start swimming when you sleep and drink as you go. :)
May 10th, 2007 at 6:44 am
I used to get this quite a lot during the night, paticualy on nights I had been drinking alcohol, which could be the same as then being dehydrated. Don’t seem to get it as much nowadays luckily.
May 10th, 2007 at 6:51 am
Oh god, that is the worst pain EVER!! I’ve had it before and it’s always in my LEFT calf. Weird huh? Waking up to that kind of pain is dreadful. Makes you wanna slap the first person you see. Ouch!
LOL @ swimming while sleep.
May 10th, 2007 at 7:19 am
There’s no need to resort to violence, Single Ma. For better health and less leg cramps, chug water instead of sodas. I didn’t completely quit sodas. I been drinking nothin but water except juice and a soda (just one) every other day. I’ve been doing it since I had kidney stones 3 years ago and my health has improved greatly. My weight is in control and no stones! Plus no cramps even after I work out.
May 10th, 2007 at 7:48 am
I used to get calf cramps at night, but the weird thing was my doctor told me I was drinking TOO MUCH water. He told me to cut back and/or drink sports drinks. Damn electrolytes and nervous system…
May 10th, 2007 at 9:08 am
I have this same problem from time to time, so I’ll echo everyone else here and say check your fluids.
However, the best solution that worked for me came from my doctor. She suggested drinking a glass of tonic water before going to bed at night. It’s an easy and cheap solution because the trace amounts of Quinine work wonders on nocturnal leg cramps:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinine
The only brand I can tolerate drinking straight is Canada Dry’s “Tonic Water with Lime.” Otherwise, I mix it with a bit of orange juice.
May 10th, 2007 at 9:53 am
It’s just a sign that you are getting old. LOL
May 10th, 2007 at 10:27 am
I used to have this problem fairly often. When I started drinking Smart Water daily it stopped. Target and some grocery stores carry it as well as Whole Foods in case you wanna try it.
May 10th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Tonic water before bed, huh? Ok, I’ll try that.
LOL @ moneymonk
May 10th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
hah. I like how there’s no sympathy at all for my pain :P at first I was gonna mention that I felt like I’m getting old in the post too, but changed my mind.
glad to see that was pointed out too.
anyway I was extra dehydrated last night, so yeah that probably is it. I’ll gulp down a glass or two before I sleep. But not so much that I get water poisoning!
May 10th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Worst pain ever! That sucks!
May 10th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
I agree with #5 – my dad had leg cramps for years until he started drinking a bottle of gatorade at night. it’ll cure what ails ya.
May 11th, 2007 at 3:20 am
I’d get your calcium & potassium levels checked if they continue.
May 11th, 2007 at 6:55 am
Wow, we’ve turned this into a major health issue!
May 11th, 2007 at 8:40 am
There has been good advice on preventing the cramps, but here’s a quick fix if it happens anyway…point your toes down, toward the foot of your bed. It usually relieves the spasm for me.
May 11th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
ouch!
May 12th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I have to agree with the tonic water remedy. But I have found a simpler way to take the quinine. Hyland’s
make a leg cramp remedy in pill form. I take two at bedtime and no cramps! I have found them in health food stores and also Walgreens, in the pain medication section.
May 14th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Although all the advice above helps in preventing leg cramps, I’ve actually found that they go away much more quickly and are less severe if you place weight onto the cramping leg immediately. You don’t even have to stand, but just place your foot flat on something and push.
May 14th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Tonic works best mixed with gin.
Add a squeeze of lime juice, and call me in the morning.
May 16th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Is this really the latest update to a money blog? ;-)
May 16th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
haha, so true.
I bought lots of crap recently, so some of those post should show up soon.
when I got this cramp last week, I basically did opposite of what Ed suggested (since my foot was closing on its own), so I had to do what Kimble suggested and try to force it to point the other direction by standing on it and pushing it against the desk.
oh, I still remember the pain.
anyway, seems like a very common issue. totally off topic though. but since when have I been that much on-topic anyway.
May 16th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
drink a bottle of Wild Turkey, run 10 mi., and then start talkin about money again.
Go Spurs Go.
May 31st, 2007 at 1:23 pm
when you have a cramp again, no matter how silly you feel doing it, whether or not you believe me or you think it will work, try this:
with your thumb and forefinger (actually the knuckle of your bent forefinger), pinch the the dent right between your nose and your upper lip – don’t be shy – fold that upper lip right in half if you have to, and keep pinching without letting go until you feel the muscle relax. it works for me every time within about a minute. EVERY time. even though you feel stupid, who cares? you’re in bed, and no one can see you. so just try it.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I really hope some of these remedys work… i had THE WORST muscle cramp last night at 2 AM. Not only did I awake from a sound sleep but BOTH of my leg muscles cramped up and it lasted for 15 minutes. Needless to say, I was in a LOT of pain to the point where I couldn’t move because it hurt more when I tried.
February 9th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I’ve gotten leg cramps so bad that about 3 weeks ago, I finally had to call 911. It put me on the floor and I couldn’t get up and was in severe agony. I had drank 4 O’Douls (N/A). In the hospital they found my potassium was fine but my Calcium was low. They didn’t mention anything about my magnesium level. I had been on qualaquin (an offshoot of quinine) but it hasn’t helped anymore. Since then, I’ve been taking calcium (tums) and magnesium tablets. “Knock on wood” but I haven’t had a leg cramp since. And I drink a few beers with the guys after golf. So I’m keeping up the regimen for now and I’m trying to eat healthier.
From “No cramps” in Violet, LA.
August 5th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
I had agonizing leg cramps, did some online research and read a few blogs where people put a bar of soap in between their mattress and bottom sheet. When you’re desperate, you’ll try anything. I did it – and it’s helped enormously. I have no idea why, and neither do the doctors who’ve tried it with inexplicable success. If you’ve tried everything else – see if it works for you.
BTW… I was on vacation recently and neglected to put my couple of Caress bars under my sheets – I woke up howling in pain. Soap in – and slept like a baby – inspite of the fact that the leg cramp actually felt like it had bruised the muscle.
Good luck
September 20th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I too have leg pain . And still looking for help . Have had for years . Will get it at any time, day or night . Most of the time it is at night . And I do know when I am getting them and what leg . I get them in both legs . It will start in the toes and work into the foot and move up to the cafe and into my thigh and right into the inter groin . It will be so bad that I can not stand and it will be in both legs at the same time . Last night It happened again . My husband ask me if he should call 911 for help ? I said NO . I drink water all the time . Not to much at one time . The Dr. has me on Pot-Chloride Tablets 2x day . And pain pills will not work for this kind of pain . When I get up in the morning after one of these things . I have bruises on my thigh and groin . That is how bad the cramping gets . But when you can not stand on your feet , when this is going on . this is real bad . I am still looking for help . Hope some day I will find it . One day this happened when I was at work . Freeked out my boss and me . It took one hr for the cramps to leave .
June 10th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Yup – got them almost every night – tonic water at bed time cured it up! Haven’t had one since!
September 4th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Had leg cramps – bad – especially since I got my ankle fused … no way to pull them out except to stand up. With calf cramps – do NOT point your toe – that just increased the cramping. Do the opposite and try and pull your toes up towards your face. It hurts more for a few seconds and then eases. Besides tonic soda (with grape juice or it’s too strong) every night, you can squirt a blob of yellow mustard in your mouth during the cramp… ugh … but it works.
Going to try 911 CRAMP rub and see if it works. I have leg cramps (from toe to thigh) several times every night and will update this post if it does/does not work.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:54 pm
I had suffered from very severe night time leg cramps for years- my first step was to regularly ingest potassium, either in the form of bananas, V8 Juice or Coconut juice. That helped, but not totally (keep in mind, I always hydrate like crazy). Someone recommended Volcanic Mineral Refresher to me- it’s a (natural) mineral water from the west coast that is ultra rich in highly absorbable Magnesium. I did some research and found that, without magnesium, calcium will store itself in your muscles, joints, teeth, heart, etc…. but Magnesium delivers those deposits to your bones where they belong. Without Magnesium, people suffer from cramps, early arthritis, other (worse) stuff. Ever since I’ve been drinking this stuff the leg cramps have gone away and my energy level is higher. Not bad for $3.50-$4 a bottle. I definitely give it my endorsement. (I do happen to just enjoy drinking the stuff:) I think they’re based in Oregon…
June 23rd, 2012 at 5:25 pm
if you get cramps in your calfs…get up,lean against wall or dresser with your foot far behind you and push with your toes to stretch ou the calf…i’m going to try gatorade