leg cramps

My husband used to get those a lot. He says it is a potassium deficency. He did stop getting those cramps when he started eating a banana every day, so maybe he is on to something there?

My Dr. is really really good.. He told me to start eating a banana when ever I had foot or leg cramps. It was due to my not having enough potassium in my diet. I've eatan a banana every third day since he told me this & I have never had another cramp while sleeping or awake!!Try it you'll see the difference!!Lori

Charley Horses. I used to get them so bad. I started eating a banana a day. They (charley horses) are caused, I believe, by a lack of potassium. A good way to get rid of them at the moment (like you can remember LOL) is to pull the tip of your foot, by the toes towards your head while sitting down. It stretches the calf muscle. Stay that way until the cramp eases. As much as this technique hurts at the time, it does eventually ease the cramp.

Hope this helps you.

Eww I am sorry, I only got those when I was pregnant. I also think it may be due to a lack of potassium which you can get from bananas. You may want to get that tested.

I used to get them a LOT in my right calf when I was on the low carb eating plan. With daily multi vitamins, including extra potassium, I wouldn't get the leg cramps nearly as much.

However, it turned out, that it was a blood clot in my leg. I am now on warfarin, and no matter what I eat or do exercise wise, I don't get those leg cramps anymore at all.

When I did get the cramps, the best way for me to deal with them was to walk them off. When I was lucky, I would wake up before it set in, and could jump out of bed and pretty much stop it before it really started.

Hi Patsie,

Thankfully not often.

I have 2 suggestions you may wish to consider.

#1: Try those UNO salt. I heard that insufficient salt may cause the cramps you described. I know you mentioned you might have too much salt so I am confused...

#2: Try stretching. I think this will help you. Stretching is regardless of age. In fact, the older one gets, the more one should stretch.

If you are not sure how to stretch, just run a search for it - lotsa help there - http://www.google.com/sea... .

I do get them - I try to stretch them out... which is fine for the calves and bottom of the feet - but when they are in the big toe it really hurts and I can not stretch it out.... I can not force the toe down... I usually elicit the help of my husband to massage it.

I also get them in my abdomen and find those to be excruciating.

my father got them all the time, and in the most unlikely places - like his cheek or his shoulder.

I think your son is correct that it could be a missing mineral or vitamin in the body - but it also could be indicative of a medical problem such as a blood disorder or enlarged spleen...

I think the missing element may be zinc or magnesium I don't know why I think this - I must have heard it somewhere.

Yeah, I get them because I'm pregnant, before I would only get them if I went swimming for awhile.
People told me it was because I wasnt drinking enough water and because I needed to eat bananas more haha.

What do I do? I wake up like moaning/low crying because it usually happeneds during the night and I don't like waking my husband up but every time it never fails. he wakes up and like half trys to rub my leg. Doesnt help usually until the cramp has already passed.

But anyways! Good luck! - I drink a ton of water a day and it still happeneds. try stretching your legs more? maybe that will help. I'm going to try that too:)

Hatley.. i wish i could have seen this topic long time before.. as i would have got the answer.. for my frequent leg cramps..

Though, not in night i get the cramps, but it slowly develops at dusk.
I used to put a crepe around my legs..and will take some pain killers.

And now the exact reason.. i have found.. "Not drinking enough water. mostly i intake less amount of water.. in a day..less than 2 liters of water.. and this is the culprit for my sufferings all these days..

Thanks a lot for enlightening me.. on my leg cramps.

I do not get leg cramps very often anymore. I used to get them a lot more often when I was younger. It seems like every time I get a leg cramp I have been asleep and I wake up with one. I have to get out of bed and walk around on my leg for a minute or two to get them to go away. What is the worst to me is when I get a toe cramp. I got one of those a month or so ago and I had dropped cans of soup my toe the day before, so I could not even bend my toes to help it go away. I am guilty of not drink in enough water and consuming too much salt. I am surprised that I do not get them more often than I do.