Cramping my style

Thankyou, soooobored. I rarely get enough sleep (maximum six hours at present) so, that is certainly something to monitor and consider. Sleep hadn't even occurred to me. Strange thing is, I often get leg cramps while I AM asleep, though lately, they have come on when I have been awake and either sitting or driving. I think I'll keep a diary of when they occur so I can monitor them and try to see why they are happening and will definitely factor sleep into it now that you have mentioned that.

Thank you for the advice guybrush. Strangely, a GP did suggest camphor to me at one point and I tried it but didn't get any relief. It must work for some people though or it wouldn't be a tried and true remedy. It WAS terrifying having foot cramp while driving as I was basically driving with my big toe since the rest of my foot didn't work and it was agonising. I had a laugh at the support stockings. While I am probably in the age group that someone would expect to wear support stockings (and drive a Datsun and listen to jazz?), I am not a stocking wearer and that is something I would consider someone in my mother's age group doing. Maybe it is time that I accepted that my body is ageing and failing. Nah, there has to be another way.

Hahahahaaha - yep, there MUST be something better than support stockings! I'm a dag, but even I haven't worn a pair of stockings since about 1963! Best to up the potassium intake, I suppose. Narnies, anyone?

Sounds like I will have to eat more bananas. Thanks for that tip, guybrush.

Yeah I will experience major charlie horses or the one where my toe will kind of decide to move to one side and cause horrible pain . I eat yogurt, or other things with potassium. It definitely helps . Since I have been eating yogurt with my morning breakfast routine I have not experienced another crap yet . It has been about two months and that is a very long time for me not to have any cramps at all . I hope this gets better for you, I know it is horrible and when you are driving it could be dangerous.

Thanks Moonlitmagikchild. I didn't know potassium helped. Something else to add to my list. I do love bananas and have been craving them lately so, maybe that is why? I will have to up the intake of banana sandwiches.

Thanks for the tip, I love bananas and didn't know either that they helped cramp, I do a lot of training at the gym and suffer from cramp regularly and I also have enough salt in my diet even though a lose a lot from sweating, so I will endeavour to eat more bananas, I think sleep is also an important part of helping cramp as well as a comfortable bed to sleep in.

Moonlit and wolfie, bananas really do seem to help. I have been eating more of them and haven't had any severe cramps lately. You could be right about sleep, wolfie, but I don't get too much of that so, I'll probably never know.

I must admit that I am very bad at going to doctors. I haven't been to one for so long that I would have to take a huge list of problems to discuss. Hopefully a myLotter will be able to tell me something that will help.

Yes that you get some answers and you are able to get a little comfort too from the pain will cross my fingers for you.

Sorry to hear that you suffer from the dreaded cramps too, Anomalie. You could be on to something with water as I drink endless cups of tea but rarely drink water on it's own. I will start drinking more water and see if that helps. Thank you.

Lexus, it must have been dreadful getting a cramp in the middle of a C-section and not being able to do anything about it. I am scared to stretch my toes because even that seems to set my foot cramps off but potassium and drinking water seem to be coming up a bit so, I will definitely give them a try. Thank you for the suggestions.

There sure are a lot of us who suffer from cramps! Cold is something I hadn't considered either. I will add that to my list of things to monitor.

I haven't tried potassium, patricia but it seems to be a popular idea so I will definitely give it a try. Warming up the muscles is a great idea too. Thank you.

You are so welcome hope you feel better soon!

I have eaten tons of banana, taken potasiums pills, eatten tons of beans for the potasium, drink milk for the benefits, I've had tons of salt on fruits several times a day. I've treid everything for months on end on a daily basis, several times a day. The only thing that helped is the Zanaflex.
It feels like a severe charlie horse that expans and will not go away, when you get it gone, it comes right back with a vegence. I've had them when driving and had to pull over on the side of the road and get out of the car in agonizing pain. This is a serious pain that does not want to go away. It feels like the muscles are contorting and rearanging themselves.

Hi moondancer. It sounds like your cramps are as severe or even moreso than mine. It is a shame potassium didn't work for you because I was starting to think it might be the answer. I will Google Zanaflex. It certainbly sounds like it is the only thing that helps you. Thank you for the suggestion. I will certainly let you know if I discover another remedy.

thank you my friend. I'm also reading all replies you get.

Moondancer, I have hit on a remedy and haven't had a muscle cramp since I started using it. In my case, the answer was magnesium. Taking one capsule a day has stopped my cramps and made me feel so much better in other ways too. Here is the link in case you want to read up on it. http://www.ctds.info/5_13... it works for you too.

Thank you so much, and I have to been trying to use ordinary things, just everyday things to try ad stop mine. It's something that I came here today to let you know that while I was having severe pain and my whole bottom left leg was in a huge cramp that the whole muscle group was tight as a stone. I have found that using salt got rid of it in a minute or two. Nothing else worked.
I discovered this while using a couple of potato chips to make other pills go down as pills get stuck in my throat.
I thought well, which one was it the pill or the salt of the chips. So I have been trying salt, just table salt I use on my food. It has been a miracle for me and last night was the clincher. With that really bad cramp that has happened 3 nights in a row. I have used salt. Of course neeing something to drink after putting salt in my mouth.
Thank you so much for your suggestion and I will check it out. I don't know why salt is helping me. I don't think I need salt in my body because I use it on most foods, in small amounts. Plus I eat plain chips for upset stomach.
I have no idea.

Fantastic that we have both found something that helps us, moondancer. Fancy yours being as simple as salt! That is terrific. If you are still having cramps that salt then takes away, perhaps you could add some magnesium rich foods to see if it stops them altogether. Pumpkin, spinach and peanuts are all high in magnesium. I am going to complete this bottle of magnesium tablets to get my levels up and then see if the dietary changes alone keep my cramps away.

Yes, I know it's really odd isn't it that something so simple works. I checked out that site you sent to me and I have many of the problems it said it helps with in addition to the cramping. I will add the magnesium to my diet too. I'll do as you and start out with tablets and then eat as much as I can with it in it.
Thank you so much for that tid-bit of info, so enlightening and it will be great for all ailments.

You are very welcome, moondancer. Please let me know how you go. Like you, I have several of the other ailments on the list, which is why I think my problem may have been magnesium deficiency. Amazing how quickly the magnesium seems to have helped me. I hope it does the same for you.

I haven't tried any homeopathic remedies, cher, but, yes, there is a health food store nearby. I have only just started my research. Thank you for your suggestions.