Cramp !

[paris]

Has anyone got any good ideas for releaving cramp. Im being woken up in the night ( last 3 nights ) and as its in both legs i cant stand up , boy does it hurt. The following day i can hardly walk as it feels like ive been kicked by a horse ( yes i have been lol ) It feels like its going to go into a cramp again at any time. HELP Jan x

[marylund2323]

i cant really help out on that one even though i do get it myself all the time....some idiot once told me that if you walk when you have leg cramps it will go away.....that person lied it just hurts like hell.....my advice is to lay there and wait it out

[jim112233]

Try eating a banana before bed it helps you sleep and helps stop cramps doc told me that when i was preggers as i got em real bad at night

[SJR]

A friend of mine suffers from cramps the whole time and finds that drinking Tonic Water daily helps! She seems to find it helps.

[bluelady]

you can get quinine tabs from e doctor, but i have also read that if you drink tonic water that helps as it contains quinine. It has helped me and i get real painful cramps.

[Angela]

A friend of mine suffers from cramps the whole time and finds that drinking Tonic Water daily helps! She seems to find it helps.

I think that would be the quinine in tonic water, it is supposed to help cramps.

I only get cramp in my left leg thankfully, usually at night - if I can manage to hop to a cold floor and put my left leg down on that, it does get better in time, but I agree, it's soooo painful.

I've heard that it can be caused by being dehydrated and/or a shortage of salt or minerals such as potassium...don't know if there's any truth in that though.

[bluelady]

I think that would be the quinine in tonic water, it is supposed to help cramps.

I only get cramp in my left leg thankfully, usually at night - if I can manage to hop to a cold floor and put my left leg down on that, it does get better in time, but I agree, it's soooo painful.

I've heard that it can be caused by being dehydrated and/or a shortage of salt or minerals such as potassium...don't know if there's any truth in that though.

aye theres truth in that, i forgot to mention that, also poor circulation

[dook]

Lots of potassium in bananas hence previous posting.

[Angela]

Lots of potassium in bananas hence previous posting.

That's true. Wonder if that's partly why you see tennis players tucking into them so often?

No good to me, sadly, I'm allergic to bananas....

[Metalattakk]

If you get cramp in the back of the leg, the best thing to do is to straighten the leg (locking the knee) and pull your toes up towards your chin, as far as they'll stretch. While doing this, you should be breathing deeply.

This opens the blood flow to the affected area, and the increased oxygen in the blood can get there quickly.

[helenwyler]

Hello Paris Yep, quinine's the thing to take.
My sister-in-law is a GP in Stirling and she's told me about this and uses it herself.

Apparently it used to be used to treat malaria, and is also a good analgesic and anti-inflammatory treatment. Good excuse for a gin 'n tonic or two!

[bluelady]

That's true. Wonder if that's partly why you see tennis players tucking into them so often?

No good to me, sadly, I'm allergic to bananas....

och well you just have to settle for lots of Gin and Tonics then Angela - Hic

[Ricco]

Hi, Paris

As a kid I used to get cramps all the time - had to take quinine sulphate tablets. Don'y know if you can still get them. Don't waste your money on Crampex, or Crampese (can't remember what its called) - total waste of time. I still get some cramps - try drinking a glass of water before you go to bed, cut back on the booze a little (makes cramp more likely) and I sometimes find a lick of salt helps with a particularly bad spell. It IS better to get out of bed and try to stretch the cramp out but, yes, it does hurt like hell to begin with.

[horseman]

Hi, Paris

As a kid I used to get cramps all the time - had to take quinine sulphate tablets. Don'y know if you can still get them. Don't waste your money on Crampex, or Crampese (can't remember what its called) - total waste of time. I still get some cramps - try drinking a glass of water before you go to bed, cut back on the booze a little (makes cramp more likely) and I sometimes find a lick of salt helps with a particularly bad spell. It IS better to get out of bed and try to stretch the cramp out but, yes, it does hurt like hell to begin with.

Some o your bits I like,an some I'm no so keen on,

[katarina]

I get them too. sometimes standing on cold floor does no good at all. At these times having a hot bath seems to be the only relief I get. tonic water also helps, also stretching the muscles before you go to bed. Stand about a foot away from the wall. With feet kept flat on the floor, and legs straight, lean untill your chest is against the wall, you should really feel the muscles in the back of your legs. then do press ups against the wall. if this doesn't work increase them.

[htwood]

I used to get leg cramps in the night, espec after scottish dance class. My doc said low levels of certain minerals known as electrolytes—magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium—are linked to leg cramps. I was taking a handful of supplements before bed, then I saw Sassy drinking Gatorade during dance class, which has all those electrolytes in it. She's way ahead of me lol
Doc also said to keep the blankets at the end of bed really loose, so there's no pressure on your feet, which can twist your leg into odd stretches.
good luck, nothing worse that leaping out of bed in pain.

[porshiepoo]

I get them all the time Paris, mainly in my calf. If you're getting them in your calf then the only sure way I know of is to stretch the foot. Try to point your toes to the ceiling as far back as you can. Imagine when you were horse riding and you had to push your heels down and toes up? Same thing!
It really does work!!!

[paris]

Thanks all for your suggestions , hope it doesnt happen again tonight as im feeling really old today what with walking as if ive been hit by a bus. jan x

[rfr10]

Haven't read the suggestions already but-

1. Drink warm water with a little salt.

2. Eat a banana (the potassium in the banana helps prevent cramp)

3. Put the leg with out cramp in front of you and the leg with cramp behind you. Put the toe area of the foot of the leg with cramp so that it is the only surface of the feet which is touching the ground and then push back on that foot for a short while and it should help.

4. Sit down, raise your leg and then move your foot back and forth vertically. You should feel the muscles in your leg streching.

5. To prevent it. Every morning or when you have been sitting down for a while. Get up and stretch your legs.

[©Amethyst]

Thanks all for your suggestions , hope it doesnt happen again tonight as im feeling really old today what with walking as if ive been hit by a bus. jan x

Don't know your age, but don't say that you're feeling old... if it's due to lack of sleep because of the cramps - hope you get good sleep, too.

I know this page is for excersise induced cramps>> http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_informa...ng/cramps.html

I can recommend the ice one - although I just get my partner to grab the frozen peas out the freezer as it saves fumbling with ice cube tray lol.