Leg cramps anyone?

[1sttimer]

I've suffed from nighttime leg cramps for a number of years and am taking Quinine Sulphate 500g. They work well for the majority of time, but every now and then I still suffer very painfully with cramp, making me lose sleep and disturbing my OH sleep also. I took a double dose (shouldn't of I know:eek: ) and ended up feeling nausous (sp?), so don't want to do that again!

Does anyone know of homestyled things to help out here, you know like eating more salt, drinking more water, corks in the bed etc :confused: (Hope this allowed!)

Thanks

[Ted_Hutchinson]

From Bodylanguage Do you get muscle cramps? (http://www.mybodylanguage.co.uk/musclecramp.htm)

[wigginsmum]

Funnily enough I was woken yesterday by a leg cramp so severe I screamed. I can well believe it's mineral deficiency - I must've peed 15 times during that night.

[1sttimer]

From Bodylanguage Do you get muscle cramps? (http://www.mybodylanguage.co.uk/musclecramp.htm)

Thanks Ted, but having read this, it doesn't apply to me, unfortunately. My cramps are as a result of a slipped disc trapping a nerve running to my left foot from some years ago. The cramps are only in my left leg, knee down and my left foot has now limited feeling and the skin and nails grows extra thick:eek:

[VendorEmptor]

I began to suffer leg cramps which became worse and worse over a period of months. The pain was excruciating and would usually come in the wee small hours, making for a severe lack of sleep.

My GP prescribed Quinnine Sulphate and it did the trick for a while, but eventually, the cramps came back just as before.

In addition to Quinnine Sulphate, my GP then prescribed a drug called Tegretol (Carbamazepine Ph.Eur) which is usually used to treat epilepsy. This has worked extremely well for me and over the past year and a half I have only suffered night cramps a couple of times.

Ask your GP if he/she thinks this might help you.

[spud30]

I heard that eating a banana helps to prevent cramp.

Summat to do with the potassium.

[Mumstheword]

We aren't allowed to give medical advice on the site, which is ok because I dont have any as such!

I used to get calf cramps during pregnancy, and developed a technique which got rid of them almost entirely.

When you stretch your legs, most peoplestretch their toes as far away from their body as they can, making the foot and leg a straight line. This squashes the calf muscle, and used to bring on a cramp for me.

Instead, I stretch my legs by pointing my toes upwards as far as I can. This stretches the calf muscle. As a preventative measure for nighttime cramps, each time I woke slightly, I'd stretch in this way. If an attack occurs, if I can stand up, I hold onto something for balance and gently transfer the weight onto the cramp leg. Hurts like hell at first, then eases the cramp. If I can't stand, I do the leg stretch as described before.

HTH,
Mumsxx

[inkie]

Rather than taking a double dose of quinnine sulphate - have a large drink of tonic water, as this contains quinnine.

[Savvy_Sue]

When you stretch your legs, most peoplestretch their toes as far away from their body as they can, making the foot and leg a straight line. This squashes the calf muscle, and used to bring on a cramp for me.

Instead, I stretch my legs by pointing my toes upwards as far as I can. This stretches the calf muscle. As a preventative measure for nighttime cramps, each time I woke slightly, I'd stretch in this way. If an attack occurs, if I can stand up, I hold onto something for balance and gently transfer the weight onto the cramp leg. Hurts like hell at first, then eases the cramp. If I can't stand, I do the leg stretch as described before. Sometimes I give myself cramp just by stretching with my toes pointed! Excruciating, isn't it? But you're right, stretching with feet at right angles to legs does shift it - IF you can move the affected leg at all! :rotfl: