Bad leg cramp cure/help?

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gumpy

gumpy

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My legs keep me up all night, every night,except with harmful pain medication! And it still bothers me but I can sleep some. I've been diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome (and severe Sleep Apnea) and right now I take magnesium, vitamin D3, potassium, and Turmeric Curcumin every evening. I've been trying this for the last 3 months. I've taken medication for it like Ropinirole for Parkinson's and they seem to help some, but not for long. Lately it's been super bad! I need some sleep! I read through the thread on herbal sleep remedies and I've tried several but not much success.
Bread and Butter pickle juice works ok sometimes but it's the turmeric in it I believe and I started taking turmeric vs that.
I'm at my wits end.
Any suggestions?
 
Hmm @gumpy you should try taking some calcium tablets with that Magnesium as it helps the magnesium absorb into the body better according to our doctor, DH does have the same condition as yourself. We also use Arnica cream and he rubs it on his legs about 30 mins before bed and it helps him a lot. Other herbal remedies for sleep are taking valerian tablets and if that doesn't work try chamomile drops in a little fruit juice before bed. You can also try an Epsom salts bath before bed as the magnesium is absorbed from the water into the skin which may help.

Consult with your doctor about taking a higher dose of magnesium tablets (hubby takes 1000mg with a calcium tablet) and as always check that none of the suggestions above will interfere with any other medications you are taking as some herbs etc can react with medications.
 
You and Sewingcreations have addressed most of the options but on a simpler note, how about a regimen of stretching throughout the day and just before bed. How is your hydration? I find that when hydration/electrolytes are low I get cramps too. A hot shower before bed helps relax things too. I keep a heating pad bedside for when the cramps hit, the heat un-knots the muscle in a few minutes. Some foods promote inflammation in the body which I find aggravates the problem. Try eliminating sugar and gluten from your diet for a week or two to see if that helps with inflammation and cramps.
Good Luck,
Sparky
 
Gumpy, my husband was diagnosed with restless leg about 10 years ago. His legs would shake like crazy in the middle of the night. It would keep me up. The doctor wanted to drug him with an oxy drug, and I'm sure glad he said no. Turns out, he was hardly getting any oxygen and his legs would start shaking. Can't imagine if he took the oxy, he probably would of died in his sleep. He's been on bi pap and oxygen for awhile now and his legs stopped shaking.
I chew alot of nicorette gum, and if I overdue it, by legs ache all night. I take calcium and aspirin before bed.
 
I used to get pretty bad leg cramps when I started eating keto. I started taking magnesium and drinking pickle juice (aka super electrolytes), which helped a lot but not all of the cramps went away. Then I found out that magnesium comes in many forms of differing absorption rates, effectiveness and practical potency. I started taking 200mg-400mg of magnesium orotate nightly and found it to be far more effective than 500mg-1000mg of magnesium chelate. Now to keep the cramps away I have found the right balance of magnesium orotate, sodium intake, hydration and eating whole foods. I rarely have them anymore. And I too stretch often during the day and before bed.

Here is an article about the different types of magnesium. https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/types-of-magnesium/
 
The common thread in these suggestions is water. If you drink water (it's usually good for you anyway), you need to maintain your electrolyte levels. Electrolytes are minerals e.g. sodium, potassium, magnesium. An easy mind is also good, and I have been informed that sex eases the mind.
 
I think that Sentry18 has the best answer. I don't eat bananas now, but I think they are a good source of potassium and magnesium, both which can help with leg cramps, a symptom of a deficiency . Magnesium is one of my daily supplements. Most calcium supplements have magnesium included as well.
 
Do you use a Cpap or Bi
gumpy said:
My legs keep me up all night, every night,except with harmful pain medication! And it still bothers me but I can sleep some. I've been diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome (and severe Sleep Apnea) and right now I take magnesium, vitamin D3, potassium, and Turmeric Curcumin every evening. I've been trying this for the last 3 months. I've taken medication for it like Ropinirole for Parkinson's and they seem to help some, but not for long. Lately it's been super bad! I need some sleep! I read through the thread on herbal sleep remedies and I've tried several but not much success.
Bread and Butter pickle juice works ok sometimes but it's the turmeric in it I believe and I started taking turmeric vs that.
I'm at my wits end.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Do ypu use a Cpap or BiPap? You can do a sleep study at home in your own place now with a prescription from your dr. Virtilux is the company I used. Jim has used onr for years and his restless legs are still now. Plus all the other suggestions.
 
NannyPatty said:
Do you use a Cpap or Bi

Do ypu use a Cpap or BiPap? You can do a sleep study at home in your own place now with a prescription from your dr. Virtilux is the company I used. Jim has used onr for years and his restless legs are still now. Plus all the other suggestions.
Click to expand...

My husband and I both have a CPAP. It stopped his restless leg syndrome. It cured my being tired all day long and napping often. Please have a sleep study done.
 
Change table salt to sea salt, it is expensive but full of minerals and has a lot less sodium and no fillers. My daughter ordered us some and it taste fantastic. $20 for about 1/2 pound but it takes 1/4 of what table does. Plus your getting mineral supplementation too from the Himalayan Sea Salt.
Hope whatever you do it works real soon.:good luck:
 
I've read that magnesium and potassium should not be taken at the same time, forget why.
All good suggestions here. My fix when I had foot cramps in my arches long ago...drinking horsetail grass tea. You can switch it out with Oatstraw tea also.
Also read that drinking distilled water instead of tap water can cure people of many aches, pains, joint ailments, and organ issues.
We should be getting our vitamins and minerals from the food we eat, not drinking it straight. Inorganic minerals store in the joints or organs, thus causing buildup and pain. Just my opinion, this is not medical advice. Your mileage may vary.
 
There are several causes for leg cramps. Some are coupled to electrolyte levels being out of balance and some are due to circulatory problems. It can take a long time to find the actual cause but I will tell you that what I found to prevent them was simply stretching the leg and foot muscles before bed. Recommendations were made to try vinegar, pickle juice, calcium, salt, potassium and a host of other things and once I started stretching the affected muscles my problems disappeared.
I stand about 2 to 3 feet away facing the wall. I put my hands out to the wall and then while keeping my body and legs straight I lean as far in as I can while keeping my feet flat on the floor. When the pain gets to about 7 out of 10 I hold it there until the pain subsides. Then I straighten up and do the same thing trying to go further each time and holding a position until the muscles relax. Then I get into bed and sleep. I don't wake up with cramps anymore. If I don't stretch for more than a few nights the cramps start back up. It is easy to do and takes just a few minutes so I incorporated the stretching into my routine.
 
NannyPatty said:
Do you use a Cpap or Bi

Do ypu use a Cpap or BiPap? You can do a sleep study at home in your own place now with a prescription from your dr. Virtilux is the company I used. Jim has used onr for years and his restless legs are still now. Plus all the other suggestions.
Click to expand...
I've had numerous sleep studies done in the last 20 years. Right after I fell asleep at a red light and rolled into the intersintersection! Cpap, bipap, or the new one that just came out last year won't work for me. I had the surgery on my throat, nasal passages and uvula done and it helped for a few years. Docs said they wanted to move my tongue forward and I never went back! I could have been a stand in for Richard Simmons(KISS)! Lol. I've tried the stretches, and several other exercises but exercises before bed make it worse. It's not like a charlie horse,it's tremors and kicks. My wife and sleepoligist said I kick every 6 seconds. I have to sleep by myself so if I can just get to sleep I can rest some. All I kick is the walls. I'm just tired of all the medicines!
If I over exert myself it's worse. I only have two speeds. Under a shade tree or wide open as a case knife.
tha_you10.gif

For all the input and answers.
 
I don't have too much trouble with cramps anymore. I have a CPAP. I also use a mouth piece sold by SnoreRx. There are others on the market and I don't recommend one over another. Mine works best with a chinstrap as my mouth opens and my jaw drops away from the mouth piece making it ineffective. I take 750 mg of chelated magnesium every evening to help my leg veins relax. This has eliminated my slight edema and makes it easier to sleep as it relaxes more than my veins. I also take a calcium based antacid at bed time which helps with the absorption of various other supplements and eliminates acid from my teeth. I try to keep hydrated. I have raw cider vinegar with water before dinner to help with digestion and all the other benefits. Curcumin and a few other antioxidants help with inflammation and pain.

My wife has restless leg syndrome but it is better since she started on CPAP.

Several of the things that I do for other reasons might also help with cramps. If sleep apnea is your problem taking pain meds or other things to relax you can flat out kill you. It was my pain doc that got me to wear the mouth piece by saying, "I don't want to kill you."

As far as sleep apnea goes leaving it untreated can flat out kill you, or worse. I've had my soft pallet reshaped, which was a bitch for a week but necessary. A CPAP every night for over 20 years, along with a mouth piece to keep my airway open. I sleep in a recliner which moves the intestines away from the diaphragm and makes it easier to breathe. No one thing is enough. It is rather like getting dressed, you probably want to put on more than your socks.
 
Wet. Just like you'd squirt out onto a hot dog. My aunt kept those individual packages when she would have a bad cramp in the middle of the night. Just open up one and eat it. Very shortly thereafter the cramp was gone. I like mustard on my sausage biscuits, and that seems to keep it at bay... Or a regular tablespoon with a squirt of plain old yellow mustard and eat it.
 
Angie said:
Wet. Just like you'd squirt out onto a hot dog. My aunt kept those individual packages when she would have a bad cramp in the middle of the night. Just open up one and eat it. Very shortly thereafter the cramp was gone. I like mustard on my sausage biscuits, and that seems to keep it at bay... Or a regular tablespoon with a squirt of plain old yellow mustard and eat it.
Click to expand...

Oh! Never mind!lol
goofy-bear-animated.gif
 
NannyPatty said:
I don't know, but I do know that a bar of soap unwrapped, under your bed sheets so that it rests close to your legs is another aide. It helped my Jim for awhile
Click to expand...
Seriously! You're not gonna make fun of me tomorrow after doing this?
 
Magnesium Citrate is a great anti-cramp mineral, it's supposed to help keep the heart from cramping up, as in heart attack. There are other forms of Magnesium that are usable as well. If you take too much magnesium it can cause diarrhea, there is a happy medium. Epsom Salt, which can be used to soak achy body parts is a form of magnesium, I've read that by bathing in a solution of Epsom Salt and water, magnesium can be absorbed into the body. When I told a doctor that I was supplementing with magnesium he told me it helps to protect the heart. I recommend asking your doctor before using it because my recommendation may not apply to your needs, I only mention this because it has helped me to keep from bad muscle cramps.
 
viking said:
Magnesium Citrate is a great anti-cramp mineral, it's supposed to help keep the heart from cramping up, as in heart attack. There are other forms of Magnesium that are usable as well. If you take too much magnesium it can cause diarrhea, there is a happy medium. Epsom Salt, which can be used to soak achy body parts is a form of magnesium, I've read that by bathing in a solution of Epsom Salt and water, magnesium can be absorbed into the body. When I told a doctor that I was supplementing with magnesium he told me it helps to protect the heart. I recommend asking your doctor before using it because my recommendation may not apply to your needs, I only mention this because it has helped me to keep from bad muscle cramps.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I must be taking to much right now! I've got to read up more on this.
 
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