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Is This A Magical Cure For Calf Cramps?
08-30-2019, 06:53 PM
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#1
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,172
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Is This A Magical Cure For Calf Cramps?
Last night I had calf cramps in one leg while in bed. Usually I can survive them by massaging the calf gently or when it is severe, DW can do the massaging. Last night the usual solution did not work.
After writhing in various positions w/ nothing working, I somehow came up w/ the following position. Lying on my back with the bad leg bent as shown in the crude picture below(head is flat on bed, not bent up as shown in pic)
..............bent
..............bad leg
foot of _/\___o head
bad leg
Almost "instantly" the pain disappeared........and it happened twice in separate
incidents. The conventional cure for calf cramps is to stand and put weight on the bad leg with the leg bent slightly. I've never been able to force myself to do that for fear of falling.
(hopefully the pic bears some resemblance to the original)
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08-30-2019, 07:01 PM
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#2
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 186
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I used to have these issues in calves and / or toes.
Eating a banana or two daily helped. Then I mentioned to my Gastroenterologist who said it is a common side effect of acid reflux meds such as omeprazole. Now taking Pantoprazole & no issues with cramps or acid reflux.
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3 ish years to FIRE, mentally ready now!
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08-30-2019, 07:11 PM
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#3
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,659
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I guess I'm not the only one who gets these. Standing has been the only solution that's worked for me.
I'll give your method a try next time.
I've also heard bananas (potassium) help. I think there's something to it; I do seem to get a lot fewer of these cramps if I have one with breakfast every day. Unfortunately bananas are bad luck and not allowed on a boat, so when I'm underway for any length of time I tend to get more cramps.
EDIT: Ken beat me to it on the banana thing. I'm not on any meds.
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08-30-2019, 07:16 PM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptTom
I guess I'm not the only one who gets these. Standing has been the only solution that's worked for me.
I'll give your method a try next time.
I've also heard bananas (potassium) help. I think there's something to it; I do seem to get a lot fewer of these cramps if I have one with breakfast every day.
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+1 on all counts. Standing has been the only remedy that works for me (usually in the middle of the night), I’ll try the OPs method next time, and I’m back to having a banana with breakfast most days, haven’t had a calf cramp in quite a while.
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Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
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08-30-2019, 08:13 PM
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#5
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gone traveling
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Berkeley, Denver, CO, USA
Posts: 1,406
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Mg is a wonder mineral, in my opinion.
Every morning with my OJ.
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08-30-2019, 08:17 PM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 13,227
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I get them sometimes, and I've always ate bananas. I probably get them less since I started eating one at night as well as morning, but it still happens. I sometimes try to bend the leg like that, but it usually doesn't subside right away. Usually goes away in 10-15 seconds no matter what I do.
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08-30-2019, 08:38 PM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,902
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If you're low in Mg Theraworx can help.
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08-30-2019, 08:43 PM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,371
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I had one last night and get them occasionally.... had to rush to get out of bed... stand on it for a few seconds and it subsides. My 87 yo aunt, who is visiting us, swears by these:
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08-30-2019, 08:43 PM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 7,113
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My husband gets them frequently. What works for him is a hot shower. We are blessed to be in a co-op where the hot water system is instant-on.
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Duck bjorn.
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08-30-2019, 09:09 PM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,145
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I take magnesium.
Calf/foot cramps are the only side effect I still experience from my ketogenic diet. I don’t know why.
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Retired since summer 1999.
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08-30-2019, 09:28 PM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,172
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptTom
..................Unfortunately bananas are bad luck and not allowed on a boat, so when I'm underway for any length of time I tend to get more cramps.
.................................................. ..
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I guess I can still learn something every day even tho I've seen so many decades...............I thought this was Hawaiian superstition but looks like it's universal. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/banana-ban/
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08-30-2019, 09:37 PM
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#12
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,931
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Stay well hydrated.
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08-30-2019, 10:12 PM
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#13
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 751
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Magnesium citrate
cheap, and works well
Have not had leg cramps in years
Used to get them often, sometimes quite bad ones
bananas or other potassium sources were recommended, but never helped me
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08-30-2019, 10:53 PM
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#14
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 587
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Flexing your toes toward your head works without having to stand up (like when you're tucked in tightly and need a fast remedy).
Pointing my feet down when I stretch in bed, awake or asleep, is usually what brings on the calf cramp.
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08-31-2019, 05:42 AM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 11,702
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I also get foot cramps while swimming.
My doctor swears by Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother.
I told him he was a quack (we have a good relationship) and promised to give it a try anyway. Turns out, since I started sipping that stuff daily, I rarely get foot cramps and can't remember the last calf cramp.
Placebo? Real? I don't know, except it works for me. Just a tablespoon or two per day, diluted. Maybe it is just the hydration from the dilution helping.
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08-31-2019, 05:52 AM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Gosport, IN
Posts: 1,218
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For DW and I, we usually just grab the big toe on the offending leg and pull it back tightly for less than 30 seconds and the muscle causing the cramp relaxes.
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08-31-2019, 06:05 AM
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#17
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Mar 2016
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Posts: 633
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A walk to the fridge and two sips from the pickle juice jar does the trick for me.
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08-31-2019, 06:50 AM
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#18
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: The Great Wide Open
Posts: 3,804
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https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/arti...muscle-cramps/
This article suggests that muscle cramps are caused by misfiring nerves, in which electrolytes such as pickle juice and/or mustard relieve the cramps, but for the wrong perceived reason.
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08-31-2019, 08:53 AM
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#19
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,024
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tinlizzy
Flexing your toes toward your head works without having to stand up (like when you're tucked in tightly and need a fast remedy).
Pointing my feet down when I stretch in bed, awake or asleep, is usually what brings on the calf cramp.
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+1
I have several "near cramps" in my right calf every day, usually when stretching or pointing my toes down. As soon as I feel the cramp coming on, I immediately point my toes back toward my head, which relaxes the muscle and stops the cramp from happening. I haven't had an "actual cramp" in several years.
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Retired at 52 in July 2013. On to better things...
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08-31-2019, 09:15 AM
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#20
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Champaign
Posts: 4,726
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+1 and/or mustard. Did anyone watch US Open when Stephonos Tsitsipas had muscle cramps during match? One of the most painful experiences to watch. His leg muscles tightened up, you could see the excruciating pain in his legs and on his face. Brought me to tears. He lost the match because of it, the cramps kept coming back.
Announcers kept mentioning pickle juice, but the stomach upset from the acid in the vinegar might have been worse.
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