Does anyone get charley horses? What do you do?

Question:

I get these stupid leg cramps - mostly at night or early morning -
6:00 am or so... they grab you and your leg and you get such pain
& can't move! Yesterday I was walking to my car & it was 5 pm &
I felt it come on me - from my back of my knee down my leg! It sure hurt like heck! I am on Quinine Sulfate 325 mg for it and it
mostly helps, but what does anyone else take? This is driving me
nuts! Stress doesn't help it either - it brings them on. EEK!

Answers:
Magnesium Sulfate may help relax your muscles. It is a natural mineral found in your body already and doctors use it to treat many things including pre-term labor (relaxes contractions). If is safe for pregnancy...it's pretty safe. But as always check with your doctor. (Also I point my toes in upward direction to get rid of charleys)

Other Answers:
You eat a banana a day so that you make sure your potassium level stays up.

horse liniment.

suffer. sorry but thats all i know of

This may sound dumb, but i am not lying, if you eat banana's every once in a while it can prevent them from coming back.

Drink more water.

That it the WORST when you're in bed stretching and it suddenly feels like someone ripped your calf out... I once read that they can be caused by dehydration. Try drinking Gatorade since it has more "good stuff" than water.

I get them to, and I think they are due to stress. But im not sure waht to do about them sorry

Scream very loud. Try stretching your leg out straight. It will relieve it quicker.

you have a potassium deficiency...either take a potassium supplement or eat foods high in potassium, such as bananas

banana's and drink more water. water helps to keep muscle cramps from starting too

Perhaps working the muscles that are spasming might help. Also stretching twice a day of the major muscles in the leg to get them elongated.

My husband got these all the time, until he started taking a one-a-day vitamin. When he would get them he would walk it out and then heat a towel up in the dryer for a few minutes to release the muscle tension.

You are probably lacking potassium and not sulfate.

Oddly, something in raisins is supposed to help leg cramping. I have had them infrequently and the raisins did help me. Also...when they come on....pull your toes back toward you and point your heel out stretching the back of the leg...stops the cramp instantly. Just hold that position for a several seconds.

yes, used to get them bad before i started using oxgen,the doctors told me that while sleeping the oxgen content drops real low,well mine was droping
way below normal and they said it was my brains reaction to wake up,
but heat ,over working,there can be numerous causes to leg cramps

Try not to cross your legs when you sit or sleep. Even crosssing your ankles is bad. It's from the lactase. stretch each leg for 45 seconds. You may be low on Potassium or Calcium.

Leg cramps are due to a low level of potassium. Taking either potassium tablets or eating more foods high in potassium will help! But seeing that you are on Quinine Sulfate, you may want to check with a physician to see if they can be mixed?

I got them when I was pregnant. The books say it is a calcium deficiency. Whatever you do, dont curl up your leg and rub. Makes it sore longer. Extend your leg out and point your toes up in the direction of your face. That lengthens the muscle and makes the cramp go away. Just do it slowly.

I use to get them real bad too at around the same time you do.My daughter who is a nurse told me to start eating bananas every day,I tried it and it really does work. the cramps have something to do with your potassium level......good luck

Take potassium and magnesium tablets. Also the juice in cantaloupes helps. Hope this helps you.

A calcium-magnesium tablet every night at bed-time. You will sleep better, your nails will improve (takes 4-5 months), and after a few days the cramps should lessen. I have to take an antiseisure drug - only for the side effect of lessening foot and lower leg pain, but now using both the above, I am 99.9% cramp free.

Are you kidding I have been getting them for a year because I have a foot injury and my foot, calf, thigh, and even my low back spasms which are considered leg cramps. You might not be getting enough potassium in your diet. I have been eating 3 bananas a day and taking muscle relaxers to help with the pain. You could do that or take some potassium vitamins or take some muscle relaxers like Flexeril or Soma or Lorazepam or Skelaxin. You could make a potassium broth from vegetables is one of the greatest natural healing tools available for cleansing and restoring body energy. Good food and herb sources for potassium are fresh fruits, especially kiwis and bananas, oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, sea vegetables, meats, milk, grains, and legumes all have plenty of potassium, potatoes, spices like coriander, cumin, basil, parsley, ginger, hot peppers, dill weed, tarragon, paprika, and tumeric, lean poultry and fish, dairy foods, legumes, seeds, and whole grains. Indications of potassium deficiency include symptoms such as muscle weakness and chronic migraines which I get as well. I have to actually get surgery on my foot on Saturday to get rid of mine and my injuries. Hope that this helps and I hope that you feel better.

drink lots of water before bed and stretch

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Does anyone get charley horses? What do you do?

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