Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Who else suffers from leg cramps?

i have had 4 or 5 in one leg an 5 or 6 in the other at the same time .when i moved at night .found out my blood pres med made my potasume high dr put me on meds to bring it down.cramps went off the charts stop taking the meds an i have not had no more problems. one nite if i could have made it back to head board of the bed i would notto have a nother one

I go off and on getting cramps. I hate waking up in the middle of the night, because I can't just straighten my foot I have to get up and stand on that let with the cramp. The dog sleeps on the rug next to my side of the bed and end up stepping on him half the time. I take a couple of potassium each night and it helps. I also take some blue pills from Costco, that's like Tylenol pm, only the generic type pill. Not sure if that helps but it helps me get to sleep. Seems like every time I think I've been doing ok with the cramps, and back off to one tablet, I get the cramps again. Bad deal is when it happens I have trouble getting back to sleep.

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THIS! I get them where they run from my taint down the inside of my leg to the tendons on the back of my knee. When it's a bad one I almost cry like a bish. I tried benedryl and it didn't help. Tried bananas, potassium pills, and tons of gatorade. None of them helped me. Only 2 things I've found that do. Chugging pickle juice, and the Hyland's. But not the pills you swallow, the tablets you dissolve under your tongue. They are friggin magic I swear. Put 2 or three under your tongue and just wait a couple minutes.

Wifey gets them after we go dancing, pickle juice helps her.

man some good chit here fellas,

thank you all


never ceases to amaze me what's available vis a vis our collective experiences.

gonna grab some benadryl, actually probably have it for bug bites (talkin severe bug bites where you swell up) and some Dr. Healy's Mag lotion

Not sure if this is the same thing that the OP complained of, but about a year ago my legs started to get weird twitchy feelings along the hamstring at night (and only at night). Not quite cramps, but it kept me awake and I had to stretch out the leg every few minutes. My doctor said it was restless leg syndrome and gave me gabapentin. Cured it right away.

Quinine, have been using it when necessary at least 30 years now, maybe 40.

Some great information so far . After I had my first knee replaced they sent me home ( too early ) and I had Calf pain so bad I yelled every step I took ( and I was on Pain Meds ) . Went back in the Hospital for a few days and worked my way out of that fiasco . Several years later I was scheduled for my second knee replacement and was out doing the local Garage Sale Circuit . Talked to another old Geezer who said he had terrible Calf pain and went to all the local Specialists to no avail . Someone told him to take a Walmart over-the-counter called Slow-Mag . Soooo , I decided to try it for about 1-2 weeks just before the second knee replacement . I know it's a small sample size of ONE , but guess what .....no Calf pain . So you guys have hit on why it worked . It contains Magnesium Chloride , Calcium , and a few other things . I sometimes get those calf cramps in bed , but I hop out quick ( at least quick as my Stenosis allows ) stand up , and the pain goes away in a few seconds . I developed Plantar Fasciitis last summer so now I try some stretching exercises . I sometimes get better info. from listening to folks than from some Doctors ! I should also note that I only took Slow-Mag for a short time as my Doctor in those days told me not to take it long term.

I've been taking magnesium for about 12 years, after having a Liver Transplant in 2006.
Bad thing to get to much. I've had quick trips to the hospital about 4 times to get the level down.

symptoms of magnesium overdose may include:

diarrhea
nausea and vomiting
lethargy
muscle weakness
irregular heartbeat
low blood pressure
urine retention
respiratory distress
cardiac arrest

I don't know HOW many times I've woke up with calf cramps. Often both legs - I wind up on tippy-toe hanging on a wall, until my 200+ pounds can flatten my feet out again.
Since they occur in the early morning, I'm NOT doing Benadryl (makes me too drowsy) - but I'll try the Hylands.
I believe mine stem from a few things - the most important of which is - I can't convince myself I'm not a camel! It almost never occurs to me to drink water.

In their wisdom the drug regulators made quinine prescription. They Maybe partly right, but I forgot how Schweppes Bitter Lemon with quinine used to help wife, and me. Now the best you can do is tonic water with very little quinine in it. Wife does take gabapentin for restless leg, fine line on making her extra drowsy and combatting the problems.

The therapists always tell us to do our stretches, and I do for at least 2 or 3 days after getting told.

same for me mark


most often get them very early morning. one poster sez he just takes half a pill....hmmmm

I go to work late enough though that it might work for me, cramps usually come 4-5 a.m. and ain't no way I'm going back to sleep with that pain, though I tried for awhile this a.m. if I could take a Beny, get rid of the pain and go back to sleep, life would be mo betta

I get them ALL the time. Magnesium has not helped me. I have heard that antihistamines can help but who wants to take Benedryl at 3 am? I get them worse when I am dehydrated but I get them even when I am not too dehydrated some times as well. I wonder what works that can be taken long-term without ill effects.

I get them in my calves and a lot of times in my quads. Very rarely in my hamstrings. Those will make you cry. I can watch my quad quiver like it's in seizure. Only cure is the get up and walk it out. Sure ruins a good night's sleep.

I took mom to Mayo's a few years ago. Spoke with their head nephrologist (kidney doc). He told her in no uncertain terms to piss pale. Drink enough water throughout the day to piss a pale color. Usually at least 8 glasses of water (64 oz). Good for the kidneys, good for hydration which is the best way to avoid cramps.

Also potassium in the form of bananas, sweet potatoes, and avocados among other things..

BTW, Coffee is a natural diuretic. Makes you pee. Excess peeing makes you dehydrated.

I sometimes get terrible cramps in my hamstring and calf. The pain in the hamstring is twice that of the calf. I have to bend down and stretch my hamstring and the damn thing will just twitch like hell. I can’t stand upright until it quits twitching or it will come right back. It seems to happen at church a couple times a year after working hard outside the day before.

! That's me too. I have a couple I do but I only spend a few seconds on them. I have those paper instructions around somewhere, but don't stick with it for long.

when the cramps come on, mix some apple cider vinegar with water and drink it. You can also do it as a preventative measure.

Sorry to hear that atv, specially since theres no muscle inside that holds your insides together.

I wonder what you injured. Maybe wouldnt hurt to get aortas, pancreas, diaphram, etc checked out.

I hope youre taking magnesium, Barry. Its good for the heart, also.

Dennis, you might try some cheap store brand (WWorld, Walgreens, etc) loratadine. Its a great H1 antihistamine that doesnt make you sleepy.