Muscle Cramps

[Woody B]

Does anyone else have muscle cramps?  I've been plagued with them off and on most of my life.  They've gotten worse as I've got older.   I don't have them every day, or even every week.  2 or 3 days a month I'll have them.   I get them in my feel, legs, hands, arms ect.  The worst, most painful ones are in my core.   I don't get them often.  I had them today around my ribcage, both sides at different times and slightly below my ribs too.    I've had my electrolyte balance checked, but it wasn't on a day I was having cramps.   I had a stress test a few months ago even though the core cramps aren't in my "chest" to rule out angina.   I take no prescription medications, my blood sugar,  blood pressure, cholesterol, A1C and pretty much everything else my Dr could think of has been checked and is good.   I don't drink soft drinks, energy drinks or alcohol.   

 

 I mostly drink water, usually around a gallon a day.  More when I sweat a bunch, not quite as much when it's cooler.   I use NUUN hydration tablets.  I was using as many a 6 a day, but the last time I had bad cramps my Dr suggested I might be getting too many electrolytes, and getting dehydrated from my kidneys/body flushing the excess.  For the last month I've been using 3 NUUN hydration tablets a day.  I haven't had cramps until last night and today.   

 

Any suggestions?  Hylands leg cramp pills help some, but they give me bad heartburn.  I figure they're not good for me.  I may have cramps later today, or it may be a month or more before I have them again.   

[Tennessee Boy]

I’ve always gotten what you might call “explainable” cramps.  Like after a day or hard work in the heat.  When we moved to our current home I started occasionally get unexplainable cramps.  It doesn’t happen often and is usually mild so I haven’t worried about it or sought medical treatment.  I’ve wondered if it might be due to a difference in the mineral content in the water.  It sounds like you’ve already tried everything I can think of to try.  Hope you find a solution.

[Scott F]

Has your doctor tested your magnesium levels? I’ve been getting fewer and much less severe cramps since I started taking over the counter magnesium supplements as recommended by my doctor.

[gim]

I don’t know if cramps are the same as a Charlie horse. I get the Charlie horse in my hamstring or quad after an afternoon of pheasant hunting sometimes. Usually it’s because I’ve been high stepping through long grass or deep snow. It happens a few hours after I’m done when I try to get up. It’s extremely painful. I’ve really tried to hydrate before I hunt to avoid this, and hunt for less time too. Seems to help, haven’t had one in 2 seasons now.

[Dwight Hottle]

I get leg & foot cramps at the age of 75 years but have had them 5-10 years previous. For me it is caused by lack of hydration I think. But when I take daily supplements of magnesium & potassium above the daily recommended amounts they pretty much go away.

 

[Jig Man]

I sometimes wake with them.  A tea spoon of yellow mustard tricks my brain and within a few minutes they are gone.

[Hammer 4]

9 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I get leg & foot cramps at the age of 75 years but have had them 5-10 years previous. For me it is caused by lack of hydration I think. But when I take daily supplements of magnesium & potassium above the daily recommended amounts they pretty much go away.

 

This ^^^ Get high quality supplements, not the ones from your local grocery store, they will cost more, but well worth it.

In addition I eat 2 good sized Banans a day. No more cramps, even at night.

[flatcreek]

9 hours ago, Jig Man said:

I sometimes wake with them.  A tea spoon of yellow mustard tricks my brain and within a few minutes they are gone.

I drink dill pickle juice also which helps 

[flatcreek]

Tonic water with quinine helps stop cramps 

[Jig Man]

I had to get some mustard at 02:30 this morning.  I’ve tried pickle juice.  It evidently isn’t strong enough because it doesn’t work for me.

[VolFan]

I like pickle juice and mustard too. I’d quit the hydration tablets unless you are working long hours in a hot environment. They just pull water away from your body if you have a surplus. I’ll go a different direction- work in your flexibility and stability with some yoga. It helps a ton in blood flow. And drink more water.

[TnRiver46]

No soda or alcohol and a gallon of water a day? That sounds plenty hydrated. Maybe it is all the Nuun??

[Kirtley Howe]

7 oz tonic water with 1 oz lemon juice. Tough to drink, but for me it stops cramps immediately.

[FishTax]

I agree to try cutting the supplements. Try eating whole foods (bananas, etc) to get nutrients. Never know what's causing it. I rarely get cramps, when I do it's usually explainable. 

[Darth-Baiter]

On 9/10/2023 at 9:59 AM, Kirtley Howe said:

7 oz tonic water with 1 oz lemon juice. Tough to drink, but for me it stops cramps immediately.

even with gin? 

[Kirtley Howe]

Even tougher with gin. I HATE gin.  But a bit of Vodka could work.

[Woody B]

So far I've quit all my supplements, except for a shot of apple cider vinegar each day.   I haven't had a cramp since Sunday, but it's not unusual for me to go a week or 2 without any.   I'm peeing a lot less than I was when I was taking supplements.   I think the excess electrolytes may have been taking too much water away.   

 

I am having a Sun-drop (citrus flavored soft drink from the Carolinas) every morning for my daily caffeine, instead of a NUUN with caffeine.    

 

Added: I eat an apple pretty much every morning, and have banana pretty much every evening, and have for years.