Leg cramps - Page 2

Aisha Azar · 09-05-2006, 01:14 PM

Dear Group,
Thanks everyone, for all of the info. I will see my doctor and read all of the info in the sites listed. Oh, and Rico, I spoke with my sister who has diabetes and she often wakes up in the middle of the night with hideous leg cramps and her MD also mentioned magensium/potassium. I chatted with her on the phone yesterday and she has had some relief with supplements.
Thanks and regards to all,
A'isha

Recnadocir · 09-06-2006, 12:11 AM

After posting last night I nagged myself to take my own magnesium. It certainly has put a stop to my nights waking up in horrible pain. I also seem to crave potassium rich foods fairly often but again, these are easily found (lots of those potato chips that come in the brown bag!). A primary source of magnesium is dark green leafy vegetables, but these may not contain as much magnesium as in former days due to mineral depletion in over-farmed soils. And I don't eat nearly enough salads anyway so, I take the supplement. You can get about a 2 month supply for 5 or 6 bucks.

Keep us posted.

tim'ema · 09-09-2006, 07:02 AM

I had a long history of painful and frustration leg cramps - then they became daytime bouts of leg itchiness...to the point where I was in the bathtub in tears scrubbing and scrubbing! I ended up buying lotion for insect bites that numbs your legs.

My chiropractor fixed it! Turns out I had put my hips very slightly out of place - possibly moving furniture or turning awkwardly while gardening. The misaligned hips were pinching the nerves to my legs. After being out of alignment for so long, it took several visits to the chiropractor to retrain the hips to stay in the correct place, but the relief was immediate!

AT

Drea · 09-13-2006, 05:11 AM

Hi. I am a Naturopathic Consultant and what it sounds like to me is cramps coming from a calcium/ magnesium deficiency or out of balance. IF you are taking any calcium supliment, it may not be utilized through your digestive system. Also the calcium and magnesium must be in the propper ratio.

These are just general things. Everyone is biochemically different so I can't say for sure what would work for you.

Muscles need calcium to work properly.

Hope this helps!
~Drea

Jewelly · 09-13-2006, 11:58 AM

A nice hot bath in epsom salts (aka magnisium sulfate) once a week
your body will soak up the minerals it needs through the skin.
take care

samira shuruk · 09-13-2006, 01:06 PM

There have been really good suggestions on here. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that some medications can cause muscle cramping as a side effect. If you're on any new medications you may want to also look into this.

Asheba · 09-13-2006, 02:40 PM

Apart from leg cramps...anyone any suggestions for restless legs, drive me to distraction when I get them...legs in the bed..legs out of bed...one leg on floor..both on floor sit up walk around...always seem I like to find a cold spot in the bed...wake up feeling..for want of a better word knackered! ops! sorry.

Aisha Azar · 09-13-2006, 03:27 PM

Dear GRoup,
I am wondering if it could also be a problem that developed because I took a month off from teaching and was not doing too much rehearsing or anything and my body thought that was just wrong??? I started back into reherasals and into my classes in the last couple of weeks and have not been bothered by cramps for about week now, but I also started taking a new liquid vitamin that I got at the health food store after Rico's suggestion, which has more nutrients in it, too. So, maybe its the combination of getting back into my routine and the vitamins.
Samira, I do take an aspirin every day because I had a small stroke some years ago, and Albuterol for asthma. The aspirin does not bother me much, but I am rather freaked out by the Albuterol. I have taken it since 1999 when I got Influenza and developed astma as a permanent side effect. I am pretty sure that it has some bad effect, but I need it to breath during excersize and occasionally at other times. I am almost afraid to read about its effects, but I think I read that there is an effect long term on the bones... so there could be something to the calcium/magnesium issue that Drea suggested looking into.
Thanks, everyone for rhe advice. I will still mention this to my MD when I next visit him.
Regards to all,
A'isha

Kharmine · 11-19-2006, 02:43 AM

My husband is 55, with very strong legs (he's a Morris dancer) and he started having recurrent leg cramps at night, as well. His massage therapist got him to try magnesium which helped a great deal -- when he forgets it, the cramps come back after a few days.

I also had a friend, a runner, who was determined to drop a few pounds quickly. She cut dairy from her diet (because of the fat) and in two days was suffering leg cramps. Lack of calcium, Vitamin D.

A medical exam can confirm if you're suffering from some sort of deficiency. And be sure to let the doctor know if you're taking any kind of meds, even natural remedies. There are some pretty common but not well-known conflicts that occur with certain meds, foods, etc.

Aisha Azar · 11-19-2006, 02:03 PM

Dear Group,
It has been some time now since I have had the leg cramps. I started taking that liquid vitamin supplement, where before I was taking a capsule. It seems to have done the trick. I think the capsule was not dissolving in m system soon enough for me to benefit and so I was probably not getting the calcium/magnesium I needed. I am feeling mich better! Thanks for all of your advice! God, I love belly dancers!! Among us we have so much great info to share and help each other.
Regards,
A'isha

09-05-2006, 01:14 PM	#11 (permalink)
Aisha Azar Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest USA Posts: 4,058	Leg cramps Dear Group, Thanks everyone, for all of the info. I will see my doctor and read all of the info in the sites listed. Oh, and Rico, I spoke with my sister who has diabetes and she often wakes up in the middle of the night with hideous leg cramps and her MD also mentioned magensium/potassium. I chatted with her on the phone yesterday and she has had some relief with supplements. Thanks and regards to all, A'isha

09-06-2006, 12:11 AM	#12 (permalink)
Recnadocir Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: La La Land Posts: 466	After posting last night I nagged myself to take my own magnesium. It certainly has put a stop to my nights waking up in horrible pain. I also seem to crave potassium rich foods fairly often but again, these are easily found (lots of those potato chips that come in the brown bag!). A primary source of magnesium is dark green leafy vegetables, but these may not contain as much magnesium as in former days due to mineral depletion in over-farmed soils. And I don't eat nearly enough salads anyway so, I take the supplement. You can get about a 2 month supply for 5 or 6 bucks. Keep us posted. __________________ http://a537.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...0267e2f1c0.jpg *Nos es in Hollywood , quod vos es non!*

09-09-2006, 07:02 AM	#13 (permalink)
tim'ema Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Western Canada Posts: 141	I had a long history of painful and frustration leg cramps - then they became daytime bouts of leg itchiness...to the point where I was in the bathtub in tears scrubbing and scrubbing! I ended up buying lotion for insect bites that numbs your legs. My chiropractor fixed it! Turns out I had put my hips very slightly out of place - possibly moving furniture or turning awkwardly while gardening. The misaligned hips were pinching the nerves to my legs. After being out of alignment for so long, it took several visits to the chiropractor to retrain the hips to stay in the correct place, but the relief was immediate! AT __________________ My FructMal site My Blog

09-13-2006, 05:11 AM	#14 (permalink)
Drea Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1	Your leg cramps Hi. I am a Naturopathic Consultant and what it sounds like to me is cramps coming from a calcium/ magnesium deficiency or out of balance. IF you are taking any calcium supliment, it may not be utilized through your digestive system. Also the calcium and magnesium must be in the propper ratio. These are just general things. Everyone is biochemically different so I can't say for sure what would work for you. Muscles need calcium to work properly. Hope this helps! ~Drea

09-13-2006, 03:27 PM	#18 (permalink)
Aisha Azar Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest USA Posts: 4,058	Leg cramps Dear GRoup, I am wondering if it could also be a problem that developed because I took a month off from teaching and was not doing too much rehearsing or anything and my body thought that was just wrong??? I started back into reherasals and into my classes in the last couple of weeks and have not been bothered by cramps for about week now, but I also started taking a new liquid vitamin that I got at the health food store after Rico's suggestion, which has more nutrients in it, too. So, maybe its the combination of getting back into my routine and the vitamins. Samira, I do take an aspirin every day because I had a small stroke some years ago, and Albuterol for asthma. The aspirin does not bother me much, but I am rather freaked out by the Albuterol. I have taken it since 1999 when I got Influenza and developed astma as a permanent side effect. I am pretty sure that it has some bad effect, but I need it to breath during excersize and occasionally at other times. I am almost afraid to read about its effects, but I think I read that there is an effect long term on the bones... so there could be something to the calcium/magnesium issue that Drea suggested looking into. Thanks, everyone for rhe advice. I will still mention this to my MD when I next visit him. Regards to all, A'isha

09-13-2006, 11:58 AM	#15 (permalink)
Jewelly Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1	A nice hot bath in epsom salts (aka magnisium sulfate) once a week your body will soak up the minerals it needs through the skin. take care

09-13-2006, 01:06 PM	#16 (permalink)
samira shuruk Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 47	There have been really good suggestions on here. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that some medications can cause muscle cramping as a side effect. If you're on any new medications you may want to also look into this.

09-13-2006, 02:40 PM	#17 (permalink)
Asheba Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sussex England Posts: 32	Apart from leg cramps...anyone any suggestions for restless legs, drive me to distraction when I get them...legs in the bed..legs out of bed...one leg on floor..both on floor sit up walk around...always seem I like to find a cold spot in the bed...wake up feeling..for want of a better word knackered! ops! sorry.

11-19-2006, 02:43 AM	#19 (permalink)
Kharmine V.I.P. Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Foot of the Rocky Mountains Posts: 1,246	My husband is 55, with very strong legs (he's a Morris dancer) and he started having recurrent leg cramps at night, as well. His massage therapist got him to try magnesium which helped a great deal -- when he forgets it, the cramps come back after a few days. I also had a friend, a runner, who was determined to drop a few pounds quickly. She cut dairy from her diet (because of the fat) and in two days was suffering leg cramps. Lack of calcium, Vitamin D. A medical exam can confirm if you're suffering from some sort of deficiency. And be sure to let the doctor know if you're taking any kind of meds, even natural remedies. There are some pretty common but not well-known conflicts that occur with certain meds, foods, etc.

11-19-2006, 02:03 PM	#20 (permalink)
Aisha Azar Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest USA Posts: 4,058	Cramps, etc. Dear Group, It has been some time now since I have had the leg cramps. I started taking that liquid vitamin supplement, where before I was taking a capsule. It seems to have done the trick. I think the capsule was not dissolving in m system soon enough for me to benefit and so I was probably not getting the calcium/magnesium I needed. I am feeling mich better! Thanks for all of your advice! God, I love belly dancers!! Among us we have so much great info to share and help each other. Regards, A'isha