Would your partner wake you up shouting due to cramp?

I wish I could quietly stretch out a leg cramp. There's no being quiet for me I'm afraid.

I've previously always had the type of cramp that was painful, but could be stretched out. However, in the past few months I've suddenly started getting the agonising variety that people are talking about. Prior to this, I would have thought anyone shouting was exaggerating.

I think in my case it's because I've developed arthritis in my spine and I get a lot of associated hip and knee pain at night, making it difficult to find a good position to sleep in. I try to move or stretch because my hip is hurting and suddenly the cramp strikes, it's horrifying! The worst is that sometimes I get it along the front of my shins and the top of my feet and there's no easy way to stretch those areas sufficiently. I usually end up shuffling along the floor on my knees, swearing and trying to bend my feet backwards. I don't suppose anyone has any good tips for what to do with cramp in that position? I tried asking the physio and he said, 'No idea, sounds awful!'.

Awa bile yer heid min. Many folk on here have stated cramp can be more painful than labour. Genuinely can’t remember being in pain in labour but cramp is fucking horrific. This is not a man v woman thing.

I've had cramps and you shout when they come on because it's sudden (especially so if they've woken you up). Making a noise is more to do with the surprise than the pain (which subsides fairly easily).

Bully for those who are silent and stoic when they get hurt but it's not a reasonable thing to request that everyone else endures pain without making noise.

Wow. Can you not conceive of levels of pain? someone’s pain being worse than yours?

It’s agony — I’ve woken myself up screaming, and I have a high pain threshold. I can control my noise level when I’m awake, but when you’re asleep it just comes out.

I get them when I'm not drinking enough and no i don't cry out in pain. I get up and sort it quietly like a normal person.

Like most people I get an occasional leg cramp. I massage my leg, stretch the muscle and get over it quietly. Always wondered why footballers were such babies about them 😂

Last week I had a leg cramp unlike any I've had before. It was in the front of my ankle/shin instead of my calf and my toes curled up like they were in a tight vice. Never felt a cramp like it before, I couldn't uncurl my toes, even physically pulling them with my hands they were so solidly pulled up. I couldn't get any relief from any stretching of my leg in any position - couldn't find the muscle at the front of my leg to stretch, or even stand and it was agony. It, or at least felt like it, lasted about 10 minutes, I was panting like I was giving birth and swearing through the whole episode. I tried to get my ipad to google how to relieve it, but couldn't even type through the pain.

Due to snoring (his), dh and I sleep separately, and he is also a bit hard of hearing, so he was oblivious to the whole thing, but if he was in the room he would have known all about it!

Two weeks ago OP I would have probably said YANBU, but after my recent cramp experience YABU!

I get leg cramps that wake me up and they are so painful and so sudden I always shout out.

I yelped just reading the title

Yes, DH does and it exemplifies why women have babies/periods and not men. Pain should always be quietly internalised, quietly.

My father used to be a wicket keeper , he kept wicket for many years and he used to wake up with dreadful leg cramps from time to time . Really painful ones. But I suppose that sort of goes with the job really.

Sometimes, the cramp isn’t as painful even in the same place.

I’ve had it where my leg actually cramped my heel to my bum. I thought I had dreamt it until I woke up the next day and went to stand up and my leg gave way.

Does he try not to wake you when he goes to the loo and also does he do his share or toddler wakings?

If not, it might be displaced (and fair) annoyance about that.

Also a heads up that you'll get a billion people saying you're awful and unreasonable still even though you've accepted you were being u!

My old housemate used to get cramps a lot, day and night, but would only shout out a night; which he'd put down to the shock of waking up in agony rather than the pain in itself.

I dont tend to make a noise at all when in pain, not bravery or anything, it just's not a reflex I have, wouldn't judge anyone who did tho. Pain isn't a fixed scale for everyone with fixed reactions/tolerances, I know that my wife can tolerate pain that I can't and vice versa, and we both react very differently with our particular least well-tolerated types of pain.

My DH hasn't woken me because he doesn't get cramp, but I have certainly woken him! The thing is that you're fast asleep, and then BAM you're in massive pain and discomfort. So the yelling is totally reflexive. You can't control it.

I've definitely shouted out in pain due to pain, can't be helped.

Me too. The only solution is to rub the calf muscles vigorously with the heel of my palm. It bloody hurts for hours after too. I panic now if I stretch my leg to far and feel a twinge in my calf.

My DH had night time leg cramps until he started to eat a banana a day. Something about potassium stops cramps.

Yep, I think cramp varies hugely. I don't get it often, and mostly I react like you @Daisypod . But once i had an exceptionally painful one at a level that I wouldn't have believed existed, had I not experienced it. So now I don't assume that cramp yellers are being dramatic.

After years of not having one I had one a couple of weeks ago. Was awful - the pain was intense. I got very dizzy and everything went black for a couple of seconds. Can be excruciating

At least labour builds up over the course of 40 hours 😉

They are incredibly painful. It's like being attacked in your sleep and the fear that if you attempt to move your foot, you'll rip the solid mass of muscle that's locked. Then a few waves of it and panic at more crushing tension on each round.

As it wears off, there's the depressing realisation that you're going to be sore and limping the next day.

It would be nasty enough in the day, but it's a bloody horrible way to wake up and too painful and abrupt to conciously manage your response.

Magnesium and other electrolytes help with prevention.

YABVU! They can be the worst thing!

Fentymans tonic water has quinine which is great if you know cramp might happen - if you know possible triggers for yourself

If it's very regular- doctors may also offer something

Same here. I suffered dreadfully as a teenager