Why am I so prone to leg cramps?

[justanotherneighinparadise]

Hiya,

Does anyone else suffer odd days where their lower leg/calf has a burning cramping sensation? I had it in pregnancy and use to take a calcium/magnesium supplement which eased it.

Nowadays I’m mid forties and it still flares once a week or so. I have been pretty sedentary during lockdown so am mindful of that. Magnesium cream rubbed in does seem to help. Do we know why? Is it a deficiency? I remember my dad suffering a lot from leg cramps as he aged so I’m wondering if it’s genetic.

It could be vit d/ vit b12 deficiency or low magnesium. Instead of magnesium cream why not try an oral supplement plus some vitamin d if you don't get much sun. If you add vitamin d3 , you don't need calcium as most of us do eat sufficient calcium foods and vitamin d helps in calcium absorption.

I will admit I did supplement and now I don’t because I got out the habit. I’ll start again and see if it improves 👌

Just add some salt to your food.

I have this as a side effect of my asthma meds (high dose corticosteroids), sometimes it's almost daily and really annoying.

I had them because of low potassium. Try eat more foods with potassium in such as bananas

I haven't had one in years now I used to have them so awful I could barely walk the next day. In fact I remember on one occasion I had to use crutches for a few days as the pain was so bad and wouldn't budge

Salt is meant to help too

Are you on your feet a lot? If so compression socks can help, I'm a nurse and wear them on my 12 hr shifts. Xx

I get it fairly often, mostly when I'm dehydrated. Maybe I should try the vitamins, the last few times have been awful, in the shin and calf simultaneously.