really painful lower leg cramps at night

[fizzywat]

I have been woken up every night for the past week with excruciating cramp/pain on my lower shin going towards my instep. Honestly it is horrible.

I mentioned it to the doc and he wasn't one bit concerned, said "walk it out", it is muscle related etc.

For another reason last year I had ultrasound of legs for possible vein issues, but all clear and the vascular folk don't want to see me again until November for a check up. I had no DVT or cramps it was just me wanting to have my varicose veins assessed. They were not amenable to any treatment, but I could get it done privately. That's for another day.

I don't know what is causing this. Has anyone had this and if you did what did you do? I need something as I am afraid to go to sleep now as I fear waking up in such dreadful pain!

Magnesium can be good for cramps.

A significant body of research has found that increasing your magnesium intake can help with the frequency of night time leg cramps, especially for pregnant women. Health experts recommend getting at least 300 milligrams of magnesium each day

I get this too! I think related to sciatica as always on the same side. Magnesium and stretching (leg extended, pulling toes towards you) plus staying hydrated helps

I’d say try magnesium too. It’s worked for me.

Apparently salt can also affect this as in lack of salt. Neurologist told me to up my salt intake cos of low blood pressure and I stared having a packet of crisps a day to do that cos I not like salt on food
as soon I as I started that the night cramps stopped but I used to get them a lot too until that

Magnesium.

I experienced bad leg cramps for years and found that Magnesium was the only thing that worked.

If I don't take magnesium supplements I get terrible cramps at night, so it works for me

I get this on occasion in the back of calf, shocks me out of sleep, makes me jump out of bed in agony and say multiple rude words.

I think it's a result of dehydration.

Another vote for magnesium- I was taking it originally for my coldsores but fixed my lower calf night cramps as a side effect?!

Magnesium and make sure you're drinking (water) enough.

OP here, sorry, I name changed earlier without remembering I had a thread open!

Thank you all so much for taking the time to post. I am using H+B magnesium spray together with Aveeno menthol cream before bed. I forget now and then but the cramps come on whether I have used the spray or not. Gosh it is very painful and a bit scary too when you cannot move and are in spasm.

I will look up the exercises and matter of fact I did have sciatica a couple of years ago, but not in a while, however it maybe lurking there and coming out as flipping cramps!

There might be something in the salt advice. I am on a very low salt diet medically advised because of cardiac thinggys but I'm ok. That could be an issue alright. I do drink plain water but might sneak in a fizzy one with sodium and see. It might help the cramps but give me a stroke!

I'm trying to be lighthearted. I have multiple bits going wrong on me but overall I'm fine. Seems like I might solve one issue, but cause another to pop up.

I will ask docs if it's ok for me to take magnesium supplements. What do you take, there are so many varieties of magnesium out there. Thanks again folks.

I get these cramps too and they are excruciating! The following day my calf muscle is usually sore and it's hard to walk properly. I know it's the last thing you want to do but stretch your leg out straight, and point your toes toward yourself as far back as possible. Or stand up and then stretch your leg straight pushing your knee back (if that makes sense). The cramp usually subsides. I've heard tonic/quinine water helps cramps. I used to drink it during pregnancy as I literally had these cramps in late pregnancy every night. Helped sometimes only. Don't think there's any scientific evidence to back it up tho! I usually stretch my calves before bed as it's said this also helps. Hope they go away xx

Oh gosh Op I did not realise you were medically on a low salt diet I am sorry! Please do not take my advice before speaking to a dr or something I would hate to make you ill!

I no longer get cramps in my calves but when I have a bad cold, I get weird pains in my shins for two or three nights - like a dull ache in the bone. It's only when I have a cold. It's odd ...

Recently I have found I get terrible leg pain in the evening and it’s related to my shoes. I don’t know if it’s age/hormone related but I did a bit of googling and it seems that it might be. Something to do with my feet now needing much more arch support than they used to. If I wear shoes with poor support, I don’t tend to notice at the time but I always suffer by the night time. Might be worth considering?

Magnesium and a banana before bed (for potassium)

I get it too, quite often it's when my legs get cold in the night.

I've had it so often I've developed a hood stretch I can do without waking too much & it goes away. I try to put the duvet over my lower legs even when it's hot st night.

this getting older seems to be one thing after another !!

(Name changed OP here)..Oh please don't worry, I won't increase salt without doc's approval. Thank you for your suggestion though, it is food for thought!

People can be so kind with their understanding and suggestions, I appreciate it.

If the pain is excruciating, and kind of flashes up and down, it could be sciatica - have a google.

But hopefully not.

Apart taking magnesium orally /choosing one of the more effective forms/ you can try magnesium oil spray and epsom salt baths.

Also massaging and exercising/stretching your feet might help. I use a tennis ball to roll my feet on it. Have a look on YT for ballet feet exercises.

Also I have this stretch from my physio - standing up you put your foot up on a stool or something. Put your hands round your calf, thumbs meetin in front, fingers meeting in the back. Then you twist your hands with the calf and shin to one side, gently as far as it will go, wait around 5 seconds and then twist a little bit more as the muscles /tendons loosen up. Do both sides at three high levels.

I had a lot of that in 1976, during the drought. I think it was a salt deficiency.

I had these too, op. Unbelievably painful cramps. Magnesium oil spray is what saved me. I can't be without it now.

To add, be sure to do plenty of calf stretches every day.