Agonising foot and leg cramps every night

[MockBatter]

Has anyone had such bad foot and leg cramps that they regularly lose hours of sleep at night, then experience no problems with cramps in the day?

im finding it really hard to live with and I’ve tried all the tips people give you like magnesium supplements, drinking more water, stretching out the cramps as they start. Mine start and just come back over and over all night and are really intense.

any tips for making this better?

Are you taking a statin ?

No I’m not on any medication at all.

In case it helps anyone think of advice I am 47 years old, I am not overweight (BMI is exactly 20), I walk 10,000 steps a day and do Pilates once a week and swim 40 lengths twice a week, I do a sedentary and high stress job and I definitely get worse cramps on work days.

Keep yourself hydrated and take magnesium glycinate at night.

I used to have this. Only leg cramps on my working days. They are agony, like a red hot pain in the bone that would have me writhing on the floor. All that helps is drink plenty as early as possible in the day so you load up. If I try to drink later in the day it doesn’t help. But if the cramp comes in the night if I haven’t taken on enough water my dh gets a hot water bottle and I put it straight on the cramp and hold it there. That works.

If it’s magnesium deficiency then you need the right magnesium supplement as they aren’t all bioavailable. Magnesium glycinate is a good one.

My dad sleeps with several corks under his pillow to stop cramps. It shouldn't work, he knows it shouldn't work, but somehow it does.

The friend gave him this tip (who had also suffered from cramp) said to him "I know it shouldn't work but somehow it does"

So although it really shouldn't help, it could be worth a try....

I started getting dreadful cramps and spasms in my feet a few months ago, my toes would spasm and lock it was very painful. Magnesium helped me but I see it didn't work for you, maybe upping the dose will help. I have started taking electrolytes too and they have improved to the extent that I rarely get them now and when I do they go quickly once I change position and stretch my foot out.

Drinking one hydration (NOT energy!) drink with electrolytes a day and mild stretching before bed helped me with this.

My toes lock in odd positions during the cramps too. My whole foot bends and I cannot straighten it.

i will try more magnesium, more water and electrolytes and maybe even corks!

I thought maybe it was a sign or perimenopause but maybe not.

these help me.
Plus a massage gun thing ( mine is boots own) all down my legs from hips to feet.

I used to get some quite bad cramps. I had a machine that I would use once a day where I’d put my feet on it-it looked like weighing scales-and it would send shocks through my legs for about 20 minutes. It’s something you could even use at work. It was transformative.

I get leg cramp if I've had a bit too much alcohol over a few days, and I'm dehydrated. It hurts like hell doesn't it. I find that eating bananas helps (I think it's a potassium thing) and, obviously, not drinking alcohol

Dear OP, my sympathies. I have had a problem with cramps/muscle spasms for a long time. I would get particularly horrific ones in my thighs late at night. I had some blood tests for something else which showed I had very low vitamin D and folic acid levels so my GP prescribed high doses of both, vit D for two weeks and then the standard dose and high dose folic acid for 4 months. My cramps massively reduced.

When I came off the high dose folic acid after 4 months I chose a standard dose folic supplement and my cramps started to return so now I take a high dose folic acid and standard vit D supplement. It is one designed for pregnant women which given I am in my 50s causes some raised eyebrows! It has made an enormous difference to me.

It might be worth getting your levels checked by the Dr or just giving it a try and seeing if it helps as it won't do any harm (vitamin D and folic acid are water soluble so you just pee it out if you have more than your body needs).

Try increasing your salt intake for a few days. It usually works for me.

I found eating a banana every day helps.

Yes bananas help too, the magic combo seems to be potassium, magnesium and electrolytes for me, dates are high in potassium too if you dont like bananas. Like a pp if I have a couple of drinks I suffer a bit, even when I take all of the above.

Keep a warm pack or massage tool by the bed so you can treat cramps quickly.

Try tonic water, the quinine in it helps with cramps

I think quinine in tonic water is like corks under the pillow, it shouldn't work, but somehow it does.
Could be to do with gin and tonic being more hydrating than wine?

Stress burns through electrolytes and B vitamins. Take a good B complex and it will help your body hold onto the benefits of a good electrolyte.

This is really interesting as I’ve been suffering with bad leg & foot cramps at night for a while. I put it down to my statin (hence me asking if you were taking one) and whilst it has improved since the GP changed my meds it’s not gone - but I did have low folate levels a while back and was prescribed folic acid. Stopped taking it when the prescription ran out. Maybe need to go back to it…..

I use magnesium spray it works well.

my mom, who is a wise old bird, says you need more salt (ie the electrolytes PPs have suggested).

Plus quinine in tonic water.

May be old wives tales. May be worth a try.

It sounds like you are fit and eat well. Maybe you are short on the old electrolytes. And you don’t have to put gin in the tonic!

All of the above plus socks in bed. I wear the Heat Holders ones from September on. I used to suffer really badly but have only had it once this year and it was last week as the weather started to change.

I keep a magnesium spray next to the bed as well.

There’s also the old wives tale about putting ends of bars of soap under the sheet where your feet are. I used to do this but it was probably coincidental that I never had cramp then.