Cramp in my leg at night

[Xenadog]

Last night I was doing an impression of Linda Blair from The Exorcist when I woke up with the worst cramp ever in my calf. I have never had a cramp pain like it and I literally woke up screaming and thrashing around. DP leapt out of bed and was massaging my leg and managed to reduce the pain. I then went back to sleep but all day (and even now) I still have pain in my calf where I had the cramp.

So in a nutshell, does anyone have any advice for how to avoid this happening again? I am rather pathetically, scared of going to bed tonight in case I wake up with it again.

I got this a bit in this pregnancy, as well as in my first. Haven't had it at any other time in my life. It's really painful.

I was advised it might be a symptom of dehydration. Drinking more water seemed to help prevent it.

A magnesium supplement might help, too. I didn't have this during pregnancy, but have had it on and off since and I've found magnesium really good.

Thanks guys, I have made sure I have drank more today (think I did have little less than usual yesterday) and I take pregnacare anyway which has extra magnesium in it. Will have to up my intake of it I think.

I am finding pregnancy a real pain (literally) and can't believe people do this more than once!

Hi, I used to get these when pregnant and read that eating bananas is helpful (potassium I think). I personally found the only way to get rid of an attack while it's happening is to leap out of bed and stand and stamp on the foot of the leg affected. That seems to stretch the calf and alleviate the attack. It's awful pain and I send my sympathies (I got a calf cramp the other night and I did the stamping thing and it worked x)

yes to hydration and magnesium.
sleeping with flight socks also helped me.

Drinking tonic water regularly helps as does eating a banana before bed. I used to get it almost every night in my first pregnancy but managed to control it better second time round. If you do get cramp stand facing a wall and put your hands against the wall and stretch you leg behind you so you're pushing on your tip toes. Straightens the muscle out. I used to bounce about the room squeeling till I learnt this trick

flight socks/compression stockings at night, calf stretches and gently circling the ankles time to time.

i feel your pain im prone to them. but thats whats helping me atm. i find the cramps are worse if my legs and feet are cold x

Apparently putting your legs up the wall ie elevating them for 10 mins or so in the evening before bed can also help. Haven't tried it yet but am struggling with leg cramps too. I feel your pain - quite literally!!

Worst pain! The junior doctor at the hospital was worried that I had a blood clot but after being asked the symptoms, having my calf examined and having blood tests they found it was just another normal preggo symptom. The consultant did say it was a magnesium deficiency though so I started eating lots more dried figs and drinking water - it hasn't been hurting yay :)

I started getting this but now whenever I feel a leg cramp coming on I point my toes upwards (towards my chest NOT downwards like tiptoes) and it goes immediately.

I had this. Nothing worked until I tried tonic water. It was amazing. Cleared up straight away. Don't have too much though. If I had more that one glass I got terribly itchy skin.

Was very skeptical but twas a miracle