foot and leg cramps

JeannieV8

Member
Not sure where the proper place to post this is...

Does anyone know what causes Charlie Horses either in your calf muscles or the arches on the bottom of your feet???

I have been getting these on and off for so long now that I would love to find something to help prevent them.

I drink LOTS of water so I know it's not from dehydration. I eat a pretty good diet plus take vitamins so I don't *think* it's from anything missing in my diet.

I always get cramps in my legs if I stretch in bed in the morning and then I have to leap out of bed and try to stand on the leg with the pain to get it to stop. A friend of mine told me when I stretch to make sure I don't stretch my toes at the same time which DOES work as long as I remember not to do that.

When I do yoga I will get wicked cramps on the bottom of my feet in the arches if I'm doing a stretch while on my knees unless I keep my toes curled towards the tops of my feet.

Does anyone know how to prevent these things?

Thank you
Jeannie
 
foot and leg crams

Hi Jeannie, I get the same thing you are experiencing. I get awful cramps on my calf muscle and around the ankle area. Sometimes I also have to jump out of bed on one leg because it gets so stiff and painful. I also drink lots of water and take calcium (I believe it helps the muscles) so I don't know what else to do. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow so I am mentioning it to her - let you know what she says.

Take care,

Margarita
 
I have the same problem. I take a calcium/mag/vit D supplement which did the trick. Some people also have good luck increasing their potassium but that did not work for me.
 
I used to get those wicked cramps in my arches and what worked for me was getting a deep tissue massage. The first time, I almost hit the roof as my massage therapist worked my arches. I felt a cramp coming on but once she loosened up my calves & feet, I quit getting the cramps. For me it had to do with tight muscles. You might want to roll out your arches on a tennis ball...that also works.

JJ
 
Gatorade

You'll never believe me because this is way too easy of a fix, but I'm not joking. I used to get cramps a lot and now whenever I get them a drink a few glasses of gatorade, and they completely go away. Someone told me the electrolites in gatorade helps, and it totally works for me.
 
Makes sense, Gatorade has potassium, and potassium really helps to alleviate the cramps. I sometimes cramp up while working out if my diet isn't right, and for a quick fix I drink a bottle of Gatorade at the gym, and at home just take the pills.
 
Hi Jeannie, I get the same thing you are experiencing. I get awful cramps on my calf muscle and around the ankle area. Sometimes I also have to jump out of bed on one leg because it gets so stiff and painful. I also drink lots of water and take calcium (I believe it helps the muscles) so I don't know what else to do. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow so I am mentioning it to her - let you know what she says.

Take care,

Margarita
Thank you Margarita, I would be interested in knowing what your doctor has to say

Jeannie
 
leg and foot cramps

Thank you Margarita, I would be very interested to hear what your doctor has to say. I'm at the point where I will try anything

Jeannie

Hi Jeannie, I get the same thing you are experiencing. I get awful cramps on my calf muscle and around the ankle area. Sometimes I also have to jump out of bed on one leg because it gets so stiff and painful. I also drink lots of water and take calcium (I believe it helps the muscles) so I don't know what else to do. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow so I am mentioning it to her - let you know what she says.

Take care,

Margarita
 
I had them a lot when I was pregnant and the nurse told me it was from not enough calcium. I started drinking more milk and they went away. I've also heard that lack of potassium is a cause.
 
Well I really don't like the taste of Gatorade, but I will try it. I have to do some shopping today and I will pick up some.

How much and how often do you drink this to see a difference?

Jeannie


You'll never believe me because this is way too easy of a fix, but I'm not joking. I used to get cramps a lot and now whenever I get them a drink a few glasses of gatorade, and they completely go away. Someone told me the electrolites in gatorade helps, and it totally works for me.
 
leg and foot cramps

I have been taking all of those as well for the past 3 years and I think they have helped, but have not taken them away completely :(

I do tend to eat a low sodium diet and wonder if that could be adding to the problem?

I do feel that I do get plenty of sodium in my diet never the less.

Oh I also take fish oil as well as a basic green tea fat burner twice a day. That is the only source of caffeine I get.

I only drink water, usually around 120 to 140 oz a day.

I am reasonably healthy otherwise. I workout 6 days a week and either rest or do light yoga on the 7th day. So I just don't know what it could be from, unless it's from the green tea???

Jeannie

I have the same problem. I take a calcium/mag/vit D supplement which did the trick. Some people also have good luck increasing their potassium but that did not work for me.
 
I was having aweful Charlie Horses all day long! Then it got even worse I started getting muscles cramps in my chest and shoulders and back as well! I first though dehydration even though I thought I was pretty well hydrated. That did not help at all. I did some google searches and found some blurb about electrolite imbalance. I really did not think much about. I happened to go to GNC to return some vitamins because I could not swollow them. I wanted to exchange them for something else but the person working at GNC suggested that I crush them up and drink them because they would be better than buying the powered verision because the pill contains electrolytes. I then mention all they terrible cramps I have been having and the guy at GNC said my electrolytes were probably off. I left with the same viatmins and started grinding them in my blender and drinking BEFORE my workout like the GNC guy suggested. Withing three days all my cramps stoped and I have not gotten any since.
 
I know I said this elsewhere

But, you can use pedialyte the dye/flavor free kind and just add some juice. If you don't like gatorade (I don't.) it must be refrigerated and is only good for a day after its been opened so get the little individual sizes. Its sold next to the baby products.

PS I'm not Cathe
 
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Well I really don't like the taste of Gatorade, but I will try it. I have to do some shopping today and I will pick up some.

How much and how often do you drink this to see a difference?

Jeannie

Potassium pills might do the same thing, in addition to potassium, you could try a calcium/magnesium supplement.

I would just drink a bottle of gatorade when the cramp happened, but not as a preventative measure.

Take a look at your diet too, I got the worst cramps when I was severely restricting carbs, which meant restricting/excluding fruits, milk and yogurt. Those items probably had a lot of the potassium and calcium that I was missing.
 
leg and foot cramps

I have yogurt and skim milk with my whey protein shake every morning. I also eat apples at least 5 days a week, so that can't be the problem.

I also take a calcium/magnesium/zinc pill every morning too and have been for the past 3 years or so.

I managed to find a purple Gatorade that I can bear the taste. Maybe I'll drink that during my workouts when I do yoga which is when the foot cramps bother me. Actually all I have to do is touch the bottom part of my arch and I get a cramp.

I have mentioned it to two different doctors and they don't seem to know what it's from.

Jeannie


Potassium pills might do the same thing, in addition to potassium, you could try a calcium/magnesium supplement.

I would just drink a bottle of gatorade when the cramp happened, but not as a preventative measure.

Take a look at your diet too, I got the worst cramps when I was severely restricting carbs, which meant restricting/excluding fruits, milk and yogurt. Those items probably had a lot of the potassium and calcium that I was missing.
 
As a pharmacist, I recommend Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc combo supplements. I've never had anyone tell me it doesn't work---and I had to use them myself---especially when pg
 

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