Got any ideas please

[Larry]

So you're a surfer Ianab...we called it body surfing...near Hanauma Bay Hawaii iffen I remember right.  On a big wave day if you was out to far the rip would get ya and than you really had to swim.  Thought I was going to meet the big surfer in the sky one time due to a cramp.

Used to watch these really poor and cheap surfing movies at the local theater's...always wanted to paddle New Zealand but never enough money.

[Shotgun]

I use to get craps in the legs occasionally in the past but one day while hunting my buddy offered me a vitamin C drop.  He siad that when ever he exercised alot he would eat them and his legs would not get as sore and no craps.  So I started taking them and have had few craps since then.  I eat alot of citrus with vitamin C in now and still take the drops once in a while.  The tablets are sold with cough drops.

Farmerdoug, You may have more than just leg problems from the symptoms you describe.    ;D

Norm

[Fla._Deadheader]

You guys think cramps when yer surfing is bad ??  Try getting them in BOTH legs while Scuba Diving.

  One time, when we first started logging, we were out in the river in a 3mph current. Missed the buoy line that we put out trailing behind the boat, so you don't get carried away. BOTH legs cramped. Luckily, had paid close attention to my air supply, and dropped back to the bottom and crawled ( hopefully) toward the boat.

  No visibility, so, it was definitely taking a chance.  Finally made a break for the surface and caught the last 3 feet of that 30' line and pulled myself to the boat. Still cramped so couldn't get onto the boat. Tied the line to my BC and laid there in total agony, until the other diver came to the boat.

  NEVER had both divers in the water again at the same time.  :

[pigman]

Had em all my life after strenuous work. 

If strenuous work causes cramps, I am safe. ;)

[bitternut]

I eat lots of bananas, apples, citrus and drink plenty of water. Only about 10 pounds at most over ideal weight and get plenty of exercise. Problem is I also get those cramps sometimes at night. I asked the doctor and he told me they were caused by my bad back. He might be right because if I do something that bothers my back I will usually get leg cramps that night. If anyone ever figures out how to prevent them I hope they pass it on to the rest of us. Never shed no tears but almost passed out a few times.

[IMERC]

Had em all my life after strenuous work. 

Latic acid build up. Low % of body fat.

You need to get out the donuts and cookies.

[woodbowl]

I asked the doctor and he told me they were caused by my bad back. He might be right because if I do something that bothers my back I will usually get leg cramps that night.

Is this consistant with everyone else here, as well? A light just went on when I thought about my uncle with leg cramps. He also has a bad back. So ............. who all has a bad back and leg cramps?   ??? ......................... Well, that's makes a lot of since. We all got sawmills! Of course we all got a bad back!  :-[

[Faron]

I second (or third) the bar of soap under the sheets idea.  My dad had leg cramp problems and tried it sucessfully.  Told me about it and I laughed at him.  My wife had problems and I told her.  She laughed at ME.  For a while she was having constant problems.  I slipped a bar under the sheets without her knowing it.  Next morning I asked how the leg cramps were.  "Didn't have any!"  That's when I pulled down the sheets and showed her the bar of soap.  ;D  Also mentioned that nursing school doesn't each you EVERYTHING.

[Minnesota_boy]

When I get leg cramps it's because of a mineral deficiency.  It could be sodium (salt) from sweating it out, potasium (bananas are a good source) or calcium (cheese sandwiches seem to help).  I try to eat foods with some of each of these every day.  If I get the minerals balanced, I don't get cramps.

[OneWithWood]

A cup of low fat yogurt after dinner will help with both the leg cramps and the weight reduction.  Low fat yogurt is high in digestable calcium.


Tom, must be inflation.  I always charge a buck three eighty.  Best be raisin the price!  ;)

[carver45]

My wife use to get really bad cramps. To the point where she would wake up the whole house with here screaming. I can not describe the scream, Horrible. And she is not  a wimp. So I knew it was darn painful.

She decided to start eliminating some things from her diet, and soon her cramps were gone when she cut out the coffee and anything with to much caffeine. She does not get them very often anymore. But if she has a can of pop or a coffee, you can almost guaruntee she will have those horrible cramps.

And when she does get them the only thing that seem to get rid of it is Mag Foss. It is available and any health food store. You just put it under your tongue.

Good luck with your cramps. I always find keep an open mind because you never know who has the answer. And somtimes I would believe grandma more than Doc.
Chris

[Ernie]

Wow what a great response, sounds like this forum is made up of a pile of old wrecks ;D ;D

My daily dietary routine, usually.  2 bananas (Potassium), at least 4 either oranges, lemons, limes, tangelos, mandarins uglis or lemonades from the orchard as I wander through (Vitamin C).  Minimum 1 litre of milk (Calcium and too much fat, I like the real stuff ;D), Too much cheese (calcium and gout  :()  4 + glasses of red wine (Good for the cholesterol ;))  At least 3 cups of coffee, strong enough to taste.  No carbonated drinks  except when I have rum or rye ( once every couple of weeks) Plus all the water and salt water that I mentioned earlier (Sodium).

Since I seem to be getting everything that has been recommended, it must be the bar of soap.

I'll try it and let you know, give me a couple of weeks to do a good trial.

[IMERC]

sounds like this forum is made up of a pile of old wrecks ;D ;D

not piles (way too much preperation H on hand) and we're more spread out (check the map)

[Ernie]

been there too >:( >:(

[IMERC]

Ernie.
with a diet like that you might want to look into poor circulation and perhaps a diabieties check up.

[Ernie]

Ernie.
with a diet like that you might want to look into poor circulation and perhaps a diabieties check up.

been there, everything's AOK 8) 8)

A few cardiac problems but the stents seem to have fixed that up

[IMERC]

this is good to hear

[Brucer]

I solved this problem 20 years ago -- haven't had a problem since. You.ve got most of the bits and pieces in this thread so now I'll try to put them all together for you. First, though, fair warning. I am not a medical professional. My knowledge comes from personal research; some of my sources are not well received by their medical colleagues.

Cramping is caused when the muscles and nervous system set up a positive feedback loop. The muscles tighten, this stretches the tendons (the attachment between muscles and bones), and this triggers the body's stretch reflex which causes the muslces to contract even more. The body is supposed to be able to regulate the contractions, but isn't doing so for some reason.

Lactic acid buildup in the muscles is the result of excessive exercise (excessive = "more than you're used to' ;D) It can cause muscle pain for a couple of days, but It should not be the cause of persistent cramping.

The old practice of taking salt tablets in very hot weather is no longer considered to be appropriate (I took 'em in th late 60's when I worked in a sawmill). If you feel you must replenish your electrolytes, a balanced "sports drink" as Tom suggests would be more useful, but make sure it contains Potassium (see below).

It's very difficult to be deficient in Sodium unless you're a vegan vegetarian. The kidneys conserve sodium if levels are low and (usually) eliminate it if levels are high. However, excess Sodium intake will deplete Potassium levels. Potassium is also depleted by excess heat, so taking salt (sodium chloride) when you're sweating a lot will make things worse.

Your muscles need Potassium to contract; your heart needs it to relax; your nervous system needs it. A Pottasium deficiency may be a contibuting factor to your cramping, but not the main cause. Potatoes, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will maintain your Pottasium levels. Personally, I relay on my diet to maintain my Sodium and Potassium levels, even in very hot weather.

By far the most common culprit when you get severe cramping in your legs is a Calcium deficieny. It's not enough to get lots of Calcium in your diet. Your body has to absorb it, and then transport it to the right places. Your body loses about 400 mg per day of Calcium; absorption is poor even in the best conditions, so 800 mg to 1000 mg seems to be an appropriate intake level. Phosphorus (found in soft drinks and red meats) competes with Calcium for absorption, so too much of it will deplete your Calcium levels. Vitamin C increases Calcium absorption. Vitamin D helps maintain the proper balance between Phosphorus and Calcium. Lactobacillus Acidopholus is a benign bacteria that increases Calcium absorption by increasing the acidity of your intestines.

Magnesium and Calcium compete for transport within the body. If you increase your Calcium intake, you should also increase your Magnesium intake, in a ratio of about 2:1.  Low Magnesium level can lead to all sort of nasty conditions, including calcium deposits, kidney stones, fatal heart attacks, and muscle spasms. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant and so in itself is beneficial in reducing cramping.

Milk and dairy products contain lots of Calcium, and here in Canada milk is "fortified" with  Vitamin D. But the Vitamin D added to milk is the synthetic variety (D2) and some researchers believe it may contribute to cramping rather then reduce it. They suggest that natural Vitamin D (D3) as found in fish liver extracts does a better job.

Diuretics will deplete increase the rate at which Sodium, Potassium, and Magnesium are removed. The Sodium is usually replenished from the excess in most diets. Potassium and Magnesium need to be supplemented. Caffeine acts as a natural diuretic.

Stretching, as Tom suggests, will reduce muscle tightness. This may not eliminate cramping, but will probably reduce the severity. Stretching your legs by bending over may not be a good idea as it can cause back injuries. Sitting on the floor with your legs comfortably spread, and stretching toward one foot at at time will stretch the muscles at the back of the leg (which is usually where the cramping occurs). If you can reach the ball of your foot, lean forward (keeping your spine straight), and then pull back on your foot to gently stretch the back of your leg. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. If you can't reach your foot with your hand, loop a towel over it. Leaning forward at the waist stretches the hamstrings in the upper leg; pulling the top of the foot back stretches the calf muscles.

My own approach to eliminating my leg cramps, once and for all, is as follows;
  - A combined supplement of 1000 mg of Calcium and 500 mg of Magnesium every evening before bed. Taking it in the evening gives me the most benefit from the relaxing effect of the Magnesium.
  - I normally take supplemental Vitamin C every day, totalling 2500 mg (yes, 2.5 grams per day). This is for more than just helping Calcium absorption. If Calcium absorption were my only concern, I'd be taking at least 1000 mg per day.
  - On bright sunny days in the summer, I take 200 IU of Vitamin D each day. On dark, overcast days in the winter I increase it to 600 IU. Normally I take 400 IU. The supplement is in the form of a fish liver extract, 400 IU per capsule of Vitamin D and 5000 IU of Vitamin A. Because both Vitamins are fat-soluble, they are stored in the body. This means I can "average" the levels -- to get my 200 IU in the summer, I take one capsule every second day.
  - I take 2 capsules a day of Acidopholus cultures, one in the morning and one in the evening. More if I"m taking antibiotics (which I try to avoid).
  - I generally avoid soft drinks. My diet is very low in red meat.
  - I don't attempt to replenish my electrolytes with supplements, even in the hottest weather.
  - I increase my water intake when I'm working in the heat. I don't rely on thirst as an indicator of how much to drink. I use make sure I empty a couple of 4-litre jugs whenever I put in a full day in the sun.
  - I'm not an exercise freak, but 2 to 3 times a week I participate in a fun (for me) activity that keeps me on my feet for a couple of hours. I stress the fun part, because if it wasn't I wouldn't do it. I make this a priority activity so I can't find excuses for not doing it.
  - Part of my routine physical activity involves stretching, and I make sure to include stretching the backs of my legs as part of the routine.

That has completely eliminated the spontaneous nocturnal cramping. It might not all be necessary, but it's become a routine so I don't mess with it. I do take other supplements, but they are not directed at dealing with muscle cramps. Nor is the above list intended to deal solely with cramping.

If you're taking prescription medication of any kind, talk to your doctor and/or pharmacist before adopting a program like this. Especially talk to your doctor if you've got heart or circulation problems.

If you try it, let us know how it works.

[fat olde elf]

check out Google. Enter Leg ramps, Vitamin E.  200 IU does it for me.  Thigh and calf cramps used to be severe. No more since using Vitamin E.  Of course I'm alot older than Tom.........

[Lud]

I'd not been near a computer that worked over Christmas but I dug this up as I'd tried something  and wanted to report.

I put Vicks on my feet and a light pair of socks.  8 or 9 coughs out of 10 the night before went away!!!!  And fell asleep easy.  Next night the wife tried it too and found relief as well.

It's the later stages of the cold and you got those 3-D Elmers that take a few days to get rid of... and you lay there getting all hot from coughin' and just tired of it all......

Vicks on yer feet!  give it a try.....you'll be glad you're willing  to try and not just pooh-poohing it.