good morning everyone, i am suffering with Continual day and night SEVERE LEG CRAMPS they actually deform the shape of my feet and the pain continues up my entire lower legs, I had practically no sleep last night, it has been happening for quite a while but is getting much worse so a couple of weeks ago I started having a glass of Indian tonic water with Quinine, (it hasn’t helped at all in fact it’s getting worse ) this morning I read that people with irregular heart rate and takes blood thinners should not drink it,!!! Does anyone have any advice for me please.
quinine query: good morning everyone, i... - British Heart Fou...
quinine query
Written by
Dogloverxthree
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
56 Replies
•
tonic water reduced my cramps, but if it isn’t helping then stop.
I don’t get it as bad as you and only some nights. But I put my weight on to my leg by simply standing by the bed. Hope this might work for you.
The NHS site explains quite a lot.
To prevent cramps you might take appropriate exercise of the leg muscles. But given the severity of your episodes I think you need GP advice.
best wishes
Sooty.
thanks for replying Sooty, mine are so severe , the night I had my cardiac arrest was preceded by severe leg cramp and I asked for help to get off hospital bed( I was in with Af at the time) and as they got me up I just went into arrest, so I’m a little bit afraid to try and get upright on my own !!!!
I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing such severe leg cramps. It sounds like they're interfering with your sleep and your quality of life.
I'm not a medical professional, so I can't give you medical advice. However, I can tell you that quinine is not a safe treatment for leg cramps. It can have serious side effects, including heart rhythm problems, bleeding, and even worse.
As it is, self medication is most dangerous and should not be attempted to.
If you're taking blood thinners or have an irregular heart rate, you should definitely not be drinking tonic water.
I recommend that you see a doctor as soon as possible to get a diagnosis and treatment for your leg cramps. There are other, safer treatments available that can help relieve your pain and improve your sleep.
In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to help manage your leg cramps at home:
Stretch your legs regularly, especially before bed.
Stay hydrated.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can dehydrate you and make cramps worse.
If you smoke, quit. Smoking can also dehydrate you and make cramps worse.
If you have a job that requires you to stand for long periods of time, take breaks to stretch your legs.
I hope this helps.
thank you for you response, what you have said is what I read early hours of this morning which alarmed me, I shan’t be drinking it again !! I have had a bit of fluttering since drinking it I only have one glass a day, last night l had irregular beat which woke me at 11 am and frightened me as I’m on my own so I took an extra bisoprol which I was told to do at hospital which settled it after couple hours, but the cramps are another thing. I did tell the GP and she didn’t seem to concerned but I have got neuropathy since bypass but I think perhaps I must drink more water. I don’t drink alcholol, no caffeine, don’t smoke, and not on my feet for long periods so I guess it’s just old age, getting old ain’t for weaklings !!!!
I am not able to suggest what to do but let me share my experience:
Though, I do not have cramps but I feel numbness in legs if I do not go to bed by 9 pm. I was told by doctors that the numbness and Cramps in some case could happen due to deficiency of Vitamin B12.
My wife (63) usually have the Cramps due to Gastric problem.
One of my friend, post surgery after sometime had Cramps in a leg which was diagnosed due to a blood clot .
MichaelJHHeart Star
Hello! From your posts I am unclear if you have CVD anf if you have had bypass surgery. If you have CVD you are a prime candidate for PAD (perifreral arterial disease), and Moore so if you have ever smoked and/or have diabetes. Smoking and diabetes increase the risk even without CAD being present.
My advice is to contact your GP on the morning. Ideally you need a Doppler test with ABPI (ankle-brachial pressure index) measurements. A podiatrist will carry these tests out for about £200. Please don't delay as the frequency and intensity is worrying. Please let us know how you get on.
thank you, yes I have cvd I’ve had a cabg 3 and Ive now got pacmaker as well !!! I’ve just had a neurophysiology test( I think that’s what they called it) where they send electrical shocks down your legs by all accounts they weren't that good, GP has written to neurology for appointment but at my age and waiting lists being so long I doubt I’ll be seen🙄
Reduced blood flow as occurs with PAD can damage both nerves and tendons so I would push for a Doppler with ABPI.
hello not much point if there’s nothing that can be done about it!
take large magnesium pill twice a day for 3 days.
I tried various forms of magnesium supplement for leg cramps - the result was:
1 - no effect on leg cramps
2 - upset bowel action, with most unpleasant effects
so i would only suggest this with a cautionary note about side effects and the recommendation to consult a pharmacist
sad to hear your side effects. I have diabetes-insulin twice a day and a pacemaker for 15 years. Magnesium works for me and a friend who I recommended it to. I use Swiss ultra boost magnesium
Hello Dogloverxthree,
I drink a lot of tonic water (these days without the gin!). Before my transplant when I had severe arrhythmia, I asked the hospital medicines help line if tonic could affect my meds. They went off to research and came back telling me I’d have to drink gallons of it everyday to make a difference.
Hope this helps.
thank you there’s so many different views I don’t know what to do, I actually poured it down the sink yesterday !!!!
So sorry you are having such problems. Thank you and others for the information on tonic water. I had no idea that we should not drink tonic water containing quinine alongside blood thinners. I started taking statins and clopidogrel (a blood thinner) in February 2021 and because of severe leg cramps was advised to drink tonic water morning and night which seemed to work for me. Apologies if I have misled anyone in the past as I have related my experiences with tonic water for cramps on this website. Interestingly no one has contradicted me as so many people did when I put on a positive post about multi vitamins previously. Best wishes.
no need to apologise Beta you were relaying the positive effects you experienced from tonic water and I have other friends that said the same you were trying to help me so thank you for that, there are so many conflicting theory’s about most meds no wonder lots of us are confused 🤪🤗
Thank you
I agree with Dogloverxthree that you have share your experience only and which every body on this forum does. Since, the physical, psycological conditions differ from person to person apart from the life style and habits and therefore, the suggestion should not be consumed without discussion with the Doctor.
that's what i have also read
Hi DogloverxthreeHope your well.
I also suffer from leg cramps at nite it drives me mad I've not slept cause of the pain. someone told me to try vicks vapor rub as it helped them with leg pain.
So for the past 3 nites I applied it all over my legs & feet and I have found it's worked for me and I have slept well for for past 3 nite.
It might sound weird but give it a go it might work for you .
Hope you find a solution soon
Regards
Bernie
thank you I will oh no !!! put clean sheets on this morning never mind I’ll lay on a bath towel 😂😂😂
Yes sorry should of said put a towel over your sheets
Also rub some toothpaste all over you feet and legs as it got antitoxions in which are good for leg pain, burns, bruises, give it a go it might help
..Bernie Xx
smothered in magnesium oil last night didn’t help that’s why I had to strip bed today 😩🙄so Vick tonight 🙏
I am usually open to trying anything new, but this all sounds like I am going to be in a bit of a mess with legs and feet covered in Vic Vapour, Toothpaste and Aftersun. Plus I will be leaving footprints along the landing carpet when I get up in the night! Thanks for the information I will let you know if it works for me.
You paint a good picture, thanks for making me laugh. 🤣
mind boggling 😂😂😂
hi Bernie been using the vapour rub since posting sorry to say didn’t do a thing for me but thanks anyway,just about to change sheets again !!!!!🙄
Hi Dogloverxthree
Sorry to hear that it didn't work for you
It being helping me so far.
Wishing you all the luck in finding a treatment that help and soothes your pain and discomfort for you.
Regards
Bernie
Have you tried Magnesium capsules? They appear to have 'cured' my husband's and my 'restless legs'. No doctor has suggested that we stop it. I don't know if it's allowed to mention this here, but have you heard of Dr Sanjay Gupta of York Cardiology? He has produced heaps of videos explaining all things heart related. In fact I saw one yesterday where he says magnesium is very good for the heart. HOWEVER, please talk to your doctor first before considering any supplements. Best wishes for you to find some help.
thank you yes I did buy some magnesium tablets from Holland &Barret. But I was a little concerned I needed to visit loo a bit quicker than normal so stopped taking them!!! Might try again , yes I have heard of that doctor 🤗
Hope it works this time. 🤗
Hi Dlx3. My mum was prescribed quinine tablets for cramps, in addition to her heart meds.
She also had a weekly glass of tonic water… with a slug of gin in it to take away the taste 😀
It's the gin that has the medicinal qualities. 😂
don’t drink think I might start, couldn’t feel much worse than I do now!!!🥴
this going to sound strange but I also suffer from leg cramp, this is the strange thing dut it works ,hold a cork and grip it tight I am saying a real cork not a plastic one . It always works for me
Right I will have to get that bottle of wine opened now, any excuse. Sounds less messy than the other remedies!
good on ya !! Have One for me can’t stand the taste !! 😝
ok so when I start hitting the bottle I’ll save the corks ! !!😂😂😂
I've been told not to drink it since being diagnosed with AF and also not to eat grapefruit with some of the medicines I'm on
grapefruit ban with Statins mostly and it did seem to make my AF WORSE and it frightens me when I wake in the night alone in the house and not sure if it’s going to settle or go off on one 😱
I had bad leg cramps. My doctor changed Atorvastatin 80mg to Rosuvastatin 5mg. I started taking a capsule of Epsom Salt, about 300mg., and Spirulina for Potassium before bed, making them myself, and use a knee pillow when lying on the side. I have found that this opens up the arteries passing the groin and hence increases blood flow to the leg muscles. No more leg cramps and my wife says I can sleep for England!
Make sure you are drinking plenty of water before you go to bed. Being dehydrated can cause leg cramps.
if I do that I’ll make the bed up in the loo, I’m already in and out all night 😩😂
Me too. I need a "Room with a loo" !
lm lucky I’ve got en-suite but still hate getting out of bed, sometime half hourly!!!!probably getting stressed !!!! 😳
😄😄 l know, but on the other hand if you don't drink enough your urine can get concentrated which can irritate the bladder and give you the feeling that you want to urinate. I keep a pint glass of water by my bed. I used to get cramps if .l was on my legs too much. My partner gets them when he hasn't been drinking enough water.
believe me I need to go !!!😳no irritation I think I retain fluid all day and as I lay down the kidneys decide to go into action!!
😞😞😞
Holding urine is not good. If your required to visit loo every half an hour in night, please go and see the doctor to check your prostate
morning I’m female no prostate thank goodness couldn’t cope with one more problem expect a lot of it is stress related 🥴
it may the statins you’re taking ( if you are taking them). They may need reducing/changing. Tonic water always helps my leg cramps, usually caused by excessive walking. I don’t take statins.
they say if your on blood thinners dont take tonic with. Quinine( confused ) !!!! Hate statins I keep trying !!!
I’m on anti platelet meds which are different to blood thinners I believe. I only have a small tonic.
Magnesium deficiency. Obviously go to GP. I buy electrolyte tablets from a health food shop. Need to drink plenty of water at all times and particularly in hot weather
If you are considering supplements, you might want to do some research because there are lots of different types of magnesium. As I understand it, there's little point taking calcium carbonate as it's poorly absorbed, it's chalk. Magnesium malate might be more effective or baths of Epsom salts. It takes a while to build up levels rather than an overnight fix. Sometimes I get cravings for bananas, apricots or prunes which is an indication that my potassium is too low. If I'm wanting sardines or yoghurt then it's calcium which is low.
My leg cramps are usually about low potassium or magnesium.
Statins can cause leg cramps too. Might be worth reading through the info inserts of any meds you are taking to see if it's a known side effect?
I hope you find a solution soon.
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Quinine and your heart
to alcoholic drinks. I have for the last few months been drinking litres of Tonic water flavoured...
Travel insurance query
have moments where i am short of breath. I am getting fitter everyday ! but to be truthful to the...
Heart diagnosis query
clear, to our relief, but something there. When getting results from the doctor, was told that he...
Query BHF website information 
ICD query
Just a query 
Referral Query 
