Can anyone suggest anything I can take for foot cramps.
I am currently taking 600mg pregablin, ramipril, hrt, zapain and naproxen aswell as iron, calcium and magnesium.
The cramps are becoming more and more frequent and my Gp said to eat bananas and rub magnesium into my feet.
Last night was unbearable.
You might check out the Related Posts at the top right hand side of this page.
Thanks Sue
On my phone, the Related Posts are towards the bottom of the screen - although I'm not sure how useful they are...
The following link lists various causes, including dehydration and potassium - which will be why your doc suggests bananas
healthline.com/health/foot-...
Thanks ChrisColumbus. It’s towards the bottom of my phone too.
And mine--- a lowly Moto!😝
More potassium, and hydration -- lots of water.
You are taking quite a cocktail of medications.
It might well be worthwhile checking each one for possible side effects.?
I use 3 ventolin, luforbek and spiriva inhalers too. I was just reading on this site that they can cause cramps too, I would never have thought they had that effect.
I'm using a laptop so I guess it is at different locations on a laptop and a phone.
Some time ago, I read a tip that if you have leg cramps, a TENS unit will stop them. To my surprise, it works. So if you have a TENS then try it.
I haven’t got one and I’ve never tried one. I’ll look into it. Thanks Whippetmama
Definitely worth making sure you drink enough fluids - I get foot cramps if I don’t. And consider a daily electrolyte powder perhaps. Good luck- cramp is awful.
I made sure I drank in the evening last night Boldgirl and I didn’t get any during the night or this morning. Can you recommend an electrolyte powder? I don’t really know anything about them.
Ok, definitely monitor your fluids in that case - I aim for around 2 litres a day (I've started getting all sorts of symptoms if I don't, including palpitations and cramps) but worth Googling the amount properly.
Electrolyte I have recommended a few times on this forum as they definitely make a difference to my admittedly mild RLS (if I am severely dehydrated the RLS becomes unbearable) and it has made a huge difference to my elderly Mum.
From Google:
Electrolytes are minerals in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. Electrolytes affect how your body functions in many ways, including: The amount of water in your body. The acidity of your blood (pH) Your muscle function.
This is the (not very catchily named) electrolye my Mum uses, if you stick into Amazon:
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard BCAA Train + Sustain, Amino Acids Pre Workout Powder, Sports Drink with Vitamin C, Zinc, Magnesium and Electrolytes, Raspberry & Pomegranate Flavour, 28 Servings, 266 g
I personally want to find something less sweetened for myself, but it might be worth you trying it to see if that's the issue - then you could switch brands perhaps. I think there are lots of different options out there. It tastes nice which is why my Mum is happy to drink it!
Hope it helps, do report back!
Clare
Thank you so much Clare. I found that on Amazon and I’m going to try it. I’ll let you know how I get on.
Thanks a lot
I drink Gatorade for electrolyte replacement. I have at least a cup everyday in winter and a full bottle or more per day in summertime. But I workout regularly and lose a lot in sweat. Be very careful not to take too much calcium lest you end up with a whopping big and very painful calcium based kidney stone. If you supplement with calcium you also need to drink at least 2 liters water every day and be sure you are also getting plenty of magnesium, manganese and boron. The body cannot use extra calcium without a need and the aforementioned elements. Do some research to find out more about these and their relationship to calcium. Best of luck.
Better ask the pharmacist. Pre-workout cocktails are used for building muscle during intense workouts. My son uses it (I don't like it). Such a pre-workout mixture may contain too much.
Electrolytes are basically 'salt' and 'sugar'. I think sachets with piwder to be used during/after intense diarrhoea may be better as in containing only the essentials.
magnesium roll-on cream is absorbed faster than tablets. i have weird disabling cramps, not the regular stiff toe or finger... but up into the groin, across the top of my foot... very painful... but i take one tablet nightly religiously, with the cream beside me... Also try a foot soak with magnesium flakes
I’ll look for a roll on. Thanks Kevin. I’ve tried a spray. I’ve never tried soaking my feet either but I’ll give anything a go. I should probably just try one thing at a time or I won’t know which is helping if anything does though.
I take 396mg potassium supplements (Holland & Barrett) one or two each evening. Works for me!
I just looked and they’re buy one get one free at Holland & Barrett right now Muso Bass. I’m ordering them. Thank you.
I also get cramp in my feet, in fact my RLS was originally triggered by cramp in my legs and feet. I do make sure I keep hydrated but still get episodes of cramp always at night. I was interested in your recommendation for potassium supplements, so have ordered some from Holland & Barrett... it's worth a try! I'm on 600mg of Gabapentin at night which does control my RLS except for when I get cramp. I've heard on here that cramp and RLS are not connected, but I beg to differ. Thanks for your post, as I said, it's worth trying.
Some of these important substances include calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. Inadequate diet, dehydration, vomiting and diarrhoea are just some of the factors that are thought to disturb the body's balance of minerals and electrolytes, and make muscles more susceptible to cramping
I haven’t been ill, vomiting etc lately but my diet has been poor and maybe I’ve not had enough fluids. Since going up to 600mg pregablin my rls has mostly been controlled so I’m not up most of the night so not drinking anything like what I’ve been used to during the night. I hadn’t thought of that until now but I used to drink quite a bit then. Thanks for your input Goldy.
hi Upsidedowninsideout,
This may sound crazy to some but it does work for some. I found out about it through my synchronized swimming group, we have to point our toes and get bad cramps in our toes a legs. Drink pickle juice. It does work for us and before a show many ladies drink it right from the jar.
There is evidence that it does work, it is worth a try
cooperinstitute.org/blog/do....
It doesn’t sound crazy at all. Not to me anyway. I read all of that. I’m interested to try pickle juice. My son gets really bad cramping too and I think that’s something he would give a go.
Sorry if this is really ignorant but do I sip the juice from my jar of gherkins or is it a juice I buy that’s specifically to be drank?
Sip the juice from a jar of pickles! Let me know how it goes!
Ok, will do. I’ve got some pickled gherkins so I’ll try that before I go to sleep tonight and take the jar to bed with me. Thanks a lot.
I am with Goldy700 . 63M here. I take calcium and magnesium with my morning coffee. I use potassium citrate, 1000mg in every water bottle. (For working out, sauna). I use potassium citrate specifically for cramps. It takes time, but consistent use helps me tremendously.
Hi Wideboy. I take calcium and magnesium supplements every morning and have done so for the last few years. I am ordering some potassium supplements to try as suggested here by MusoBass.
Is the potassium you use a powder form?
I do think I may have been not drinking enough. I used to be up a lot during the night and I’d be drinking tea or water often. I always had bottles of tap water chilling in the fridge. Since I have been sleeping better lately it’s just dawned on me that I’ve hardly drank any water at all since summer.
I feel like a bit of an idiot. I hope it’s just that. I feel like a hypochondriac. I can’t go from sleep deprivation from having uncontrolled rls to now having cramps! I don’t think anyone will believe me.
I haven’t just been getting them during the night, I have been getting them in the day time too.
Last night was fine, I haven’t had one for over 28 hours. I just want to sort this on my own if I can but maybe I should ask the doctor to do some blood work.
I don’t know. They’re so f’ing painful.
I can attest to the f'ing painful part. My whole family is used to it. I have gotten cramps in the car at the dinner table.
Absolutely dehydration. It took me a long time to figure out I was chronically dehydrated. I do endurance events. Dehydration and cramps definitely coincide with events. The first thing I notice is I get dizzy standing up. Enough so I need to grab a counter, wall or chair. That is the first clue of dehydration for me.
I also believe there is a decrease in my RLS symptoms when I am properly hydrated.
As for potassium, I take powdered potassium citrate 1000mg is one teaspoon, I put it in my water bottles. Two in the summer, one in the winter.
Because of the silly laws in the US, potassium pills can not be greater than 99mg. I would need 10 pills! When I was younger I used to do that, now I buy potassium citrate by the kilo.
I guess my point is, if you are dehydrated and working out. I do think the potassium citrate is worth a shot. For awhile I even tried a shot of potassium citrate at night for my RLS. It did seem to have a calming effect. My heart pounds less, if that makes sense.
Good luck with your cramps. Keep us updated.
BTW: My cure for cramps during the day after a long event. Pickled Jalapenos with Salt and Vinegar chips. Bring a towel. We are all different.
I have calf cramps during the night. I have opted for avocados vs bananas due to elevating A1c. My Sodium is low and my doc ACTUALLY told me to decrease my water intake. I tracked my water intake for 7 days (at normal rate) and it averaged 2.6 L (93 oz). If I drink fluids after about 8 pm (Bedtime = 12 am), yes, up too many times to p. I don't think 2.6 L is high at all. I sent this to my doc, asking how much to decrease it. No reply yet. I wondered if low Na contributes to leg cramps...did a little research...seems to be no correlation.
I use a good source of Melaleuca's Mg daily. I have tried Mg Cream and will give it another whirl. Thanks.
I also can be an RLS sufferer...
Ah the joys of these wonderfully made bodies!!! : )
Crazilegs
I’ve never tracked my fluids Crazilegs. 2.6 litres doesn’t seem high to me at all but I don’t know anything about treatment for low sodium.
I drank so much last night I woke up to urinate loads but I’d take that over cramps and rls any night!
I’d be really interested to know how much your doctor wants you to decrease your fluids by or whether or not he says 2.6 litres is acceptable.
Thanks for the nice response. I will let you know...if I can navigate to you or this discussion thread.
I have always eaten too much salt according to those who want to look after me. I have cut it down many times but each time I start getting cramps at random times during the night.
I am now 78 and I just had a heart catscan to be told that my heart is good for many years. I suspect that some people process salt differently so it causes no harm.
I roll a tennis ball on the bottom of my feet while standing. Sometimes the muscles in our feet get very tight.
That I can do! I’ve got two big dogs that love their tennis balls so I’ve got plenty.
Thanks for the suggestion Birdland.
Is it something you do most days?
Yes I do this most days. If I get lazy and don’t I can tell the difference. I hope it helps you.
please research magnesium there are many different types magnesium citrate works for me good luck
hi
I did suffer a lot with foot cramps and spasms and know how painful and debilitating they are. I still get them but for me this has worked. Indian tonic water, daily iron and vit b12 tablets, every few days magnesium and zinc tablets. I was taking medication from doctor but stopped this and realised my problem is always vitamin deficiencies and low hormone and endocrine function. Healthy diet and lots of water too. Some exercise, mainly stretching. I also recently visited a podiatrist because walking was an real issue for me. I walked on a mat linked to a computer which analysed my walking gait. Unbelievably, I was walking on the outside ridge of my foot ( no toes touching the ground at all). I’ve now got all remodelled insoles to adjust my feet while walking and this seems to be helping
Good luck with your self discovery of what works. It takes time and patience and continuous commitment as our problems don’t disappear but we learn to manage instead
My wife used to get terribly painful leg cramps early in the morning (5am to 9am) We used to treat the symptoms by her drinking a glass of very strong Staminade. Three scoops in a 250 ml glass. Mix it in hot water so it dissolves and then add enough ice to make it cold. Drink it quickly before the staminade comes out of solution. This is amazingly rapid acting but it still hurts a lot while its cramping.
Now we treat the cause a bit better because she takes 2x500mg Magnesium biglycinate tablets at bedtime. There is still an occasional cramp in cold weather so we run the aircon at about 21degrees centigrade and cramps are now very rare.
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