Eliminate Leg Cramps at Night

Night leg cramps can attack anyone during the course of the night. Although pregnant women and the elderly may be particularly susceptible, leg cramps can present for any number of reasons. Here is a host of tricks and information you can use in order to keep leg cramps from keeping you up at night.

Steps

Verified Methods for Relieving Leg Cramps at Night

1. Consider drinking tonic water with quinine. Tonic water containing quinine has been shown to help people suffering from nighttime leg cramps. On the other hand, the FDA has just advised against using larger doses of quinine, found in the drug Qualaquin, to treat muscle cramps. 1997 Cohrane Review of published and unpublished trials on the quinine trials have concluded that although improvement was seen in the patients taking the drug compared to those taking placebo, the side effects, tinnitus in particular, was also more often associated with the group taking quinine. The authors have concluded: "owing to the side‐effect profile of quinine, non‐pharmacological therapy such as passive muscle stretching is the best first‐line treatment, though the use of quinine is warranted if this therapy is ineffective. Prescribing physicians should closely monitor the risks and benefits in individual patients.".
2. Apply a hot compress to the extremity. A hot water bottle or electric heating pad could relax and loosen up the muscle, easing the cramps. Just be sure not to fall asleep with an electric heating pad on if you choose to use one.
   • If you both have a heating pad, try massaging a generous amount of VapoRub into the cramp area. Eventually, the cooling effect should kick in and relieve the cramp.
3. Get potassium into your system. It's possible that a potassium deficiency could lead to nighttime cramps in your extremities (usually your legs). If you're not getting enough potassium, consider eating more sources of potassium, listed below, or begin to take potassium supplements with meals. Good natural sources of potassium include:
   • Fruits like bananas, nectarines, dates, apricots, raisins or grapes.
   • The cabbage or broccoli family of vegetables.
   • Oranges and grapefruit.
   • Saltwater fish, pork, and lamb.
4. For pregnant women, try taking magnesium supplements. Younger pregnant women are more likely to benefit from magnesium supplementation, which is critical to normal bodily function. Unfortunately, for older or non-nursing adults, studies show that magnesium supplements are far less conclusive.
5. Drink plenty of water and avoid dehydration. Nighttime cramps can sometimes be a result of not drinking enough water. Make sure that you're drinking enough H₂O during the course of the day in order to prevent cramps during the night.
   • How much water are you supposed to drink during the course of the day? According to the Mayo Clinic, females should aim to drink about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} a day, while males should aim to drink about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of water a day.
   • How can you easily tell whether you've had enough water to drink? Look at the transparency of your urine. Clear urine signals adequate hydration, while yellowish urine signals less adequate hydration.
   • Steer clear of alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption robs the body of water, making the possibility for cramping that much worse. Cutting back on alcohol consumption is great for your overall health as well.
6. Try taking calcium channel blockers. Calcium channel blockers keep calcium from entering various cells and blood vessel walls in the body. Though they are primarily used to treat high blood pressure, they can also be used to help with nighttime muscle cramps. See your doctor for a prescription and specific dosage information.
7. Stay away from tight bedsheets. Tight bedsheets or covers can cause you to unconsciously point your toes downward while sleeping. This movement can trigger calf cramps. Stick with looser bedsheets to minimize the chance of toe-pointing; pull your toes back toward your body if a calf cramp suddenly sets in.
8. Stretch your calf muscles before retiring. Stretching your calves before retiring to bed at night can help ease muscle tension. See section below for specific calf muscle exercises to try.

Stretches for Relieving Cramps

1. Stretch your calf out using a towel. Set your leg on a towel or bed sheet stretched horizontally out. Fold it in half hamburger style, so it encloses the part of your leg which has the cramp. Grab the open end and hug it as a child would hug a security blanket. This stretch works by compressing the leg and effectively massaging it.
2. Stretch your inner calf. In a sitting position, stretch one leg out and another leg (the calf you want to stretch) bent, so that the knee approaches your chest. Take hold of the bottom of the toe from the bent leg and pull it toward your body as much as you can.
3. Stretch out your leg with the aid of a wall. Lie down on the side where the thigh does not have the cramp, and face the wall. Extend the leg that has the cramp so that it is perpendicular to the rest of the body, and so that it is fully straight and touches the wall. Hold for 10-20 seconds before bringing your leg back, to stretch the muscle in the back of the thigh.
4. Stretch your Achilles tendon, which attaches the heel to your calf. In a sitting position, stretch one leg out and another leg bent. Bring the heel of the bent leg close to your buttocks. Keep your heel on the ground but lift your toe up, holding until the stretch loosens up your muscle.

Home Remedies for Relieving Leg Cramps at Night

1. Put an ordinary motel sized bar of soap under the part of your leg which has the cramp. Alternatively, apply hypo-allergenic liquid soap directly to the center of the cramp. Wait a few seconds and your cramp should be gone or almost gone!
   • Why does soap soothe nighttime cramps? Although it does not seem to work in all cases, soap placed on the calf possibly allows a molecule to diffuse out of the soap gel and provide lasting relief. It may be that the acting molecule is capable of diffusing in air, or it may require direct contact with the affected area.
2. Try drinking cow's milk. The theory here is that milk can help shuffle out an imbalance of calcium, thereby helping with nocturnal muscle cramps. On the other hand, milk contains high amounts of phosphorous, which may make the cramps even worse. Try this home remedy for yourself and see if it works; many people swear by it.
3. Try primrose oil. Primrose oil is used for a wide range of treatable conditions, ranging from acne and eczema to high cholesterol and heart disease. It's possible that primrose oil can help with leg pain and leg cramps caused by blocked blood vessels, although insufficient evidence so far exists. Take 3 to 4 grams before bed.
4. Try brewer's yeast. Brewer's yeast may improve circulation in the legs by supplying additional B vitamins. It is recommended by some doctors, but clinical trials have not yet produced verifiable results. Try taking one tablespoon of brewer's yeast per day.
5. Take both valerian and skullcap as relaxing herbs. Skullcap is an anxiety and insomnia treatment, mostly taken in combination with valerian, which is another sedative. Although clinical trials have linked skullcap to liver damage, it's usually only when used in combination with other botanicals.
   • Follow the label directions when taking valerian and skullcap, or make tinctures out of both. Note that valerian has a distinct odor that may find unpleasant and may take some time getting used to.

Drugs that May be Causing Leg Cramps

1. Watch out for short-acting loop diuretics. Short-acting loop diuretics help get rid of excess water in the body, sending it to the bladder and turning it into urine. You can probably guess why these kinds of medications may spell trouble for people suffering from cramps. Cramps are sometimes caused by dehydration. If you take one of these and experience leg cramps at night, talk to your doctor about adopting long-acting loop diuretic, or other possible solutions.
2. Watch out for thiazide diuretics. Thiazide diuretics, like short-acting loop diuretics, deplete key electrolytes in the body, paving the way for possible cramping. Thiazide diuretics are used for high blood pressure and heart failure, among other conditions.
   • Another class of hypertension drug, called beta-blockers, can also cause muscle cramping. Beta-blockers curb the adrenaline hormone, thereby slowing the heart rate. Although scientists aren't completely clear on why they cause leg cramps, they believe it may have to do with the constriction of arteries.
3. Know that statins and fibrates may also cause leg cramps. Used to combat high cholesterol, statins and fibrates may interfere with muscle growth, causing a decrease in muscle energy. Ask your doctor whether it's prudent to sub statins and fibrates for vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin B6.
4. Be on the lookout for ACE-inhibitors. ACE-inhibitors are hypertension drugs that curb angiotensin II, a hormone that causes arteries to constrict. ACE-inhibitors can sometimes cause an electrolyte imbalance of potassium, leading to muscle cramps.
5. See if anti-psychotics aren't causing leg cramps. Schizophrenia, bipolar, and other conditions may warrant the use of drugs that treat depression, hallucination, and agitation. This class of drugs, which includes Abilify, Thorazine, and Risperdal, can induce fatigue, lethargy and weakness, sometimes resulting in leg cramps. Talk with your doctor if you believe that you may be experiencing leg cramps as a result of antipsychotics.

Tips

• The most common reason for leg cramps at night is lack of magnesium. Try using 200 mg magnesium every day for a while.
• Drink a shot of pickle juice to eliminate leg cramps.

Warnings

• If leg cramps are frequent (as in 2-4 or more times every night) it could be a health problem. Consider getting checked out by a doctor if you think it is necessary.

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Sources and Citations

A simple remedy that ended years of painful nightly leg and foot cramps: Add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water. Sweeten with honey or Stevia, but don't expect it to taste good. Just drink it down. It's worth it.

See also

• Deal With Cramps
• Avoid Leg/Foot Cramps in Bed
• Cure Stomach Cramps
• Avoid Cramps
• Relieve Leg Cramps
• Get Rid of Leg Cramps
• Deal with Foot Cramps
• Prevent Leg Cramps
• Get Rid of a Thigh Cramp
• Get Rid of Muscle Cramps with Minerals

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