hello everyone. last night during sleep I had the most DEBILITATING leg/muscle cramps. I havent had cramps like that in a long long time. these were major. and when I woke up the muscle in one of my calves is feeling the ramifications of the cramps....it hurts!

does anyone have any idea what causes these? I know a lot of people think its a lack of potassium, but i beg to differ...as I get plenty of that.

thanks!

d

This is probably not the case with you, but I used to get leg cramps in the middle of the night before I got diagnosed with diabetes - so it was from my high blood sugars. Just thought I'd mention it...

I also heard it could be a lack of calcium. I heard sesame seeds provide a good amount of calcium.

I remember learning about this in biochem but I can't remember the explanation now. Think Karen is right about the calcium/potassium channel. Something like that. There is a definitely a nutritional solution to leg cramps.

A couple of weeks ago, the exact same thing happened to me. I honestly thought I was going to have to call 911. I personally think it can be related to dehydration. I also had been off my rebounder for a couple of weeks and then started up again. Potassium deficiency is related too. Actually, I think any mineral deficiency but I could be wrong.

Anyway, a friend read somewhere that keeping a bar of soap under your fitted sheet on your bed is suppose to prevent that. I don't know anything more about this "magic" remedy but I figured for $2 it couldn't hurt. I got a therapeutic soap. Just be careful because if you forget that it is there you just might sit on it..ouch! (not like I have any experience or anything with that....)

Patty

SEWRAW..the soap thing is interesting. Yeah, last night was the worst pain ever and Ive had them before but nothing like last night...and in both calfs! I think everyones right here about the dehydration. I was dehydrated bad all day today so i guess that means i was dehydrated last night as well.

thanks everyone

Cream of tartar is supposed to be the best thing for leg cramps. It's extremely high in potassium. Put a spoonful in some water, and drink it down.

I agree with Karennd and Sunshine. My vegan nutritionist told me many years ago that leg cramps are a symptom of calcium deficiency.

I used to get those cramps very bad in my toes, legs, and even sometimes both legs at night.

Unhulled sesame seeds took care of that in an amazingly short period of time. Occasionally, I don't eat sesame seeds for a while, and then I begin to get the cramps again in my toes.

I try to eat 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup organic unhulled brown sesame seeds every day. I now prefer them soaked overnight and drained, but they're also good unsoaked.

I usually eat them alone, although they're good with bananas and other fruit. They take a long time to chew, so it's kind of a different way of eating for some of us, but definitely worth it for the health benefits.

Tahini (sesame butter) is not a good replacement for unhulled whole sesame seeds, because most of the calcium and other minerals (including high iron) are contained in the hulls. Tahini is usually made from sesame seeds without the hulls.

Oranges and cruciferous vegetables are also high in calcium. They're just not as concentrated in calcium as sesame seeds.

Hope you're feeling better soon ddreams!

SUNCLOUD. thanks for that advice. I have a feeling my calcium levels are low due to hormonal health problems I currently have....I was told my calcium levels would be affected and bone mass, etc. so that makes sense. gonna go buy some unhulled seeds after work today. I had no idea they were high in calcium!

thanks

d

for a long time i also thought leg cramps were due to calcium deficiency. but brigitte mars (rawsome) has said many times,'magnesium for spasms of any kind' and for me it has rung true. the best source is greens (also high in calcium) with the exception that low hydrochloric acid levels prevent good absorption. so keep eating greens to improve hcl levels and i like CALM a magnesium supplement (and i am not a vitamin taker really, but leg cramps are terrible!) i also see an acid/alkaline relationship...if i stray from my high raw diet, that is when i am more likely to get them, which is pretty rare now thank goodness.

Low levels of magnesium.
___________________________________
MAGNESIUM
is widely distributed in foods. Those foods with the highest magnesium content include seafoods, nuts, black strap molasses, soybeans, seeds, and wheat germ.
WHOLE GRAINS
such as oatmeal and rice are also good sources.

Bear in mind, however, that...
THE MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF FOOD VARIES considerably with the magnesium content of the soil in which the food is grown! In additon, much of the magnesium in food is lost during processing.
________________________________________________________

I personally am taking 3 grams of magnesium now for some detox issues, cramps in my legs and other extremities, digestive issues,calcium deposits in my joints especially my fingers, & help with liver cleansing. I take magnesium oxide in 500 mg. tablets, and I take the 3 grams of magnesium thru-out the night with 10 grams of vit-c also thru-out the night with it. It's working great for me.

You might not have to go that far with it, but if you already have cramping you might want to try at least 1-2 grams magnesium with 1-2 grams of vit-c spaced thru the night. I do mine about every 2 hours.

Love,
Prism

I got leg cramps too. Glad to know about the magnesium. I will try to add more seeds. I had suppressed it from my meals because of the fat.

i like the putting the soap under the pillow idea

kinda easy

yeah...!

Potassium
Calcium
Water
Stretching

measure twice, cut once.

"In Watermelon Sugar the deeds were done and done again as my life is done in watermelon sugar." ~r.brautigan

I make paintings

Hi

Raw cacao is a great source of magnesium.

both pregnancy i got terrible leg cramps. the solution for me was to stretch but Not with pointed toes! that made it much, much worse and could even cause cramping. stretching with toes flexed as soon as i felt a cramp coming on and even during cramping helped so much.