Middle of the night calf cramps

[EStaller]

This is going to be a stupid question, but I have to ask...

3 nights ago, I was woken up at 2:30 in the morning with excruciating calf cramp pain...like REALLY bad. So bad that when I went to stand up, I could barely stand to put on body weight on that leg. I forced myself to walk around and bit, and it did ease up. However, since that time, it is SORE. Sore to the point that if I sit for more than a few minutes, I'm limping around again until I get the blood flowing again.

Fast forward to this morning, and I'm woken up again at about the same time and its my other leg cramping up. Luckily nowhere near as bad as the other day, but this has NEVER happened to me. Of course I've had the middle of the night calf cramps before, but this has been the worse, by far.

The common answer I've seen states that its probably a potassium deficiency. I'm not sure how true that is for me. I consume usually 2 - 3 bananas a day.

Should I be looking elsewhere or other/better foods for potassium?

Also, for anybody else that has had to deal with this type of thing...what is your usual recovery time? I've tried calf stretches the best I can, but the pain can get unbearable at times. Are there other stretches I should try?

This set me on my butt for most of 2 days, and I forced myself to the gym today, and was able to get some cardio in with the elliptical and bike...but any try to run or lift has been completely out. And sleep has been an adventure, as any time I move, I can feel those muscles trying to cramp up again.

[Elastigirl]

I had the same problem. My issue was dehydration. I was drinking water,but I needed more eloctrolytes. So, now if its warm out or I do a heavy workout I add a little (1/8 tsp) salt to my water and a little lime or lemon juice.

I've also heard it can be caused by magnesium deficiency, so you might try a magnasium supplement

[Haikoo]

I would also be inclined to say it isn't a potassium deficiency. I used to get them all the time when I was pregnant. Ugh they hurt! One word of advice, though. When it is happening, flex your foot so that your toes come more toward your head. It puts the muscle in a position that usually will end the cramp faster..or at least hurt less. This always worked for me when I got them.

[morethanjustamom]

I had the same problem. My issue was dehydration. I was drinking water,but I needed more eloctrolytes. So, now if its warm out or I do a heavy workout I add a little (1/8 tsp) salt to my water and a little lime or lemon juice.

I've also heard it can be caused by magnesium deficiency, so you might try a magnasium supplement

Elastigirl beat me to it...dehydration and/or magnesium. Are you supposed to take the magnesium with calcium, or is it take calcium with magnesium? I can't remember, but I think oystergirl was talking about this recently.

[jjhatch]

I've had this problem a few times in the past (most recently about a month ago) but it hasn't happened enough for me to really worry about it.

[EStaller]

Thanks everyone! I'll have to run out and get some magnesium. I'd be surprised if it was from dehydration...I drink water almost as constantly as I breath air! :-) But nothing wrong with more water...other than the middle of the night bathroom trips, but I'd rather that than the cramps.

I tried the foot flexing while it was happening. The first night...it was so bad, NOTHING helped until I forced myself to walk, and boy was that painful. Luckily the second time wasn't as bad, but I'm concerned that it hit both legs within 3 nights.

[llsoszynski@gmail.com]

This happened to me for a week straight every night a couple times a night. I was 1. living in barracks, so very very cold at night, 2. living off of energy drinks and 3. straying for the first time in a while from a strictly paleo diet. I told my husband about it and he said it was dehydration. So I drank alot more water and they went away! Also, stretching helped me, cause the next day my whole calf would be sore!

[Zorch]

One word of advice, though. When it is happening, flex your foot so that your toes come more toward your head. It puts the muscle in a position that usually will end the cramp faster..or at least hurt less. This always worked for me when I got them.

PLEASE, read the advice quoted above. I sometimes get nasty calf cramps - basically they happen first thing in the morning, or when swimming with some level of intensity. I found through trial and error that doing exactly as described above really, really helped avoid the pain.

Also, magnesium supplements seemed to help me, at least a little.

[Sloth the Enduring]

Gonna parrot everyone and say dehydration, but I'll add pickles and pickle juice as preventive medicine. Cramping always used to kill me during 24 hour races until I someone told me about this. NYT-can-pickle-juice-stop-muscle-cramps/.

[morethanjustamom]

Gonna parrot everyone and say dehydration, but I'll add pickles and pickle juice as preventive medicine. Cramping always used to kill me during 24 hour races until I someone told me about this. NYT-can-pickle-juice-stop-muscle-cramps/.

*deep breath* EWWWWW! that is all.

[GreenEyesBright]

From experience stand up right away when it happens. I would get killer cramps like that. Wake up in such pain but then I'd jump up and massage the calf/flex and they'd go away.

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[slcathena]

*deep breath* EWWWWW! that is all.

Pickle juice, I'll agree, but pickles are yummy!

(not to hijack, I had this happen years ago and it was so painful. I fixed it with more water, but it doesn't sound like that is the issue for you.)

[Roflhouse]

I've had these too, googling came up with a few suggestions

Preventative:

- can be an electrolyte imbalance, so calcium, magnesium, potassium can help

- stretch before bed

- dehydration (linked to electrolyte imbalance, so plenty of water with a little salt), or a rehydration sachet.

- tight sheets or a funny sleeping position can force you to point your toes - this seems to bring on cramps in my case.

During:

Even though it hurts, try either to stand or bring your feet close to your head. Then massage.

Good luck, hope it clears up soon.

[Oogiem]

Should I be looking elsewhere or other/better foods for potassium?

Also, for anybody else that has had to deal with this type of thing...what is your usual recovery time?

This used to happen to me a lot. I was told potassium too but what worked for me was calcium supplements instead. And the recovery time seems to be about 3-5 days for a really bad one.

FWIW now that I take calcium every day I haven't gotten any in a long time.

[maegs]

I've had that happen a few times before, when my room was colder than normal (eg really cold winter night, sleeping in the basement during the summer) and I kinda-sorta-woke up and stretched a bit during the night. Maybe try making your room warmer/wearing warmer pjs/using an extra blanket and see if it helps. I found that when it actually happens, flexing toes and rubbing where the cramp is makes it go away.