The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Olivia (Imperial, Ca) on 10/31/2010
★★★★★
I have been taking molasses for about 4 years now and it works like magic. One day I had a leg cramp at night that was so bad I was literally dragging my leg down the hall to the kitchen to get at the molasses. I just dipped the spoon half way into the jar and then ate it off the spoon and drank a little water to get it down. It's the same molasses you will find next to the pancake syrup. My doctor check me for potassium, magnesium and calcium deficiency, but all was normal. I don't know what it is but it works. It has been a life saver. You're able to get right back to bed with no problems.
Acupressure
Posted by Bill (Calgary, Alberta, canada) on 12/19/2012
Another acupressure technique is to gently bite your lower lip.
Bar of Soap
Posted by Rooster (Apple Valley, Minnesota) on 08/09/2009
★★★★★
A bar of bath soap placed at the end of the bed have cured my foot cramps that I had for many years. Whenever my wife changes the bed linen and forgets to include the bar of soap, my foot cramps re-appear.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Palaminolady (The Woodlands,texas) on 08/21/2013
You don't have to swallow it, rub it where the cramp is and it will go away. Also any kind of vinegar will work.
Mustard
Posted by BKay (Bozeman, MT) on 05/25/2009
★★★★★
A great remedy for muscle cramps is mustard. I get muscle cramps in my feet and legs frequently. When I get them, or think they might be coming on, I take a couple teaspoons of mustard and get almost immediate relief.
Bar of Soap
Posted by Kathy (North Platte, NE) on 04/12/2009
★★★★★
Foot cramps, leg cramps: While listening to a hospice nurse talk one day, she happened to tell a story about her father having leg cramps at night. They tried everything possible but nothing would stop them. Until one day someone told him to put a bar of soap under the fitted sheet on his bed, down near his feet. (I use a sport scented soap - but apparently plain soap works too)So I thought, why not try it? I have been having leg and foot cramps for a few years at night, sometimes excruciating pain! The first night with the bar of soap I had no occurence of cramps and I thought it might be the power pf persuasion. But it has been months now and I have had one or two very mild cramps and that is it!! What an easy solution- but I have no idea why it works!
Mustard
Posted by Alice (Orem, Utah) on 03/17/2009
★★★★★
I have suffered with leg cramps since my youth. The best thing I have found after trying several remedies is to take a teaspoon of yellow mustard each day followed with warm water or milk. Once you get it in your system it seems to be o'k if you miss now and then. Soon as I get forgetful and don't take it for awhile, the leg and feet spasms are back. Any brand of yellow table mustard works. Hope it helps someone else.
Fruit
Posted by PT Sherm (Provo, UT) on 01/21/2009
★★★★★
I accidentally took two diuretic pills right before going to bed, thinking they were other pills and woke up with both legs seized by leg cramps. I was in tremendous pain in both legs like never experienced before. I am alone could not even walk to go get anything else or walk it out. I reached for one of the stored fruit kept stored in my nightstand that I use for low blood sugar for emergencies. I started eating them and within 20 min I could go back to sleep without any cramps. fruit is full of potassium.
Hydrogen Peroxide Inhalation
Posted by Ginny (NY, NY) on 02/19/2008
★★★★★
Hello. I wanted to give you an update for another hydrogen peroxide inhalation cure. I wrote in a couple of weeks ago about how it stopped my flu in its tracks after a few hours (yes, I never got sick). Well, last night while I was asleep, my left neck muscle and shoulder blade went into a spasm. It was very painful and even more so when I got up in the morning. I went around yelping like a dog every time I moved my head or left arm. Anyway, after a few hours of this, I suddenly remembered that Bill M had written about how he used his remedy to stop a muscle spasm. I got out my little sinus spray bottle filled with h202 and did 6 quick squirts into my mouth (I like to hold my breath as long as possible after I spray and then spit out the left over peroxide). The excruciating pain jolts went away almost immediately and my neck and shoulder were back to normal after a few hours. Actually I can't tell you how long it took because I forgot about it until tonight when I realized that not only did I have no pain, but I had full mobility of my neck! I have had this same spasm occur lots of times over the years and it usually takes a good 2-3 days to recover. I LOVE THIS REMEDY!
Aspirin and Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc
Posted by jeanne (wpb, fl) on 12/02/2007
★★★★★
i've tried several of these remedies .. the one that works within 15 min is taking one aspirin . . also , i read on the net'' afew yrs ago that taking magnesium would help . .so i take it religiously everyday . 3 in 1 calcium, mag, and zinc . that took care of the horrible calf cramps .. but i still get a little one in my feet . . and i dont' have to be sleeping to get one either .. it can happen at any time . not every day .but a few times a wk . well, thanks for all the remedies .but try that aspirin the next time you're woken up by one . it works!!! really ..
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sandy (Oakland, CA) on 07/02/2007
★★★★★
I used to get serious leg cramps and tried vinegar from a recommended home remedy. One to 2 onces of apple cider vinegar brought relief from almost any cramp within a minute or so. A happy side effect was the complete elimination of heartburn. I had an ulcer as a teenager and very serious heartburn as an adult. I used to take wads of antacids, but haven't touched one in over ten years. As an avid bike commuter I became aware of the requirement to drink plenty of water at least 24 hours before riding. This keeps my cramping to a minimum. The total combination of adequate daily water and periodic vinegar (apple cider vinegar is the tastiest and gentlist) and consistent aerobic, sweat exercise has eliminated the above two maladies and when combined with adequate sleep, has eliminated fatigue.
After 15 years of personal experimentation I have become convinced that a regimen of organic, pesticide-free food, adequate water, sleep and daily exercise is the key to be a default state of human health.
Magnesium
Posted by Phyllis (Rockhampton, Australia) on 05/14/2007
★★★★★
I have been dealing with the pain of cramps for a lot of years now, however as I am getting older & the pain is now so painfully excruciating I am going to make sure I get a cure for this problem, NOW. I bought a bottle of "BIO magnesium" last night & out of three nights cramps I didn't get any cramping even though I can still feel the cramp lying in waiting, & I had 12 hours sleep, WOW, I feel like I need mores sleep now because I have been so badly deprived of sleep from the extremeties of the pain. I also bought ?Mersyndol" which the chemist herself said would help me get some sleep, in which it did. I will post my latest knowledge back here again soon!..
Heat
Posted by Anne (Mineral, VA) on 04/20/2007
★★★★★
I have been waking up in 30-minute intervals between 2:00 a.m. until I finally get up at around 8:00 a.m. with extremely painful leg/foot cramps. I used to run to the bath tub, sit down on the side of the tub, and run the hottest water I could stand over my calf. I discovered by using my hair dryer on high heat, following the calf muscle that's cramping to my foot area that's also cramping, helps as a quick emergency tool. But I really am looking for a remedy to avoid having cramps in the first place. The heat helps stop the cramp, but it keeps returning after a short while. What I wouldn't give for a full night's sleep! I think I'll try the pickle juice tonight!
Mustard
Posted by Ruth (Banning, California) on 11/27/2006
★★★★★
A teaspoonful of prepared Mustard like Frenchs brings toe and leg cramps relief. I have tiny packets of mustard (that I purchase at Smart & Fiinal restaurant suppliers) and carry them in my handbag and at my bedside for quick relief. It works fast 99% of the time.
Buffered Salt
Posted by Jan (Mesquite, Nv) on 11/26/2009
My husband also had a very bad problem with leg cramps, especially in the evening. I found a bottle of buffered salt supplements I had purchased and started giving them to him. Rarely does he get a cramp anymore, unless he forgets to take the buffered salt tablets daily. I just wonder if it's good for his blood pressure, but don't know who to ask.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Magnesium
Posted by Art (California) on 08/19/2025 2681 posts
Apple Cider Vinegar, Magnesium
Posted by Vera (Colorado) on 08/19/2025
Corva, I treat leg cramps with potassium as well as magnesium. The potassium was a major break through for me. If I neglect to take it for some days, the problem returns. (I have a prescription potassium, a gram per tablet. I usually split it in half into 500 mg.) Health food stores are only allowed to sell 99 mg per cap. But once you know your optimal dosage, you can buy powder, and choose your own dosage.)
Potassium also lowers blood pressure without meds, for those who can use it.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Magnesium
Posted by Vera (Colorado) on 08/20/2025
I forgot to add that jumping out of bed and standing up, putting weight on the leg that has spasmed, will relieve the charlie horse immediately for me.
Potassium Chloride, Magnesium
Posted by Dan (Northern Territory) on 07/03/2025
★★★★★
Leg calf cramps
A small amount of potassium chloride with Magnesium has cured me at present. Some vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 may be also be helping. Many other treatments did very little help
ACV, Ginger, Garlic
Posted by Julie (Seattle) on 11/06/2022
★★★★★
ACV, Ginger, Garlic
3/5 of The Five. I have suffered from debilitating charley-horse type of leg cramps (calves and thighs) that wake me up at night screaming in pain. I have CHF and T2D and it's surely related to one or both of those. I was at my mother's and she gave me StopsLegCramps. Less than a minute and they're gone. I've started taking it at night. Turns out it's 3/5 of The Five for heart problems -- ACV, organic garlic, organic ginger. Miracle as far as I'm concerned.
I'm wondering if adding lime juice and honey to it would work just as well as making The Five myself. It's sometimes difficult to come by the right ingredients to make it, and frankly, I've been too lazy to do it myself, though I know I need to.
Salt
Posted by Clare W. (Banbury ) on 02/17/2021
★★★★★
I had cramping in my calf. Not excruciating, but constant and uncomfortable, for four days. Tried the organic cider vinegar with the mother but it didn't work. I took a teaspoon of Sole (a drink made with pink HImalayan salt and water) which is something I always have. The cramp subsided and left a small residual ache. I only feel it slightly if I put my legs up.
Magnesium, Tonic Water
Posted by Jane (Canada) on 10/02/2020
Take a potassium supplement. Had same issue and bananas and magnesium didn't help but potassium tablets did. People think muscle cramps are magnesium related, and they can be, but they can also be from severe potassium deficiency.
Magnesium
Posted by Carnic Eagle (Australia ) on 09/27/2017
I sometimes find it's more circulation issue than than lactic acid build up? I have found stinging nettle herb great.
Magnesium
Posted by Orh (Ten Mile, Tn ) on 07/05/2020
Lisa, ORH here, you right on the money gal.
Transdermal is the best way to get stuff into yo body without going through your digestive system. DMSO will drive it in PDQ. SAS..... SIMPLE AS SHEET
==ORH==
Magnesium
Posted by John (SC) on 12/20/2022
This may help others with what I have learned. I work with a person who, since he was a teenager, suffered from muscle cramps for decades in his calves and legs. He was been using and OTC remedy that contained magnesium among other things for the cramps but still got them. I suggested the magnesium flakes solution but he had magnesium which he began using and has some relief but not totally. I researched the condition and was not getting what I needed to help him.
I noticed the post about using hydrogen peroxide and the lack of O2. No one had this mentioned in any articles or some medical information I read yet it is an issue and another part of the cause. My friend knew of a woman who made to order CBD products for people with different problems. He spoke to her about leg cramps issue and she made him some special gummies which probably had CBD oil and some THC. He has to divide the gummie, take a piece at night and for about three days has not had any leg cramps.
When he comes into work he has more energy and feels great. If you look back to history of cannabis you'll find that just before it was declared illegal back in the 30's it was an OTC remedy used often for many medical problems. Let's not forget CBD oil gained popularity after it was successfully used some years ago for a very young child with seizures whose family moved to another state to be able to use the oil on her. She went from having many seizures a day to being almost seizure free.
