Buffered Salt
★★★★★
(Mesquite, Nv)
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.
(Ten Mile, Tn)
11/28/2009
(Delray Beach, Fl)
04/03/2011
★★★★★
My husband was told that when he gets the cramp, to just take a little salt - I put some sea salt in a dish next to the bed - when he gets a cramp, he takes a piece of salt, and is still amazed that the cramp disappears immediately. And he doesn't have to take anything daily because it works!
Calcium
★★★★★
My husband is on his feet a lot at work and is prone to leg cramps at night.
It used to be that if he made sure to have a banana in the evening, he wouldn't get leg cramps.
However, since he started on a plant based diet last summer, we know that his potassium level is actually a little high. (Probably from so many bananas and lentils.) The doctor isn't concerned about the level, but I don't think potassium deficiency is his problem.
I started giving him magnesium before bed. This reduced the cramps at night but did not eliminate them.
Ahah! Suddenly the pieces fit. Plant based diet. No dairy. He is lacking calcium. He started taking a couple of Tums before bed. Voila! Leg cramps stopped.
I ordered some NOW Calcium citrate since Tums is just Calcium carbonate and not the best form of calcium, as far as I understand. The NOW Calcium also has magnesium, D, zinc and manganese. He took them last night and they worked but they are pretty big pills to swallow....
~Mama to Many~
Calcium
★★★★★
(Gainesville, Fl)
09/11/2013
Hello Kathy, I hope you're doing well. I was wondering how many milligrams of the calcium were you taking. My leg cramps at night are really killing me ;o( Thanks! Good Life :o))
Candied Ginger Slices
★★★★★
Cayenne Pepper
★★★★★
Coconut Water
★★★★★
Cold Showers
★★★★★
Culinary Argan Oil
★★★★★
I was getting terrible muscle cramps - sometimes as bad as 10X a day - I was afraid to go anywhere because I didn't know when I would unexpectedly get them and they were extremely painful and scary - I didn't know what was causing them & still don't.
I started taking 2 teaspoons a day of culinary Argan oil (one teaspoon at lunch, one at dinner), and within a few weeks, I realized the cramps were occurring less & less - it's been about 2 months since I started taking the Argan oil, and the cramps that I experienced for about 6 months are finally gone! I can't believe it and wanted to share on this site, which has helped me to find natural solutions for other health issues. Two family members who also started taking the Argan oil also noticed their cramps were went away - they did not get them as bad as I did, and I think that's why their results were more immediate. I highly recommend this amazing oil that not many people know about!!
There are two forms of it - the topical Argan oil and the lesser known culinary Argan oil. You can't ingest the topical kind - only the culinary kind. Argan oil is from Morocco and Israel.
Dietary and Herbal Suggestions
★★★★★
Instead of just treating the symptoms I tried to find an actual cure and I found out the following: Don't drink alcoholic beverages (a glass or two per week is fine), don't eat much sugar or sweetened food, don't drink caffeine especially no sodas with caffeine. Caffeine free sodas work okay but keep in mind that it is not healthy anyway. Stop smoking if you do (that wasn't a hard one, was it?), drink plenty of water, at least 2 quarts (liters) per day and make sure it is good water (not tap water) and finally the most important: Go to bed before midnight! I believe this is especially true because our organs regenerate themselves during the night. I am not sure but I believe that at 3am the liver starts to regenerate which would mean that this is the weak spot of us "crampers". To support the liver, one can also use the herbal supplement "Milkthistle" (in german Mariendistel) which can help tremendously. If I follow this rigorous regimen, I am cramp free!
(Entiat, W)
10/22/2009
I agree with the sugar (sweets, simple carbs) If I eat to much I have learned that I get terrible leg and foot cramps. Just to be sure :) I keep testing it out. Some things are harder to accept as a lesson learned than other lessons.
DMSO
★★★★★
(Chicago, IL)
09/27/2008
(Nanuet, Ny, Usa)
02/01/2012
Dmso is great for many things, including helping to turn cancer cells into good cells, but it stinks to high heaven. If you plan to use this remedy, wait about an hour then wash yourself. You can get this at most pet stores. Make sure it's 70% dmso, 30% distilled water.
Eliminate All Fructose
★★★★★
After eating a ton of fruits, I started having muscle cramps that were so intense that I could not sleep, and could not walk. But all of my muscle cramps disappeared 4 or 5 days after I cut my fructose intake to zero. FYI, there is fructose in all fruits, fruit juices, honey, tomatoes, ketchup and soft drinks.
Energy Medicine Technique
★★★★★
2 chinese medicine doctors I know use this general technique. I cant say its safe or not for other body issues, but it worked for leg cramp for me.
(Oleron, France)
03/28/2010
In France you can buy Chlorure de Magnesium in the pharmacie, or Nigari in any health food shop like biocoop. Works great, really cleans up the body and relaxes the muscles. With 20gr you make 1 liter, taking 5cc a day for 20 days, then take a pause of 10 days. It's recommended to take a B-vitamin complex, like brewers yeast (find it in any supermarket in France) at the same time.
(Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France)
03/27/2010
I just eat bananas.... we can't buy Epsom salts here in France. I have also looked in Germany and Switzerland (we live next door to them, quite practical) but they only sell them in small quantities for constipation so I never tried them. Bananas have helped me well all my life! I don't have the time to search now as we a leaving on a trip but there are vegetables that are also very rich on potassium.
Epsom Salt
★★★★★
(PA)
06/19/2021
No tub here, ...just a shower. Does anyone know if it would help for these nighttime foot/leg cramps if I were to just soak my feet in a tub of epsom salt in the evening? Would that also help to stop the cramps? Thanks in advance for any info. I have to say how much I absolutely LOVE earth clinic. It has saved me in many instances! I TRULY APPRECIATE EARTH CLINIC AND ALL THOSE THAT SHARE THEIR CURES!
(New Zealand)
06/19/2021
Hello GF of PA,
I have personal experience with this one and I know how painful it can be! Really BAD.
It would be best if, in the initial instance, you perused the "Muscle Cramps/Cramping" section on this Site for a comprehensive review of the problem: sort of a "Cramps 101" for lifestyle changes etc.
I think a half cup of Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulphate/Sulfate), fully dissolved in a foot bath/bowl of water, as hot as you can (comfortably) stand it, would be good to do. Too hot and it will damage you of course! Keep your feet in for no longer than fifteen to twenty minutes (by which time the water will be cooler anyway). There is a theory that a longer soak is counter-productive.
A foot reflexologist might tell you that trans-dermal foot soaking is the way to go, especially for Magnesium which can be difficult for the body to absorb actually.
I might prefer to do this twice a day to get a quicker response.
What I would do though, is to take 1 to 5 ml (or half a tsp) of Magnesium Chloride liquid in a glass of water twice a day, always replace the cap and store below 25 degrees centigrade. (Maybe difficult for you at the moment?! ). That works a treat for me. In a genuine emergency, I have been known to down a glass of salt water on at least a couple of occasions.
If one "over doses" with Mag. you might get loose stools but that is just the body's way of restoring the balance. No harm done. Nobody die.
I hope this is helpful, it should be, especially if you carefully follow the advice on Earth Clinic ... Editors Choice section etc. Seems strange that there is not much more feedback from our learned Posters on this affliction.
This condition IS fixable!!
Cheers from Michael,
Down Under
Fruit
★★★★★
Heat
★★★★★