Muscle Cramp Remedies

Re: Muscle Cramps -- Solution: 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.

Hi Mama to Many,

I read that if you rub Vicks Vapor Rub _ for your chest cold_ on the area where you get the cramp at bedtime you do not get a cramp.. I tried it for my cramps and after a week, I stopped and the cramps never came back.

God Bless

Gary

There's a great homeopathic medicine Hyland's brand, for legs cramps that work. Sold pretty much everywhere. Also explore Cell Salts.

I had the same problem and my chiropractor suggested checking my iron. I was very low. Still within limits the dr said was ok, but low. So, I started taking dessicated liver pills and, voila! Cramps are gone.

My husband has always been prone to cramps in his calves at night. It was always worse on days he worked out in the heat. He learned to eat a banana before bed or take blackstrap molasses. Recently though, these things haven't helped. Lab work showed his potassium, magnesium and sodium levels to be normal. Some research helped me learn that leg cramps are more common as we age and that muscles can shorten. He is 57. I found a simple stretch for him to do. He uses a red resistance band (that I put on his nightstand so he doesn't forget) and loops it over his foot. He gently pulls the band to stretch his calf (keeping his leg straight) and holds it 30 seconds. Then he switches legs and holds the stretch for 30 seconds. Then he repeats this. This is a total of 2 minutes of stretching before bed, while sitting in bed with his legs out in front of him. I wanted it as doable as possible. This worked for him the first night. He doesn't have to be reminded to do his stretches. He does them because he knows they work! ~Mama to Many~

Acid ( in pickle juice) frees up the calcium, by removing it from the bones, then the muscles stop cramping.

not a good long term solution.

Probably the problem is Oxalates tying up the calcium, I would suggest adding extra calcium / mag to each meal and even extra more if lots of oxalates in the meal.+

Hi Bebe

Yes, I heard about pickle juice. I also heard about Vaper Rub, the kind you rub on your chest for a cold.. It works in less than a minute after applying to the cramp. It really works.

Take care Bebe

Gary

My son experienced vicious leg cramps after football practices. The coaches started providing dill pickle juice along with water. They would encourage the athletes to drink a half glass if they had cramps. Recently, I have had leg cramps at night. I now have a glass of pickle juice by my bed. After drinking 1/4-1/2 glass, the leg cramps go away.

Culinary Argan Oil for frozen shoulder and muscle spasms

A few years ago, I suffered from terrible muscle spasms for several months. I started taking 1 teaspoon of culinary argan oil coincidentally during this time and about 2 weeks after taking it, the spasms completely went away. I suggested it to 2 other people I know who also had muscle spasms and after they took argan oil, their symptoms disappeared as well - they both took the recommended 1 tablespoon a day. A few years later, I woke up randomly with a frozen shoulder, and after suffering from it for several months, I thought to take argan oil for it, and again, within 2-3 weeks, my frozen shoulder stiffness and pain dramatically decreased - I'm about 90-95% healed now and I continue to take 1 teaspoon of argan oil a day - make sure it's the culinary form, not the topical form. I've taken both argan oil from Israel and from Morocco and they've both worked, but you have to be careful to use a reputable brand that's organic.

what is the recipe for the heart, I've had 4 stems and an open heart surgery last year so anything that could help my condition is welcomed.

Thanks for your help!

It works, keep a small bottle next to my bed and if wake up with cramps, I drink some.

Have been using for over 4 years (DR's advice). Recently flew to Europe with my wife from SFO, developed bad hand cramps. Got Quinine/Tonic water from the stewardess and it helped but relief did not last. I take (2) Shaklee OsteoMatrix daily contains 1,000 mg calcium carbonate and 40 mg Magnesum. Has anyone try Quinine supplements?

Working out the back yard all morning gardening, mowing and making compost. I got dehydrated pretty bad and even had trouble eating my lunch as my mouth was so dry. Headache started and felt a bit sick, so had a shower and a rest. Then the muscle cramps started in my lower legs about mid afternoon and continued on and off into the evening. Took some magnesium powder I found in the cupboard. Was also massaging magnesium cream into my leg muscles as well but nothing was helping.

Knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so thought I'd better look up what Earth Clinic had to offer.
Top remedy was Apple Cider Vinegar.
I took 2 tablespoons in a glass of water, was pretty strong to what I'm used to.
... instant relief. About an hour ago and no more muscle cramps since. Wow!

Thank you Earth Clinic

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.

It works for me, too! 4 days in a row. I'm such a skeptic, still wondering if it's my imagination that a cramp is coming on…, but I'll keep doing this, what a simple solution.

Cris,

If a dose adjustment to your magnesium glycinate does not give adequate relief, magnesium chloride oil or mag oil will help as it allows higher magnesium tissue levels locally than magnesium glycinate can give. Here is a link to a typical spray mag oil product :

https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Oil-Spray-STRENGTH-Essential/dp/B01N0KQ9QJ/ref=sr_1_10?crid=1SP29Q1TQ06KF&keywords=mag+oil+spray&qid=1671328580&sprefix=mag+oil,aps,191&sr=8-10

Just spray on and rub in. Relief is usually felt in a minute or three. Apply before sleep and this usually eliminates muscle cramping in the legs or elsewhere during the night.

Art

How much do you take? I bought it as well, and it was great the first couple of nights but last night I had one cramp after another.

I have had leg cramps for years and I tried all sorts of things. I did magnesium and potassium plus some product from Standard Process. None of them worked, my cramps were so severe they would wake me up at night crying from the intensity! Then I read that MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE is the magnesium to take (magnesium citrate does nothing for leg cramps, I know I tried it). I ordered it from Luma Nutrition since I respect the quality of their products. The next time I had a leg cramp it was intense for a second or two and then it disappeared completely on its own without me having to get up and walk around. It happened one other time but since then I have been sleeping peacefully with no cramps or even a hint of cramps.

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.

When I was doing a prolonged fast, I got serious muscle cramps in my legs at night. These became painful, kept me awake, and also persisted during the day. I drank water with a lot of mineral salts added (sodium, potassium, magnesium, chromium) but the cramps persisted.

This was not sustainable, so on the second or third night, I was about to break the fast. But first I tried drinking various herbal teas with liberal amounts of lemon juice (from concentrate, with sodium sulfite preservative). The cramps disappeared quickly and continued drinking of lemon juice allowed me to continue the fast for a total of 10 days.

The remedy must have been the lemon juice, because the herbal teas were very watery by themselves. I don't know why fasting caused such terrible muscle cramps, but I bet it's either the citric acid or vitamin C that completely relieves the symptoms.

Soap worked for me! I've had muscle cramps in my legs in the past but never like this. I played pickleball in the sunny Phoenix Arizona 100 degree heat for 2 1/2 hours in the morning and must had been dehydrated. I drank water but that didn't help. I went to bed around 11:45pm and woke to a single quick sharp pain muscle spasm on the back side of my leg right below my butt around 1:30am. I would massage the area but it would still keep doing it every few minutes. I would get up and stretch my hamstrings which did release the pain. But then it started doing it every 15 seconds. I got up and checked what earth clinic suggested. I drank a couple big swallows each of diluted apple cider vinegar, pickle juice and electrolyte beverage but nothing helped.

Then I shook my head in disbelieve and opened a fancy small hotel bar of soap from Italy and put it against my skin on the back of my leg where the pain was. This soap did say the ingredients did contain a combination of fragrances and essences. Within 4-5 minutes the pain was going away. I went back to bed and placed it against my skin where the pain would come. I had a couple more attacks but it was much reduced pain. Then no more! Zero! I fell asleep with no more attacks. I told my pharmacist friend the next morning and she researched and found a study that showed 42% of people found it helpful. Some think that the natural essential oils contain a common component called limonene. Studies show that it has spasmoltyic activity inhibiting muscle spasms. One person actually applied liquid glycerin to their skin which worked. This is found in most lotions. The study also said people found that Dove and Dial didn't work. Another study suggested that some bars may contain magnesium. I just know every 15 seconds I was getting acute pain to the same spot keeping me awake for two hours and that the bar of soap stopped it in its track within a few minutes.

Nika from Holland,

Might I suggest a glass of water with Magnesium Chloride liquid (a very few drops ) might help with the muscle cramps a lot. I can speak from personal experience with this recommendation. Works for me every time and quickly too. Buy a reputable brand - ask around!

Apart from the muscle cramps, Magnesium helps with so many other tasks in the body and most people are short of it these days. Not very expensive to buy either.

The taste is not too bad if you only put a few drops in a medium-sized glass of water. otherwise it might be a bit off-putting!

You have my permission to claim the credit if it works!

Cheers from Down Under

Dear Robert Morris, thank you so much! My husband just had terrible muscle cramp. I rushed to Earthclinic and first what I saw was your Accupressure advice. Immediately he tried the exercise and…the pain is gone!!! I have no words to thank you enough.

God bless you and God bless Deirdre, the founder of the Earth Clinic.

Calcium for Nighttime Leg Cramps

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~

I wanted to add my wonderful experience using Nattokinase I ordered off Amazon. I had a horrid knot in my left calf for three straight months. I thought it was a spasm but it never went away no matter what I tried. I think it was a clot. Took the Nattokinase and after 3 days the pain was totally gone. Took two 800mg capsules per directions on the label. So happy I tried this.

Have you tried magnesium? Magnesium is usually what a body needs if it is cramping and has always worked for me and fast.

I am not reporting on the use of Acupressure but to state that after reading through all the remedies that produce results seem to have one common denominator. This is to divert the mind from acknowledging the cramp if only for a very short time. From pinching the upper lip, pressing between the toes to the point of being uncomfortable to eating a good dose of yellow mustard the result is the same. The mind's attention is diverted just enough to break the horrible feedback loop that keeps the cramp going. I get cramps very often and what works for as a male is to get up and urinate. That sensation is usually enough to knock the cramping muscle out of the cycle. This is also true of drinking pickle juice; a strong enough taste to distract your mind. The one solution I have a hard time fitting into this hypotheses is the use of a bar of soap under your fitted sheet. Placed down near the calves it is supposed to relieve nightly cramps. This did produce about a month and a half of blissful, cramp free sleep. But it seems to have lost its effectiveness. Too bad really. I thought I had finally found a solution to this issue.

It took me 6 years to track down the cause of my nighttime charley-horses and foot cramps. I finally landed on a site regarding migraines and condensed tannins which was an "aha" moment for me. I had been taking calcium, magnesium, and potassium for years with modest improvement. If I didn't take the trio, the cramping did get worse. Once I cut condensed tannins out of my diet, I got complete relief.

Condensed tannins make give fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, and grains their color. The darker the color, the more of a problem they are for me. Not surprisingly, I no longer drink red wine--full of tannins. I stopped drinking coffee, teas (decaf still has tannins); anything aged on wood (trees are full of tannins) which means cinnamon, smoked meats, ACV, balsamic vinegar, white wines aged on wood (pinot grigio is a white wine reliably not aged on wood--it is my wine of choice along with vinho verde); very dark berries and their juices (ex: cherries, blueberries); whole grains with the hull attached; dark beans (ex: kidney beans, black beans). This is not a full food list of condensed tannins in foods; it's just a list of those things that guarantee leg and foot cramps for me. I can drink black or green tea by adding cream, the protein in the cream binds with the tannins--but one cup a day is all I dare drink.

It has meant giving up some favorite foods and beverages but the sacrifice has been worth it. As long as I take the minerals and avoid condensed tannins, no leg cramps.

I asked about cures for leg/foot cramps and got many good responses, but nothing worked. I finally learned that thyroid can cause this problem, so I started ioderol. Fantastic, brain fog cleared with the first tablet (12.5 mg) and the cramping gradually got better. I had a dr appointment anyway and mentioned to the dr that this had helped, so he tested for thyroid (the dr who refused to test before! ) and it was low, so he started me on levothyroxine and told me to stop the ioderol.

Did that and, within 3 days, the leg and feet cramps are worse than ever. So, I added back in the ioderol, and, voila! the cramps are better. I go back in 2 weeks for a recheck of the thyroid, to see if the levo is helping.

Any thoughts? I will tell him what happened and what I'm doing for it, but I need to cover all the bases and need input. Thanks.

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

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!

To Cindy: your suggestion to use a few grains of pink salt for cramps works like a charm for me...in just seconds! Thank you!

Tumeric and Olive Oil mixed and applied to muscle spasms works.

I have found great relief for various body ailments on earth clinic and they really did help me. Thanks so much!