Anyone else keep getting night cramps?

Been woken up with pain in my calf so often lately and then struggle to walk the next day as the muscle is still very sore.

:'(

 

used to

but not so much now, but yes it does hurt

 

It's lousy but...

.... you can eliminate it before it starts, or lessen it once it's begun.</p>

Straighten your leg out then tilt your foot with your toes pointing as far up andback as possible, as if they are pointing back towards your face. You will feel the calf stretch.</p>

If you do it when you feel it coming on you can eliminate it. If it wakes you up having started, it will lessen the damage. Try not to sleep with the weight of the bedclothes pushing your toes or feet downwards. Hope it works, it always does for me.</p>

Next!</p>

 

I'm still feeling the discomfort

from the cramp that woke me up last night. :'(

 

Thanks.

I do plenty of stretching as I have to do physio daily.

Just been reading about night cramps and it looks like I'm a candidate for plenty attacks -

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068794/

Secondary causes - the first four apply to me, the fifth not on dialysis yet!

 

Just once

When I accidentally ate one of those big red chillies.

The cramps were not in my calves though, they were somewhere else.

 

RE: Anyone else keep getting night cramps? nt

 

Oops ... yes I had them when pregnant - very painful!

It's something to do with calcium inbalance I think. Maybe have a milk drink before bed. When the cramp kicks in you need to try to relax (hard when you feel you've been shot!) and gently stretch the calf (like the footballers do) bringing your toes up to your head. Just trust that the spasm will die away.

 

Here you go - advice

Realise/ Suspect / Hope you're not pregnant but the advice should be right :-


Why am I having leg cramps during pregnancy?
No one really knows why women have more leg cramps when they're pregnant. It's possible that your leg muscles are tired from carrying around all of your extra weight. Or they may be aggravated by the pressure your expanding uterus puts on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and the nerves that lead from your trunk to your legs.

Leg cramps may start to plague you during your second trimester and may get worse as your pregnancy progresses and your belly gets bigger. While these cramps can occur during the day, you'll probably notice them most at night.
How can I prevent these cramps?
Try these tips for keeping leg cramps at bay:
• Avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time.

• Stretch your calf muscles regularly during the day and several times before you go to bed.

• Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes when you sit, eat dinner, or watch TV.

• Take a walk every day, unless your midwife or doctor has advised you not to exercise.

• Avoid getting too tired. Lie down on your left side to improve circulation to and from your legs.

• Stay hydrated during the day by drinking water regularly.

• Try a warm bath before bed to relax your muscles.

• There's some evidence that taking a magnesium supplement in addition to a prenatal vitamin may help some women. Check with your provider before taking any kind of supplement during pregnancy.

You may have heard that having leg cramps is a sign that you need more calcium, and that calcium supplements will relieve the problem. Though it's certainly important to get enough calcium, there's no good evidence that taking extra calcium will help prevent leg cramps during pregnancy. In fact, in one well-designed study, pregnant women taking calcium got no more relief from leg cramps than those taking a placebo.

What's the best way to relieve a cramp when I get one?
If you do get a cramp, immediately stretch your calf muscles: Straighten your leg, heel first, and gently flex your toes back toward your shins. It might hurt at first, but it will ease the spasm and the pain will gradually go away.

You can try to relax the cramp by massaging the muscle or warming it with a hot water bottle. Walking around for a few minutes may help too.
What if the pain persists?
If your muscle pain is constant and not just an occasional cramp — or if you notice swelling or tenderness in your leg — call your practitioner. These may be signs of a blood clot, which requires immediate medical attention. Blood clots are rare, but your risk is higher during pregnancy.

 

Let an old night cramper(and sometimes during the day) take over.
I tried Glucosamine Sulphate tablets (not expensive) many years ago and haven't been troubled since. Give 'em a go - get them almost anywhere (except electrical shops)

 

Are you doing too much / too little exercise?

Might be worth investigating maybe (although I'm no doctor).

 

Due to my illness

I'm not capable of doing very much exercise , so it's a possibility .

 

Thank you to everyone who's replied

It's certainly given me something to think about .
And , no Fiona , I'm not pregnant !
And , yes Ian , I know exactly what you're on about !! ff

 

Not for a while

In fact I don't think I've had any since I started going to the gym, may just be coincidence.

They do bloody hurt though, and I've had ones when the muscle still hurt a couple of days later. What Red rag suggested does work if you feel it coming on, though once or twice it hasn't....worse thing when you just feel one coming on and try to suppress it but doesn't work!

 

Eat more bananas and increase your salt intake a little - the potassium and sodium will help nt

 

kick the dog off the bed.

 

Drink tonic water (with or without gin!) It definately helps.

 

Might settle down

once I get into the routine of being back at school and doing lots of walking and stair climbing.

 

I don't like bananas.

I already take 90ml of double strength Sodium and Potassium Citrate per day (instead of 180ml of normal strength) as well as phosphate and alphacalcidol amongst other medication for my kidneys as they don't absorb any vitamins and minerals.

I see the Renal Consultants from Nottingham City and Sheffield Children's Hospitals next week so I'll have to mention it to them. They may need to adjust what medicines I take.

 

Lol

The dogs coming running into my room when I wake up in pain and start sighing as if to say "you've just woken me up!"