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Leg cramps hurt like hell. They can wake you up out of a sound sleep and make you scream in agony. The pain can bring tears to the most stoic individual. What causes such cramps remains mysterious. And doctors have very little to offer as treatment. They used to prescribe quinine, an anti-malarial drug derived from the bark of a South American tree. But earlier this year the FDA banned the use of quinine for leg cramps. Quinine can sometimes cause life-threatening blood disorders as well as serious allergic reactions or heart rhythm disturbances.
Without quinine, physicians have no approved drugs for patients in pain from leg cramps. Some doctors prescribe Valium (diazepam) or anti-seizure drugs like Tegretol (carbamazepine) or Dilantin (phenytoin). Such medicines have side effects, however, and none have been approved by the FDA for this purpose.
So, what’s a patient to do? For years, we have been telling people about the power of putting a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of the bed in the neighborhood of the legs. It makes no sense, but hundreds of readers tell us it works.
Recently we were taken to task: “You folks are ridiculous, superstitious and ignorant. How can you recommend a bar of soap under the bottom sheet for leg cramps? It's just plain dumb. Please spare us such silliness.”
At first we felt chastised. But then our readers came to the rescue: “The individual who complained about the silliness of soap under the bed sheet to prevent leg cramps has never had them—especially on the inside of the thighs!
“When I read about this remedy in your column, I too was a doubter. But my niece who is a nurse said, ‘You will laugh, but I hurt so bad I would try anything.’ She was amazed to find out it works wonders.
“I tried it too and have been without leg cramps. I also get cramps in my hands and find that holding a bar of soap between them makes the cramps disappear.”
Another reader won her husband over: “One night my husband was having a really bad leg cramp. I offered the extra bar of soap that I keep on my side of the bed on my nightstand. He asked me why I would offer SOAP during his PAIN!
“I asked him where the pain hurt worst, slipped the bar of soap under that spot and in seconds, mere seconds, he stopped his moaning and said, ‘WOW.’
“I keep two bars under the bottom sheet at all times to help prevent restless leg syndrome. After a while they lose their effect. Just replace them for a dollar or so. Many brands work. I have used hotel soaps while traveling.”
Some people prefer different home remedies, such as yellow mustard or low-sodium V-8 juice. Like soap, none of these approaches has been scientifically proven, but neither have medications other than quinine.
We have collected the most popular remedies, from stretching exercises to tonic water or baking soda, in our Guide to Leg Pain. It can be downloaded for $2 from this Website. Go to “Buy In Depth Guides.”
Press the upper lip just below the nose.
Works for this family.
That maneuver also works to stop a sneeze.
My parents were told to take a little salt, & it was so effective they kept a little dish of salt on their bedside tables ever after for night-time cramps.
I've found that grapefuit juice has helped me. Either I take some during the day and/or when the pains come at night.
I take 400 mg of Horse Chestnut Extract every other day, usually after breakfast. I no longer have leg cramps and experience no adverse reactions from this herb. It can be found at WalMart as well as health food stores. I cannot guarantee results for anyone else but my body is rather sensitive and I have no problems with the herb.
I have found that a teaspoon of yellow mustard relieves the worst leg cramps in just a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, it does not prevent the cramps... only alleviates them. Also, quinine sulfate can be purchased from Canadian drug companies.
For RLS, I drink a couple ounces of tonic water which has quinine.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned a calcium-magnesium supplement. I can get really bad cramps at night in my feet so I have to hobble to the kitchen. I will chew a tablet and hold it for a minute or two until I feel it relaxing those muscles. After swallowing that and a couple more I can walk normally back to bed and go back to sleep! It works every time but by taking a good absorbable cal-mag daily I pretty much avoid the problem. Also my wife would have 'restless leg syndrome' if she didn't take her (chelated 2:1 cal-mag w/vit.D and zinc) supplements daily.
Read about soap. I have a bar of Ivory on both sides of the bed under the sheet. Have not had the night cramps since. When I was telling a friend, she said one memberof her traveling group always takes the hotel soap and puts it under the sheet.
I've had leg cramps since my teens. I'm 67 and they have gotten real bad if I do a lot of ladder steps during work. Since I take 40mg nextium and heard that it can diminish the benefits of the 1000mg of calcium i normally take, I have boosted my calcium intake by either double or triple, depending on the pain at night--my big concern is kidney stones. But boy do I have strong bones and good fingernails-----
Have had leg and foot cramps and "hot" extremities for years. Use the Ivory bar soap under the fitted sheet and no cramps or "burning" for months now... it's a miracle! Don't understand why... but I don't care... it works!
I, too, sing the praises of soap at my feet for RLS. I try to remember to take my Calcium Magnesium tablets, but, when I don't, my soap works like magic! I just hope that one day some brilliant person will inform all of us grateful beings the reason why it works. :-) But, for now, it's enough that it does!
When the toe and ankle cramps come I first grab a hair dryer and get as much heat on them without burning that I can. Meanwhile I turn on the hot water in the bath tub. If the pain has not eased from using the hair dryer I sit on the side of the bath tub while I fill a smaller tub with hot water and soak and rub my feet/legs. If this is not enough I continue to fill the bath tub with hot water and sit and rub until I am relaxed. By "hot" I mean as hot as is still in the "non-painful" range.
Next I intend to try the hot soak and massage before bed to see if this will keep the cramps away altogether. And also experiment with the yellow mustard, potassium hydration and some stretching exercises.
i had a real bad leg cramp and took some leg cramp pills which didn't help, then my mother remember reading in one of her books a spoon pressed on the cramp and this is the only thing that worked. does not have to be a silver spoon but must be metal: press it where the cramp is and it was instant relief.
I have just started having leg cramps, do i avoid quinine or take quinine??
I have been taking Quinine for leg cramps for 35 years and I am about out of my supply. Recently they have been quite frequent. I decided to try Diazepam, one half of a 10MG, five minutes ago, I hope this will work.
I was told by my endocrinologist to take CoQ10 capsules (4 - 100mg capsules per day) for my leg cramps. I can have a leg cramp anytime at night, sometimes one in each thigh at the same time. The CoQ10 has done away with the leg cramps so far. I still feel twinges in my muscles at times, but no leg cramps. CoQ10 has side effects. Check with your doctor.
I've tried calcium, potassium, and quinine, and nothing works, except CoQ10. For 40+ years I have suffered with leg cramps
I don't remember where I read this, but I started taking Butcher's Broom some months ago for leg cramps. I take 2 capsules 3 times a day. I have not been bothered by leg cramps as severely as a used to be. It is an herbal supplement and not expensive.