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Q. Leg and foot cramps at night wake me from sleep. Sometimes I have to get up and walk them off. The ones in my legs are especially painful. What do you recommend?
A. Readers have shared quite a few remedies, ranging from bedtime stretching to yellow mustard. Perhaps the most bizarre is soap under the sheet.
One person wrote: "I am absolutely stymied by all of this soap in the bed stuff. It works!
"I've suffered from such killer leg cramps that I can only cry. A friend told me about Ivory Soap in bed. When I tried it, I was amazed! NO leg cramps and my legs feel better all day. I don't know what the deal is, but it's safe, it works and I feel better."
We are sending you our Guide to Leg Pain, with instructions on a wide range of cramp and restless leg remedies.
I also suffered from severe cramps at night. Then a friend suggested to put a bar of soap under the bottom sheet. What a relief... no more cramps.
Last spring I experienced excruciatingly painful leg cramps (eventually foot cramps too). I finally went to the doctor, had blood work done, and found out my
hemoglobin rate was 4.7! They put me in the hospital, gave me two pints of blood, and ran tests. As soon as I had the blood infusions, the cramps stopped. I didn't even know this could be a symptom.
So, perhaps people should make sure their blood levels are adequate when experiencing chronic leg cramps.
Hi: A few weeks ago I stated that I took 500mg Magnesium and 3 Potassium each evening. I'm sorry I made an error...the 500 mg Mag. was too much for me. I find I'm okay taking 250 mg, plus the Potassium.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Angela
A teaspoon of mustard, any variety, "down the hatch" helps instantly.
I have had this problem for years, intermittently. I am a physician so have access to medications and I find that 2.5mg to 5mg of Valium (diazepam) taken and bedtime and repeated if I wake up in the middle of the night works well. This is a sedative, but I can take this dose during the day if necessary (the normal dosage for muscle cramps is 3 to 4 times a day) and not note sedation.
I have investigated this and found no abnormalities - but my father and grandfather had the same problem.
However, as silly as it sounds, I did put some soap in the bed 2 nights ago but am not sure at this point if it is helpful.
I find it occurs more often if I do more than usual exercise,or something different - it is always worse when I first start cross-country skiing in Winter, or start bicycle riding in the Spring.
HELLO----
read your article for the first time today and THANK YOU
I'll be reading it regularly.
I too have occasional leg cramps that make my leg twist to the point I can't walk it out. Somewhere along the way I started using Potassium pills when this happens and it works! I buy them at the dollar stores and right now I am using 595 mg one caplet. I take potassium regularly with my other RX meds and I only use this when the cramp happens.
I have found that for me eating chocolate at night makes my legs cramp so I try to remember this.
I had six and a half feet of terminal ileum removed about 5 years ago as the result of blood clots. I now have problems with diarrhea, and, consequently, loss of electrolytes and cramping in the feet, legs and hands. I try to manage my life with diet and medication but have been having more trouble with the muscle cramps of late. Last night and today have been particularly difficult. I have taken tonic water, extra calcium and magnesium and several large swallows of pickle juice today. I am dreading bedtime.
Hello, I love your site and articles in the newspapers, that's how I found out about Maccaroons and the soap in the bed and also the gin soaked raisins which didn't help me, but I didn't try that one for long enough. One thing that really helped me though is the Ivory soap in the bed - I keep it right by my feet in-between the two sheets and in the past three years I have only had one cramp a year, way down from before I started to use it.
I think your help and advice is wonderful I am about to start using the apple cider vinegar in juice. I'm very optimistic about natural remedies, so I thank you very much for your help.
KJ
This year, when I turned 65, I have started getting cramps in my feet and in my hands. It's a real inconvenience to get cramps in all four extremities while driving down the freeway. About all I could do was look for the nearest exit to pull off and wait for the cramps to abate. I'm a Registered Pharmacist. I am a strong believer in home remedies. There is always a logical chemical or biological explanation for why these remedies work.
When I am home and suddenly get cramps in my feet and/or hands, I go straight to the refrigerator and take a couple of swallows of dill pickle juice, around 30 ml or a bit more. The cramps are gone in less than 45 seconds. I now carry a 4 fl oz bottle of pickle juice in my purse to stop those debilitating cramps when I am behind the wheel of the car. It works EVERY time. Thanks for giving me the "Miracle Cure" for cramps.
I bought some Ivory soap to try to eliminate night time leg cramps. Does anyone find that it works if you don't take off the wrapper? I'd rather not take off the wrapper because it's so soft and crumbly.