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Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,295
Registered: ‎03-27-2010

Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!

CALM: If needed I make a hot drink before going to bed.  Costco has excellent prices (if it is still available).  Eating lots of veggies is a plus.  Leg cramps are a pain....wishing you relief!

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Posts: 8,512
Registered: ‎09-16-2010

Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!

@ECBG : My doctor told me last week that any cramps in the hands, fingers , legs and feet can be cause by not drinking enough water. When ever I have a doctors appointment or any other appointments- I don't eat or drink anything before because of my stomach issues. Hope you feel better soon.

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Posts: 13,401
Registered: ‎07-15-2016

Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!

I was waking up with leg cramps during the night.

 

My SIL's doctor told her to  drink more water - and it worked for her - so she mentioned it to me and I tried it - it worked for me too! I haven't had a problem since I started drinking more water.

 

I had asked my doc about it years ago and he advised me to get up and stretch ... but had no info to prevent them.

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Posts: 7,776
Registered: ‎02-13-2021

Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!


@moonandthestars wrote:

@ECBG oh, also wanted to comment on the overload of vitamins just leaving your system - that doesn't mean that all of it leaves your system - just what your body can't use.  It's a good thing that it happens because that means there is no issue of having too much in your body.  some vitamins store - examples I think would be vitamin d and maybe vitamin a.


This is not necessarily true when it comes to potassium and magnesium.  Someone else recently started a leg cramp thread (weeks ago).  One should not just "supplement."  Do it with the care of your physician.  Both of these minerals in high amounts are extremely bad for your heart.  So, with that said, yes they will eventually leave the body, but our bodies don't do well excess of these minerals @moonandthestars 





A Negative Mind ~ Will give you a Negative Life
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Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!

7. Irregular heartbeat

 

Heart arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, is among the most serious symptoms of magnesium deficiency (38Trusted Source).

The symptoms of arrhythmia are mild in most cases. Often, it has no symptoms at all. However, in some people, it may cause heart palpitations, which are pauses between heartbeats.

Other possible symptoms of arrhythmia include:

  • lightheadedness
  • shortness of breath
  • chest pain
  • fainting

In the most severe cases, arrhythmia may increase the risk of stroke or heart failure.

 

Scientists believe that an imbalance of potassium levels inside and outside of heart muscle cells may be to blame, a condition associated with magnesium deficiency (39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source).

Some people with congestive heart failure and arrhythmia have been shown to have lower magnesium levels than people who don’t have the condition.

 

Treating those with magnesium injections significantly improved their heart function (41Trusted Source).

 

Magnesium supplements may also help reduce symptoms in some people with arrhythmia





A Negative Mind ~ Will give you a Negative Life
Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,910
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Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!

@ECBG - I started getting leg cramps at night and early in the morning when I started getting sciatica. I have a good friend who has been through a bunch of health crises, but she's a powerhouse and so much fun!

 

Her doctor told her, and she told me, to drink 3-4 oz. of water right before you go to bed. You might have to wake up to go potty, but the cramps will go away It worked!  Smiley Happy

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Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!

@gertrudecloset Yes, ok.  I was attempting a response to what I read as the idea that if you take too much, it's wasted because it will all leave your body and there won't be any benefit.  And then I wanted to convey the idea of the body using what it needs and letting go of the rest.  Someone with a kidney or liver problem, the letting go might not happen as well.  Since many are reading this thread and not just @ECBG , who I thought would proceed with supplementation quite conservatively - and I mentioned the idea of temporariily supplementing in maybe just previous message to the one you're commenting on - that short-term (1 week? 2 weeks? 3 weeks?)  I would recommend she supplement directly with the minerals - before transitioning back over to her multivitamin (mineral?).  If one doses very high with magnesium the risk is that it has a laxative effect (either in a good way or a bad way), (might I add same thing with vitamin c in high doses).  Again with the potassium, I think it may have the same potential side effect in higher doses, not sure what else, but there is no reason take a high dose daily.   I'm a big supporter of supplements personally.  There are high quality brands out there.  Of course she or anyone could/should speak with their dr. - they may have one that believes in supplements - they may not.  The limited vitamins I know my mother received through her dr. were not impressive to me - many fillers and additives, dyes.  @ECBG maybe you have a good calcium / magesium supplement you take for bone health?  That would be just fine to start with.  You could even try something like a gatorade - maybe your eletrolytes are off a bit.  and def. eat some bananas.  Post back if you try the soap!

 

 

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Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!


@moonandthestars wrote:

@gertrudecloset Yes, ok.  I was attempting a response to what I read as the idea that if you take too much, it's wasted because it will all leave your body and there won't be any benefit.  And then I wanted to convey the idea of the body using what it needs and letting go of the rest.  Someone with a kidney or liver problem, the letting go might not happen as well.  Since many are reading this thread and not just @ECBG , who I thought would proceed with supplementation quite conservatively - and I mentioned the idea of temporariily supplementing in maybe just previous message to the one you're commenting on - that short-term (1 week? 2 weeks? 3 weeks?)  I would recommend she supplement directly with the minerals - before transitioning back over to her multivitamin (mineral?).  If one doses very high with magnesium the risk is that it has a laxative effect (either in a good way or a bad way), (might I add same thing with vitamin c in high doses).  Again with the potassium, I think it may have the same potential side effect in higher doses, not sure what else, but there is no reason take a high dose daily.   I'm a big supporter of supplements personally.  There are high quality brands out there.  Of course she or anyone could/should speak with their dr. - they may have one that believes in supplements - they may not.  The limited vitamins I know my mother received through her dr. were not impressive to me - many fillers and additives, dyes.  @ECBG maybe you have a good calcium / magesium supplement you take for bone health?  That would be just fine to start with.  You could even try something like a gatorade - maybe your eletrolytes are off a bit.  and def. eat some bananas.  Post back if you try the soap!

 

 


Very good information @moonandthestars .  I have read that with both, Potassium and Magnesium having too little and too much are not good for the heart.  Now, when one gets magnesium from food sources (it's the best way) and any excess you don't need is removed by urination.  That's not the case with supplementing magnesium.

 

If you take supplemental magnesium, the most an adult should ingest is 350 mg daily. Supplemental magnesium is different from magnesium naturally occurring in the foods you eat.

 

The office of Dietary supplements notes that “too much magnesium from food does not pose a health risk in healthy individuals because the kidneys eliminate excess amounts in the urine.” It also notes that “high doses of magnesium from dietary supplements or medications often result in diarrhea that can be accompanied by nausea and abdominal cramping.”

 

Magnesium may be prescribed to prevent migraine headaches, with a daily dosage of more than 350 mg a day. These dosages should only be taken with medical supervision.

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/magnesium-overdose-whats-the-likelihood#sources-of-...

 

Potassium is another problem for the heart if you take too much and don't get enough.  I used to take a diurectic that was potassium sparing.  I don't take that one anymore and have to have blood work done periodically to have them checked.

 

No one should supplement vitamins and minerals that are stored by the body without doing so with their physician.  This is just my approach to supplements.  I think one can take as much Vitamin C as one wants because it is water soluable....

 

 

More info I found about supplementation of the mineral Magnesium (not it's natural source through foods). 

 

If you're getting too much magnesium, the first symptoms that you'll notice are nausea, diarrhea, and cramping. 

Magnesium toxicity is diagnosed when the concentration of magnesium in your blood reaches 1.74 to 2.61 millimoles per liter. When that happens, you may notice additional symptoms, including:

  • Muscle weakness.
  • Low blood pressure.
  • Flushing in the face.
  • Retaining fluid.
  • Lethargy.
  • Depression.
  • Confusion.

Severe magnesium toxicity can cause trouble breathing, a rapid heartbeat, and cardiac arrest. In very rare cases, people who take too much magnesium can develop fatal hypermagnesemia, an electrolyte disorder most common in people with kidney failure.

It's possible for the symptoms of too much magnesium to build over time, especially when you're taking supplements that have a high dose, Patel said.

 

Remember when you supplement magnesium, it comes in many different forms, to get to your body citrate, calcate, (more):  They all have different benefits as well.

 

  • magnesium citrate
  • magnesium glycinate
  • magnesium chloride
  • magnesium lactate
  • magnesium malate
  • magnesium taurate
  • magnesium sulfate
  • magnesium oxide

 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-of-magnesium#types-of-magnesium





A Negative Mind ~ Will give you a Negative Life
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,873
Registered: ‎07-03-2014

Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!

my sister frequently gets leg cramps, and she swears by this. i buy it from peoples rx, but maybe you can find it elsewhere if you don't have that in your place. it's called STOPS LEG AND FOOT CRAMPS IN ABOUT 1 MINUTE

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,170
Registered: ‎05-30-2012

Re: Durn! Having Leg Cramps!

Talk with your Doctor only he or she can best advise you in my opinion........