Banishing Night time Cramp in Older Age

[scorecard]

8 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Not sure if I read it on here, but I have suffered from night-time cramp for a few years now, very painful and every night at some point.  I have tried the hydrating, avoiding salt, exercise etc etc advice, but I read a few weeks ago that a combination tablet containing Zinc, Magnesium and Calcium would help. I take two tablets per day and so far, the cramps have gone, almost over night .  Early days yet I know, but it seems to be working,  thank goodness. I pass this on for the benefit of other sufferers.  

Magnesium worked for me. As recommended I took the tabs every night before bed. On first night cramps 90% gone, within 48 hrs cramps 100% gone.

 

Continued tabs every night for 1 months then stopped. That's 5 years ago, cramps have never come back. 

[Sheryl]

40 minutes ago, bignbad said:

Lots of good cramp advice on this thread.

Plenty banana helped me. I also found that wearing long socks for sleeping helps increase circulation

 

The bananas are high in potassium, likely why

 

Especially in this climate, muslce aches can often be due to electrolyte disturbances/dehydration

 

Electrolyte  solutions are ioten helpful

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, Ombra said:

I am 75 and, until a couple of months ago, I got woken every night with a pain in my left leg. This was not cramp, but a doctor suggested that improving my blood circulation would help. He said I should do this by elevating my legs so that my feet are higher than my heart. Since I started doing this, I have had almost no pain. Given that a restriction in the flow of blood to the muscles is one cause of cramp, this exercise might help.

Surely elevating the legs will make it harder for the heart to pump blood to the legs. Should the legs not be lower than your heart....gravity feed.

[BazzaJames]

Works for me .. 

[anchadian]

Pfizer healthcare product, Caltrate plus. Available at large pharmacies. 

  

All you need for for night time cramps.

[zaZa9]

i gave up smoking - all night cramps , in fact all cramps,  have gone .

[thasoss]

I buy Blackmores bio magnesium,works every time for cramps...available in many pharmacies here in Thailand.....Boots will stock a good range

[elliss]

 

     Sadly , some may say ..

 I look upon it as happily just before sleep, 

 I reflect , on the many happy sexual/social times ,

 I have had in the Thai Kingdom ...

More too come ,  doubt it .

 Three score and ten enough .  May i quote the good book ..

 

 

[Andy from Kent]

 

I used to take tablets of potassium sulfate whenever I got a leg cramp.     It definitely worked for me.

[connda]

THC in medical marijuana (source it online), but don't hold your breath. Medical marijuana clinics aren't going to give it too you for painful cramps.  But according to most Thai doctors, it's your past karma catching up with you so just bite a rock and bare the pain.  It's not the job of medical cannabis clinics or Thai doctors to get involved with your bad karma until it's killing you - and maybe not even then.

[Morch]

I've had this for many years now, on and off. Months going by then BAM!

Tried the magnesium path a while back, didn't seem to do much good. Guess there's no one answer as far as ingesting supplements/vitamins and such go, people bodies are different, maybe more so with age.

 

What I found was that it's more likely to happen when inactive (long haul flights, sitting too long in front of screen), not drinking enough (water, that is), or having too much to drink (alcohol) before sleep.

 

Seems to come on different for people as well. Mine are pretty instantaneous, one moment asleep, a second later wreathing in pain. My Dad's come about slow, allowing to wake up, stand and take a few steps while working the muscle, says it pretty much sorts it.

[Fortean1]

My lower leg cramps stem from peripheral neuropathy.  My doctors here in Thailand only prescribe Cymbalta for the pain, but that turns me into a hyper-zombie.  I do not eat brains though.  LOL  I've been keeping a bar of soap under our bed sheets for about two months now.  I even have a bar of soap in my house shorts.  So far fairly good results.  I also eat bananas and take electrolyte when working in the yard.  I'd say most soaps do not have magnesium.  I could be wrong.

 

Terry W. Colvin

( a few miles south of Hua Hin )

.

.

.

 

Apparently, a bar of soap releases the mineral magnesium while you sleep, which believers say will relieve nocturnal leg cramping. And for those who suffer from RLS, Dr. Mehmet Oz of The Dr. Oz Show recommends leaving a bar of lavender soap under the sheets overnight.Nov 15, 2017

https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-use-a-soap-bar-to-cure-restless-legs-or-cramps-3015279

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/news/a44048/soap-sleep-trick/

[billd766]

10 hours ago, ezzra said:

A young and pretty lass by your side at night will make you forget all sorts of cramps mate...

I agree with you but I am not sure if my wife would. She would be muttering "There's no fool like an old fool".

[kokesaat]

7 hours ago, Ombra said:

I am 75 and, until a couple of months ago, I got woken every night with a pain in my left leg. This was not cramp, but a doctor suggested that improving my blood circulation would help. He said I should do this by elevating my legs so that my feet are higher than my heart. Since I started doing this, I have had almost no pain. Given that a restriction in the flow of blood to the muscles is one cause of cramp, this exercise might help.

I'm 70, had the same problem with cramps at night and when I'd just wake up.  Now I've been doing a few minutes of leg exercises each night......lie on my back, raise both feet up and lower them slowly.  Doing this a few times seems to help a lot.

[Patong2021]

Elderly family member had this. In her case, it was determined to be be related to statins and dehydration. She was active and if she took a good walk that afternoon or evening she could have some terrible leg cramps.

They changed around statin she was on and she drank more water.

[wavodavo]

18 hours ago, Oldie said:

You can try more salt, more magnesium and B vitamins. I had severe cramps and only vitamin B pills helped in the end. I ate a lot of tofu and vegetables at this time. Perhaps I did not have enough B12. Since I take vitamin B pills occasionally I never had a problem again. If I stop them I will get cramps after a while again.

Years ago when I worked in underground mines we were told to take salt tablets everyday to replace the salt/elecrolites that we sweated out and they worked .Now salt tablets are frownded upon by doctors.  Sometimes I think the old remedies were better.

[Speedo1968]

On 2/20/2021 at 9:43 AM, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I've got a 10 minute stretching yoga type thing I do at night most nights. If I miss two nights the chances of cramps are much higher. If it gets worse I'll consider the tablets thanks. You should find too if you eat a fair amount of green leafy vegetables and nuts that should do it. Nuts though seem to be expensive in Thailand - maybe there is no demand.

Me too, I do every couple of days on the floor full body stretch, found this helps with balance as well as cramps.
I do other simple yoga floor exercises as well for general body health, in my 70's it has made a great difference to flexibility.
For the balance I see if the part where I arm stretch over my head have both back of the hands touching the floor at the same time.

[connda]

4 hours ago, wavodavo said:

Years ago when I worked in underground mines we were told to take salt tablets everyday to replace the salt/elecrolites that we sweated out and they worked .Now salt tablets are frownded upon by doctors.  Sometimes I think the old remedies were better.

Electrolyte power is one of the most common OTC medications available in Thailand.  I prefer the ones without sugar.  Cheap as dirt. I take a pack daily between sweating in the Thai heat and taking saunas on a frequent basis. 

[spidermike007]

Stretching adequately helps alot. Other than that, a 500mg. aspirin always knocks out any cramping for me, within 15 minutes or so.

[maxcorrigan]

When i was in the UK the doctors prescribed Quinine Bi- sulphate which i took for many years before bedtime it kept the cramps away, but apparently this medicine is not legal here in Thailand, now after a minor stroke i stopped drinking beer which was causing de-hydration and started doing serious calf muscle stretching exercises which holds back the cramps which i had had for many years, serious painful cramp at that sometimes in both legs at the same time, so to sum it up in my case it was de-hydration and lack of the above calf muscle exercises now i take no other drugs at all and seldom get any serious cramps!

[maxcorrigan]

43 minutes ago, maxcorrigan said:

When i was in the UK the doctors prescribed Quinine Bi- sulphate which i took for many years before bedtime it kept the cramps away, but apparently this medicine is not legal here in Thailand, now after a minor stroke i stopped drinking beer which was causing de-hydration and started doing serious calf muscle stretching exercises which holds back the cramps which i had had for many years, serious painful cramp at that sometimes in both legs at the same time, so to sum it up in my case it was de-hydration and lack of the above calf muscle exercises and drinking plenty of water, which i had never done before,  now i take no other drugs at all and seldom get any serious cramps!