dehydration and leg cramps

has anyone had a problem with dehydration/  I drink at least 64oz of liquid a day, which does not include my morning coffee and I get dehydrated so bad sometimes I have to go to the hospital then my legs and hand ache for days, when they do the blood work everything is in order and where it should be, don't understand and neither do any doctor I have been to and that would be several, in KY, AZ DC MT, SD, ND pretty many and none has a clue, just give me an IV and a Ativan and send me on my way. So I am hoping someone else will have  a clue on what to do, please help if you can   Thanks

Do they say your potassium is low when you go in? Potassium and Magnesium are often culprits in leg cramps. Are you on a diuretic for B/P or anything?

Everyone is different, you may need more than 64oz. Honestly 64oz is a random number some doc came up with a few decades ago as a good amount of fluid intake. Nothing really scientific about it. It is obviously not your ideal number for fluid intake.

all my vitamins are right where they are supposed to be, I usually drink more than 64 oz but I make sure I a get at least 64, the last time I went to the hospital I had dran 24 oz v-8 and 72 oz of pedialyte so I don't know what else to do

 Lack of magnesium was the culprit for me.  I had to have Calcium with Magnesium.  No problems since then.

Last summer, after beginning on my supervised weight loss diet, I had head to toe body spasms.  My PCP ran expanded bloodwork STAT.  That afternoon it was found that my creatin K was almost 400 and my serum sodium had tanked to 127.  

At first his PA wanted to immediately admit me into the hospital.  However, after conferring with my PCP it was decided to change my blood pressure med (Lisinopril) to another (amalodipine) and take me off one of my cholesterol meds (Simvastatin). By the next day my spasms had drastically decreased and totally disappeared by the 2nd day.

The doc originally ran all the panels (ie potassium, magnesium, electrolytes, calcicum, etc).  If he hadn't gone a step further to get the creatin k and serum sodium the problem would not have been found.  I'm not saying this is your problem, I'm just saying sometimes it's not the obvious.  

One more thing that I did was to start taking 400mg daily of Magnesium to help control leg, foot, and hand cramps.  My PCP said it was perfectly okay to take them.  My bariatric surgeon just the other day said I should no longer have any need for the magnesium.  So far she's correct...no cramps in my legs, feet, or hands.

Good luck, I hope you can find the cause and solution to your leg cramps. I know so very well how dibilitating they can be.

I do if I don't get enough salts and other minerals in my diet. I add salt to my protein shakes if I have any. A lot of times craving pickles indicate to me that I need more salt..