Foot/leg cramps. OWIE!

Very recent labs:

Calcium 9.2
Magnesium 2.1
Potassium 3.7

I drink over 100 ounces of water a day.

I take OTC  potassium gluconate 99 mgs twice a day
Mag Citrate 200 twice a day
Mag Oxide 400 six times a day
And 3700 of Calcium a day

HELP!  The cramps last night were deadly!  I got up and took some magnesium and potassium (for the placebo effect (if nothing else) and woke up a SECOND time in terrible pain.  My feet and calves are SO sore this morning.

What can I do?

~Becky

Do you have any back pain Becky? If so you may have a pinched nerve or nerve root damage like I have. My labs are damn near like yours and the cramping and rice crispies popping in my calves, ankles and feet were killing me. I've been on Lyrica and it's helping so I can sleep at night but the popping/cramping continues during the day but at a more tolerable level. I also eat a banana every day for the hell of it. I also stretch my legs often by keeping my heel and foot flat on the floor and lunging forward and holding-don't bounce-and feel the pull all the way to my foot. I do this several times during the day and it helps keep my legs loose. Hope you find what works for you, and soon...I know how painful it is.  

 
Especially on days when you're up on your feet a lot.....take extra Magnesium Citrate!!

That always works for me.

Hope you're doing better soon!!!!

Julie

ETA:  Vitalady was talking about this very thing last night (here for her tour visit).

This is an ongoing problem for me as well!!  Honestly, it is starting to annoy me to no end.  I and been playing around with my vitamin schedule and have come to the realization that it is one of them that is causing the cramps, I am just not sure which one it is, so I am going to have to suffer through trail one by one to see which one it is. 

Someone suggested quinine (*spelling), I am looking into trying that as well.  My levels were all normal, and I go again next week for labs so we will compare them too. 

 

Those night cramps can be excruciating!

I suffered the same until I significantly increased my Mag Citrate (in an effort to help with Calcium absorption). I was taking 2 250's. Now I take 5 250's, one mag per every calcium dose. Rarely have cramps now and am on my feet for long stretches at a time.

Good luck in finding the answer for you, Becky.

I do know that 2 potassiums isn't very much.  You aren't really low, but I think the range starts at 3.5--right?  I guess there's some room for improvement there.  OTC potassium is maxed out at 99mg per pill, but that is actually not a very big dose.  I think a banana has like 300-400mg on it's own.  Not that you need to eat a bunch of bananas, but I often take like 6-8 potassiums per day at the moment.  Another option is to use a salt substitute (Like NuSalt).  The "fake" salt is KCl (table salt is NaCl...so it uses potassium instead of sodium).  The flavor doesn't bother me, but I usually just add it to things where I won't really taste it, like recipes with more ingredients.  It can kinda taste bitter to some people.  1/6 tsp has over 500 mg potassium :)

Calcium and magnesium are both tricky because blood levels don't really mean too much.  A lot of magnesium is stored in the cell and that's hard to measure.

Can you try a different form of magnesium?  I know citrate has the reputation for being good for cramps, but I've read that mag glycinate or another chelated form of magnesium might be better absorbed.  ETA: I also agree with others that magnesium could be increased.  The ideal ratio for calcium:magnesium is 2:1, so that would entail taking 200-300mg magnesium per calcium dose, which could possibly be up to 2-3x more than you are taking now.  Plus, check the dosages.  My magnesiums are really big, but only have 100mg per pill and I have to take 2 to get the 200mg dose.

I know how horridly painful those cramps can be.  I used to get them every night about a year ago and my calves just ached and ached.  I wish I knew what I changed that made them go away.

I think the cramps can also be hormone related.  As some know, I have endocrine troubles and I produce little to no estrogen naturally.  I guess it's possible that last year I was much less controlled with my hormone replacements and that could be a contributing factor to why I am not cramping nightly anymore.  I was also suffering night sweats at the time as well.

Since mag levels in your blood don't mean anything (accurate), go by symptoms. I take 4 mag cit per day, 2 more before bed, and when I'm on a concrete floor all day, I take 2 more at night, plus 2 of the Leg Cramp JUST before I go to bed.

I am going to increase my Mag Citrate.  What is "Leg Cramp" that you take just before bed?

Thank you.

~Becky

Trying to use phone. Half day at dodge, half dy at verizon and now? My computer will not boot. Up.

Leg Cramp is the last produicts that contains any quinine. It comes in tablets OR in fast dissolve ones. Generally it does not prevent but treats. It also comes in an ointment. Of that, one per lifetime becuase u only use a dab. U rub ur foot anyway, so this helps. I put 2 of the fast dissolve on board, sip and them dance around with the cream.

It got spendy to keep. Some in each purse, rv, bathroom, hence why the appeared on my sahelf! U can get at walgreenszn walmart,, just pay morehope uget relief sorry for text mess!

Thank you so much!!

~Becky