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Leg Cramps

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  • sj_arndt
    sj_arndt Posts: 14 Member
    totaloblivia wrote: »
    radiii wrote: »
    cdpits wrote: »
    Well, been doing well with this woe, I experience some extreme lag cramps last night that woke me up a few times !

    For me leg cramps were always Magnesium. Luckily, its the easiest thing to supplement. I take 400mg of Magnesium Citrate a day, no more cramps. The other key electrolytes to note are sodium and potassium. Avocados are great for potassium if you like those, most meat does have it, even though most MFP entries won't say so too. I do use Lite Salt which is half potassium, which helps me get a little more as well. With Sodium, I just salt all the things. If I am feeling bad I'll drink a cup of chicken broth which has a lot of sodium.

    But for leg cramps, if you arne't already taking a magnesium supplement, I'd bet that's it. Do note you want Magnesium Citrate, not Magnesium Oxide. Most brands you pick up in a CVS or Wal Mart or whatever will be Magnesium Oxide, its not absorbed as well and doesn't work as well for this purpose. I personally buy Magnesium Citrate on Amazon.

    Also note that the way you can tell if you are getting too much magnesium is diarrhea, which isn't fun, but at least for me, makes it really easy to figure out. Too little, leg cramps, too much, bad things with the stomach, just right, neither!

    Good luck :)

    Completely agree with this - I use Solgar Chelated Magnesium - it's not the cheapest over here in the UK, as I think it is a US brand. I never get diarrhea with it. 4 pills is the RDA - I usually take between 1 and 3 and that seems to be enough to keep the leg cramps at bay. If I forget to take them too many nights in a row (and I am rubbish at remembering) I will definitely get leg cramps. I do now also take a 99mg potassium supplement, but the magnesium worked fine on its won.

    Increase your levels of Magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, & water intake (dehydration can cause them as well). If you do, they should go away (Like a 99% chance). However, if you have increased all of these to the point where you notice they are affecting your digestion and you are still getting leg cramps, then you should see a doctor as it could be a bigger concern.
  • sj_arndt
    sj_arndt Posts: 14 Member
    Costco is also a good place to get them.
  • deoxy4
    deoxy4 Posts: 197 Member
    Please read this regarding cramping Ca, Mg and vitamin D.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carolyn-dean-md-nd/bone-health_b_1540931.html
  • kimberwolf71
    kimberwolf71 Posts: 470 Member
    The last few mornings my legs have twitched and slightly cramped in the morning when I stretch which I wasn't too concerned about, but after reading this forum and everyone's comments about sleeping better too... I am getting some magnesium citrate asap!!
  • deoxy4
    deoxy4 Posts: 197 Member
    kimberwolf71 wrote: »
    The last few mornings my legs have twitched and slightly cramped in the morning when I stretch which I wasn't too concerned about, but after reading this forum and everyone's comments about sleeping better too... I am getting some magnesium citrate asap!!

    There are lots of forms of magnesium supplements. Here is a good article about the different forms and their plusses and minuses.

    http://fixyourgut.com/magnesium-most-overlooked-mineral-for-improving-health/
  • chaoticdreams
    chaoticdreams Posts: 447 Member
    Magnesium has been very helpful for me as well! I take pills in the morning and then before bed I take Natural Calm to help me sleep. Haven't had a leg cramp since.

    Plus it keeps things moving......
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