By: Joe Graedon November 13, 2024 81 Comments
    Busting Myths and Offering Unique Leg Cramp Reme…

    Have you suffered from muscle cramps after exercise or overnight? Many readers have shared unusual leg cramp remedies over the years. We recently came across a study supporting the use of a supplement…

    By: Terry Graedon October 28, 2024 31 Comments
    Soap Under the Sheet Can Prevent Nocturnal Leg C…

    Nocturnal leg cramps really get in the way of a good night's sleep. You might be sound asleep, possibly even dreaming, and bam! You wake up with a horrible charlie horse or, even worse, an iron-hard m…

    By: Terry Graedon August 14, 2024 7 Comments
    Show 1396: Home Remedies That Work

    This week, Joe and Terry Graedon welcome your calls about your favorite home remedies. Which ones really work to solve common health problems? You can share your experience at 888-472-3366 between 7 a…

    By: Terry Graedon August 12, 2024 8 Comments
    How to Prevent Foot Cramps with Lavender Oil

    Some people are impervious to cramps that curl the toes or punish the arch of the foot. But many more suffer from these muscle spasms. They can happen at any time, but foot cramps are especially disru…

    By: Terry Graedon July 1, 2024 44 Comments
    How to Use Soap in Bed for Nighttime Leg Cramps

    If you suffer from leg cramps that wake you up at night, you've no doubt sought some way to prevent them. Some people have been advised to take minerals such as magnesium or potassium to ward off leg …

    By: Joe Graedon June 20, 2024 258 Comments
    Is Quinine in Tonic Water Safe?

    Quinine is bitter. Once you have tasted it you will not forget the taste of quinine. It gives tonic water a distinctive flavor. People who love gin and tonic savor the unique bite of this drink, espec…

    By: Joe Graedon May 13, 2024 14 Comments
    Can Soap Chips in Your Socks Ease Leg Cramps?

    Leg cramps can be terribly painful. Athletes exercising in hot weather do all they can to avoid them, including sipping pickle juice. But ordinary mortals can get them, too, during daytime activities …

    By: Terry Graedon March 25, 2024 18 Comments
    Pickle Relish Will Do in a Pinch Against Leg Cra…

    Over the years, we have collected quite a number of home remedies for sudden painful muscle cramps. Often these are leg cramps, but occasionally muscles in the hands or arms cramp as well. One favorit…

    By: Terry Graedon February 22, 2024 8 Comments
    Show 1375: The Science Supporting Home Remedies

    This week, Joe and Terry Graedon entertain your questions and stories about home remedies. What do you do for leg cramps or heartburn? Call in your favorites at 888-472-3366 between 7 and 8 am EST, or…

    By: Joe Graedon September 11, 2023 25 Comments
    Home Remedies or Drugs? A Surprising Smackdown!

    Most health professionals have learned that home remedies are no more than quaint relics of a bygone age. They believe that only pharmaceuticals count as medicine. If the Food and Drug Administration …

    By: Joe Graedon September 4, 2023 26 Comments
    What to Do When Quinine in Tonic Water DoesnR…

    Have you ever been awakened from a deep sleep by sudden excruciating pain in your leg? In an instant, your sleep is interrupted and you are desperate for relief. A good friend described it as immediat…

    By: Terry Graedon June 12, 2023 28 Comments
    How Can You Find Quinine for Leg Cramps?

    When a common remedy becomes unavailable, people often become creative. They find new ways to address the problem. That is what many folks have needed to do once the FDA took quinine for leg cramps of…

    By: Terry Graedon May 7, 2023 30 Comments
    How to Ease Leg Cramps with Mustard

    When a leg cramp strikes in the middle of the night, it results in a rude awakening. Sometimes the pain can bring tears to a person's eyes. Finding relief is just as urgent if you are in the middle of…

    By: Terry Graedon November 5, 2022 55 Comments
    Why Does Mustard Relieve Muscle Cramps?

    If you get nighttime leg cramps, you know how painful they can be. Whether it is your calf, your thigh or even the arch of your foot, you might jump out of bed yelling. You could stretch the offending…

    By: Joe Graedon October 25, 2021 38 Comments
    The Best Soap Story Ever!

    We do not know why so many health professionals are offended by home remedies in general and soap in particular. The idea that putting a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of the bed to combat leg cra…

    By: Terry Graedon October 4, 2021 30 Comments
    Will Soap Under Sheets Help Your Leg Cramps?

    Have you ever leapt out of bed in the middle of the night with a terrible pain in your calf or your hamstring? Nocturnal leg cramps can really wreck a night's sleep. Some people are quite susceptible …

    By: Terry Graedon August 16, 2021 0 Comments
    Can You Really Control Blood Pressure With Dande…

    High blood pressure is a very common condition that is usually treated with one or more medications. For the most part, people don't have a lot of trouble with diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ…

    By: Joe Graedon July 12, 2021 36 Comments
    Mustard For Cramps Has Amazing Scientific Explan…

    We have been writing about strong flavors for combatting muscle cramps for more than 30 years. Initially, we were told that the quinine in tonic water was the best strategy for overcoming these painfu…

    By: Terry Graedon June 28, 2021 8 Comments
    Can Coenzyme Q10 Control Severe Muscle Cramps?

    We are always delighted when we learn about a new way to treat a common problem. If it doesn't require a prescription, so much the better! That's why we were excited to hear from a reader who found th…

    By: Joe Graedon November 9, 2020 29 Comments
    Are Statins and Leg Cramps a Neglected Challenge…

    Drug companies and the FDA have long recognized that statins such as atorvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and lovastatin could cause muscle pain and weakness. What is less clear is the…

    By: Terry Graedon May 4, 2020 6 Comments
    Will Soap Under the Bottom Sheet Ease Foot Pain?

    For many years now, readers have been telling us that putting a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of the bed can help reduce leg cramps. Others report that soap between the fitted sheet and the mattr…

    By: Terry Graedon April 20, 2020 10 Comments
    Should You Take Calcium Supplements for Leg Cram…

    Many people complain that they are often awakened by severe nighttime leg cramps. They may have tender muscles in the morning as a consequence, but the biggest problem is the pain along with the sleep…

    By: Terry Graedon December 23, 2019 8 Comments
    Can You Prevent Leg Cramps With Hot Soup?

    Preventing nighttime leg cramps can be challenging. A long time ago, doctors would prescribe quinine to people with cramps that wake them at night. That has not been standard medical practice for deca…

    By: Terry Graedon October 28, 2019 1 Comments
    Could Pomegranate Juice React Badly with Crestor…

    Do you know which foods might react badly with your medications? You might not, especially if your pharmacist didn't give you specific information. When you look online, you can find conflicting infor…

    By: Terry Graedon October 28, 2019 4 Comments
    Do Selenium Supplements Cause Leg Cramps?

    Most people who take supplements do so not expecting any type of unanticipated reaction. Occasionally, however, they get an unpleasant surprise. One reader reported that selenium supplements were link…

    By: Terry Graedon October 14, 2019 12 Comments
    How Liquid Soap Gives Quick Relief from Leg Spas…

    If you have ever had leg cramps, you know that these muscle spasms can be extremely painful. There is no standard medical treatment for this problem, partly because the cause is not well understood (E…

    By: Terry Graedon September 2, 2019 18 Comments
    Can Magnesium Relieve Muscle Cramps at Night?

    Muscle cramps at night are sleep-stealers. They can wake you from a sound sleep with sudden horrifying pain and a tight spasm. Mostly, such nocturnal cramps afflict the calves, but some people report …

    By: Terry Graedon April 15, 2019 7 Comments
    Go Easy on Licorice to Avoid Leg Cramps

    Your mother probably told you not to eat too much candy because it could ruin your teeth. Maybe your grandmother warned that gobbling candy would make you gain weight. But did anyone tell you to go ea…

    By: Terry Graedon February 18, 2019 16 Comments
    Why Can You Buy Quinine in Canada But Not the US…

    If you suffer from nighttime leg cramps, you may have spent some time looking for treatments to prevent them. If you are old enough, you may remember a time when you could buy quinine tablets to treat…

    By: Terry Graedon December 17, 2018 15 Comments
    Can Holding Your Breath Stop Painful Foot Cramps…

    Have you often been awakened by painful foot cramps? This is a most unpleasant experience. Some people find that stretching the toes back toward the knee is enough to stop the cramp; they may not even…

    By: Terry Graedon October 22, 2018 29 Comments
    Could a Magnesium Supplement Conquer Your Leg Cr…

    Nighttime leg cramps can be quite a challenge. They may well wake you with pain in the middle of the night, and easing the pain can take time. We have written about a number of home remedies that may …

    By: Joe Graedon September 10, 2018 11 Comments
    Can A Bar of Soap Stop a Cough or Laryngospasm?

    We have been writing about the amazing power of soap to stop leg cramps, ease restless leg syndrome and control hand cramps for years. Initially these stories seemed too good to be true. And yet we ha…

    By: Terry Graedon April 2, 2018 0 Comments
    Spring Sale on People’s Pharmacy Body Care…

    April is almost over, and so is our spring sale. So if you'd like to take advantage of savings on body care products like MoM deodorant or Bed Soap, shop today. Our People's Pharmacy unscented MoM alu…

    By: Terry Graedon March 26, 2018 6 Comments
    Sensitive to Quinine? Beware Tonic Water!

    Quinine was once available both as a prescription drug and over the counter. Doctors would prescribe it to help people cope with nighttime leg cramps. For some people, however, quinine can trigger a s…

    By: Joe Graedon March 12, 2018 19 Comments
    Stop Leg Cramps and Muscle Spasms Fast With a Si…

    Have you ever been awakened in the middle of the night with a leg cramp? One minute you are fast asleep and the next you are in agony with muscle spasms. When a muscle cramps up it can take a long tim…

    By: Joe Graedon January 29, 2018 57 Comments
    End Leg Cramps At Night (Nocturnal Leg Cramps) F…

    Leg cramps are nasty whenever they occur. Leg cramps at night are even worse. That's because they can strike without any notice. You can be fast asleep one moment and the next be writhing in agony. Sa…

    By: Joe Graedon October 30, 2017 17 Comments
    Could Standing On an Icepack Cure Leg Cramps Fas…

    If you search cure leg cramps on our website you will likely find all sort of remedies. They include pickle juice, pickle relish, yellow mustard, tonic water, soap under the bottom sheet, glycerin, B …

    By: Joe Graedon October 16, 2017 7 Comments
    Olive Juice Cures Muscle Cramps like Magic

    We have written extensively about muscle cramps over the years. Physicians have no FDA-approved drugs for this problem. As a result, people have searched high and low for home remedies. They have rang…

    By: Terry Graedon October 9, 2017 31 Comments
    Are You Crazy to Keep Soap Under the Sheets?

    If you found a bar of soap under the sheets on your bed, you might be startled. Of course, if you've been reading The People's Pharmacy, you'll know immediately what that soap is doing there. Many peo…

    By: Terry Graedon July 3, 2017 0 Comments
    Celebrate the 4th of July with Big Savings!

    As we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence with parades, picnics and pies (not to mention fireworks), we invite you to save money at The People's Pharmacy. For today only, shoppers…