Loading...
Q. My sister gets cramps in her feet at night. They are so severe that she has to get out of bed to deal with them.
She has tried mustard, soap, pickle juice and V8. Is there anything else that might work?
A. She might try a magnesium supplement before bed. Sometimes that can prevent muscle cramps like the ones that plague her. People report that B vitamins may also be helpful. A small study in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (Dec., 1998) found that a B vitamin complex alleviated nighttime cramps for more than three quarters of the elderly volunteers:
“After 3 months, 86 percent of the patients taking vitamin B had prominent remission of leg cramps, whereas those taking placebo had no significant difference from baseline.”
Other readers have found magnesium supplements to be helpful. Drinking water (including tonic water, which contains quinine) during the day, might be helpful as Donna A. reports:
“My sleep-deprived nights are a thing of the past (due to severe leg cramps, whether in my feet, toes, calfs, and inner thigh). My cramps were so bad, I cried. I have tried: tart cherry juice, mustard, vinegar, bar of soap, etc. What helps me the most is a really large glass of water (1-2 cups) to start and then another. It seems that I do not drink enough fluid throughout the day and have found myself going for that small bowl of cereal several hours before I go to bed. The cereal, though half-covered with milk, still acts as a sponge on my system, trying to absorb what little, if any moisture that might be lying around. I don’t use salt.
“After much research, I have changed my eating habits; seafood twice a week, only cereal in the morning (instead of a choice of oatmeal or toast), two servings of fruit before lunch, a regular lunch (no bread) with two vegetables and a light dinner with two vegetables. I have not had leg cramps in 5 months… Oops, I forgot the green tea that I have just substituted for my coffee for the last three of the four weeks thinking I might have some kind of food allergy and have gotten the best sleep I can ever remember.”
Dolores
W. Homestead , Pgh.
I am 83 and in good health but I started a couple months ago to get cramps in my ankles and toes. The worst is the ankle because I can’t stretch it in any way, and when I do the cramp goes to another part of my foot/leg area. I have taken club soda all this time and also magnesium pills, and nothing helps. I will try the bed soap again and see if that works. When I get the cramps in my toes I try to move them back and forth, and then i get one in my inner top leg. But I read all the comments, and I may try some of the suggestions.
Ena VH
Nevada
I get cramps (charlie horse’s) in the arches of my feet, it is extremely painful. This only occurs when I first get in bed. I keep a bottle of potassium 99mg, purchased at my local Kroger grocery store on my nightstand. I take one and the pain goes away.
I can go 2 or 3 nights without taking a pill, it’s possible that on some days I just don’t eat right? I don’t know what causes them but the potassium certainly does help. It helps me a lot. I was told by someone? you should take potassium and magnesium, I only take the potassium and it works fine.
I’m in my 70’s and meant to ask doc about it the last time I visited, but forgot. Will ask next visit. Check with your doctor. I hope you can find something to stop the cramps.
Diana
Ohio
I found the quickest relief from my foot /toe cramps is running the hottest water in the bathtub putting my feet in and within minutes my feetd are relaxed! I massage lotion on my feet after and jump in to bed! No more cramps….until I wear those cute boots or sandals. then I do it over again . that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! :-)
Diana
ohio
ps: some of the easiest remedies without vitamins/pills or whatever is the most obvious that nobody even mentioned. Good old hot treatments or cold treatments for a lot of pain management . Just saying…
Mike
Galena Park Texas
I am 64 years old and have nighttime foot cramps. My Dr. told me take 500mg Magnesium before bed. Did not work completely, so I upped it to 650mg no different. Some times I would drink 1/3 cup dill pickle juice and that would help. Last night that did not work. After reading this site I will try Vitamin B and quinine. I will try anything.
Bill
NH
I have been a person with persistent cramp covering all parts of my body. I drink a lot of water take magnesium and also vitamin B. I have the worse of all worse cramps in my ankles and my feet knot up so bad I have to try and stand up out of bed and try to relieve the pain and my feet feel like I have rocks under my feet. The pain is almost unbearable. I do not get any sleep it seems. I am 83 years of age and I know some think “what do you expect at your age”. I need help . Is there any real solutions out there?
Dara
Cary, NC
A dose of magnesium 400 mg taken before bed has taken care of my leg and foot cramp problem with an added benefit of bowel regularity. Toe cramps seem to be prevented by spreading the toes apart with my fingers. Imagine “holding hands interlaced”; the toes of your left foot interlaced with the fingers of your right hand. I routinely do this every other day. It is easier in the beginning to do it in the tub with soap on your fingers. My massage therapist has recommended a device similar to the one used when you have a pedicure. It spreads the toes apart manually and can be left in place as long as you like. Thank you Joe and Terry for your commitment to helping all of us solve our problems in a wholesome way!!!
Mary
Indiana
I know that quinine helps but we cannot get those tablets anymore. I have taken two tsp. mustard and I also drink a lot of water before bedtime. I also took the cover sheet off my bed. I don’t know why the sheet caused the Charley horses but it did.
I used to clean houses everyday as my business and when I slowed down, my legs seemed to cramp more. I appreciate all the information given from the other writers.
Rose
Florida
does anyone get’s spasms,
not cramps, in the arch of foot… I go a long time with none and then suddenly starts again. no change in diet. take 2 calcium w D3 2 daily, no other medications . wakes me at night, no cramps or pains during day. I’m 86 hrs old and feel great except when spasms return.
Sally
Oregon
Having suffered for untold years from nightly leg cramps like my mother before me, I began drinking several glasses of water daily-at least 60 ounces-and the cramps completely disappeared. If I reduce my daily water consumption for any reason, the cramps return-such a simple solution.
Ana
ontario kitchenerI
I ;did have pain on my legs and foot at nigh It was very painful. but some Naturist
Dr. in natural store he said if I.would like tried vitaming B 12. B1 would help
Tried for more than one months the pain is less and also gidme energy taken both together B12, is 1000. mg but is soluble to water than will not affect. but no pharmacy and ask you will find helph becouse work for me on ly you has to take early morning ob breafast time becouse gidve you energy. if taken late in the day you will be have problems for sleep.
Colin
I was having cramps in my legs and hands, the doctor put me on magnesium which helped some, but I had been taking vitamin E for years and had no trouble with cramps , I quit taking vitamin E, for no reason and sometime after this is when I started having cramps. When I started back taking vitamin E with magnesium I do not have anymore cramps
Mary
I do take magnesium regularly.
I added gin-soaked raisins about 2-3 weeks ago for leg pain.
If I skip the mag, cramps are worse even if it doesn’t totally stop them. Mostly mine is in the calf. Those I can usually stop pretty quickly by stretching gently so as not to tear a muscle.
Soap is sitting on top of my mattress pad. Help? I don’t know.
I had to keep the small hotel-type soaps in their plastic wrap so I don’t get mildew on my mattress pad. Very humid here.
Gabriele
Los Angeles
I’ve long used calcium and magnesium at bed time because it allows my body to better absorb it, it gives me a deeper sleep and also I fall asleep relaxed.
I would echo the person who said check out your footwear. Some sport shoes which had what appeared to be a very cushioned sole turned out to not cushion the impact but to transfer the impact of running, etc., which led to all sorts of problems.
I think if we look at our behavior before we go to bed, we see that we have probably been sitting a lot. Yes, we want to relax and be comfortable but it can also lead to sluggish circulation in the legs and feet because we’re not moving them.
I use a two-step approach: If I am sitting (reading, watching tv, etc) I slowly flex my feet (one at a time, it helps so identify any soreness) and then work up the ankle, lower leg and then to the thigh, using movement to tighten and loosen the muscles. If there is pooling, this will help the blood flow back toward the heart. If there isn’t, it still helps the unused muscles relax Before you go to bed so that they’re more ready for full inactivity.
If my feet feel a bit sore from too much walking in the wrong shoes/on the wrong surfaces/excessing unplanned for standing, I take a tennis ball and roll it around under my foot.
It relaxes the muscles and other parts of the foot. If a specific area is sore, go back to the stretching routine to loosen it up more.
A good foot massage (by someone who knows what they’re doing, and not just an adjunct to a pedicure!) will show you how much your whole body responds to happy feet.
If there are areas in the foot which feel better when you feel pressure from the tennis ball, you might try using a golf ball.
Besides massage I studied reflexology. I prefer massage but I do know that the areas of the foot as taught in reflexology definitely pointed out areas for massage work that brought great benefits.
I used to get terrible monthly cramps and while calcium and magnesium made them bearable, sometimes it was such a deep seated pain all my attention was on that.
In reflexology, it is the heel that governs that area so I would use pressure on the bottom of the heel…it gave some relief but not enough as the pressure added to the pain. I had my husband (using both hands, the heels of his hands on either side of the heel of my foot) squeeze my heels. It was very painful for a brief moment then the pain was gone…completely.
Reflexology claims that there is are nerve endings in the feet that correspond to all the other nerve endings in the body. I believe it.
But my point is that foot cramps, leg cramps, think about what you can do to put your feet (and legs) is a better physical state before going to bed.
I used to keep a tennis ball under my desk at work (unseen) and when things were stressful, I’d slip off a shoe and roll the tennis ball around…it did help.
John
Ga.
I have had severe leg cramps for the last 10 years. I stopped drinking all diet soda and slowly after a month I am cramp free. I have replaced soda with water.
Jane
New Mexico
I’ve gotten to the point where I nearly always know when I’m going to have foot and leg cramps at night; I can tell when I come in from my walk. I make pickle brine in batches — skipping the pickles –and keep it in the refrigerator because I couldn’t eat enough pickles to keep up. I drink about half a cup of the brine before I go to bed those nights and so far it’s working.
I tried all of the usual minerals in various combinations and they didn’t help with the cramping.
I always make sure the soap under the sheet is fresh. That makes a difference too. I use hand-milled soaps from Marseilles and they have the nicest scents. My bedroom smells great.
Maria
It would be helpful to read recommendations for specific amounts of calcium (?), magnesium, and B vitamins (and specifically which B vitamins) that seem to prevent foot, leg, and hand cramps. I recently cut out calcium due to problems which articles at People’s Pharmacy related are associated with calcium; is calcium helpful at all for preventing foot, leg, and hand cramps? Magnesium helps me prevent these cramps but I always wonder how much magnesium is ideal and how much is too much.
Jim
Weston, CO
Re magnesium, since I discovered my mag/leg cramp connection ten yrs ago, I’ve had 100% success at avoiding my early AM leg & foot cramps by taking several SMALL doses of cheap drug store liquid magnesium citrate (start small, it softens or liquefies stool if you take too much; in the beginning I had to restrict dosage to 1/4 tsp between meals and 1/2 tsp after meals, but soon could take 1 Tablespoon or more w/meals) I shoot for 2 Tblsp/day now.
I’ll start getting early AM leg cramps with my subconscious waking stretch if I don’t dose for 3 days, and it’ll then take 3 days of dosing to get rid of them, so consistency, not dose timing works for me.
Also, any old athlete knows that immediate relief from any cramp can be had by stretching the affected muscle, though it may return when the stretch is stopped.
Yours in freedom from torture,
Jim
Harry
Tonopah nv
I get good results from Hylands Kali Phos. I don’t have this problem often so I don’t take it right before bedtime, but that might serve as a preventive.
Ann
NC
Adding a foot warming pad to the mattress at the end of the bed has helped my foot cramp problem.
Lucy
UK
Does valsartan contain fluoride?
Gaynor
Wales
My relief is to hold a fan to my face until pain subsides. Carry one with me on holiday. Or open a window, and breathe in the cold air.
Martin
Hamilton Ontario
For a decade I had often quite painful foot cramps at night. Had tried more stretching and even magnesium supplements. Turns out solution (recommended by my physician daughter) is just to drink even a modest amount of water before retiring. And I know this exacerbates the other night time “problem” that comes with aging, but I’d much rather have another trip to the loo than those cramps.
Pat
Minneapolis, MN
Where would one go to get one’s vitamin and mineral levels checked?
Cat
Atlanta
I use “Real Coconut Water” and it will stop the cramps immediately. A person at a health food store told me to try it and it really works. I’m assuming because of the natural minerals.
Elizabeth Todd
Kharthoum
Do you drink the Coconut water or apply it (topically) to the cramping area?
rose
florida
Magnesium works like magic for leg and foot cramps–I highly recommend this !
Pat M.
lake Havasu City, Arizona
Quinine!!! works fast, Tonic Water has Quinine in it, I have used it for over 30 years. amazing, 2 or 3 swallows, gone are the cramps. I had them terribly, and they would run up my legs from my feet, in minutes. try it!
Louise
Florida
I take mustard at night when I have my cramps in my feet. They are so painful. They go away a little after I have taken the mustard. Can someone tell me if drinking to much water causes the cramps. That is all I drink, no juices or sodas, just alkaline water. I was told that I need to have some salt in my body and that the water flushes everything out.
I need some help. Sometimes the cramps in my feet happen during the day as well as when I go to bed at night.
Thanks.
Eleanor K.
Chapel Hill NC
I get leg and finger cramps from supplemental vitamins and minerals including magnesium and B vitamins
Virginia Serp
California
All thoughts lead to magnesium deficiencies: Check out your daily habits that lead to magnesium deficiency:
1)Carbonated beverages consumption(soda)-cut it out
2)Refined sugar or anything ending in “-ose” like fructose etc. The more sugary foods you eat the more magnesium deficient you will be.
3)Reduce stress in your life
4)cut out coffee or caffeinated drinks
5)If you take a diuretic, heart medication, asthma medication, birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy these drugs have been shown to reduce magnesium levels in the body through more excretion by the kidneys.
6) drink less than seven alcoholic beverages per week
7) Do you take calcium supplements without magnesium or calcium supplements with magnesium in less than a 1:1 ratio? Then, change your supplements.
8) Practice Yoga or meditation to let go of your daily anxieties and eat a lot of fresh RAW fruits and vegetables and you will lead a more calm and happy life.
Terry Graedon
Virginia, you did not mention PPIs such as omeprazole or Nexium. They can also deplete the body of magnesium.
Betty B
Carrollton, TX
My first question concerning the foot cramps would be what kind of shoes does she wear? If I try to wear flip-flops or sandals with no arch support, I get foot cramps during the day as well as at night. My podiatrist suggested store bought supports in well fitting shoes. This made sense since I wore arch supports in horrible-looking saddle oxfords as a child. Changing shoes styles might help this lady, too.
Linda Freese
Gainesville, FL
There is no medical basis for this remedy that I know of, but one night when I was pacing trying to ‘walk off’ a cramp, I ate a small handful of jelly beans. The cramps disappeared immediately. The next night, I immediately ate the jelly beans and the cramps went away again. After a couple more nights, the cramps disappeared for a long time. Now I keep candies or a sugar packet by the bed. I have no explanation, but it works for me and might be worth a try.
MR
I agree that a magnesium supplement is helpful for many people. I took it for years with supper, but it was not until I started drinking rooibos tea with supper that my restless legs syndrome went away.
I don’t know the source of the report, but a very knowledgeable person told me that rooibos tea helps the body absorb magnesium. My experience tells me this is true.
Abigail
For me eating anything with white potato in it causes leg cramps after lying down for the night. I do not know about other foods in the nightshade family because they are more easily avoided – less likely to find their way into things like baked goods.
I have been keeping prepared mustard by the side of my bed. There are brands that do not contain garlic!
Sally K
Dallas, TX
I agree with previous comments regarding Magnesium. Depending on my daily activity, I would awaken with severe cramps in feet or legs until I tried Magnesium. I’ll take 250mg if there is the slightest signal of a potential problem at the end of a day. I still also have the bar of soap under bed sheets. In the beginning, I added 500mg of Potassium, but now have my potassium levels monitored on doctor visits to avoid problems related to those low levels. I adjust my dietary intake accordingly.
D
Victorville, ca
I can have terrible leg and foot cramps that wake me. They were so bad that years ago a doctor prescribed low dosage Valium for me and told me to just take one every night. WHAT – there was no way was I going to take a Valium every night when I didn’t know if I would need it or not. What I did was cut the tablets in half, and only take one half tablet, if severe cramping woke me up. I doubt a doctor would even prescribe that now for cramping.
Several years ago a mid wife suggested a calcium supplement containing magnesium and zinc which has helped me tremendously. I take calcium 3 times a day spacing it out but take the calcium with magnesium and zinc as my last dose before bed.
I can’t say I never have the foot and leg cramping anymore, but they are very mild compared to how they used to be.
Angela M. Rosati
United States
Leg cramps…very painful and feel as though they last an hour, but I know they don’t. I tried soap under the sheet, taking 2 tspoons of mustard (ugh). For a while that helped. Then they returned. Going on YouTube, medical drs. recommended magnesium. At night, I started taking two pills @ 250mg each. It worked for a while. Now I take three; total 750 mg. I wonder if I’m harming myself at that amount. It seems to be working, but I’m still afraid to turn out the lights to sleep.
Aletta Moffett
United States
I used to have severe, very painful leg and foot cramps during the night. Pickle juice would relieve them, but I wanted something to prevent them. I use a log shaped pillow placed under the sheet at the foot of the bed to keep the covers off of my feet. This helped some but did not completely do away with the cramps. Then I tried placing a glass of water beside the bed so that when I awake during the night, I can drink some water. Now I can sleep without getting the cramps. I’ve decided that I must breath through my mouth when I am sleeping which allows more moisture to escape my body at night. I have always drunk lots of water during the day.