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Dreaded leg cramps

post #1 of 15
6/12/10 at 11:43am
Thread Starter 
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to not get leg cramps during pregnancy. Am I low in some nutrient or something? What causes these things, they are torture!!!
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post #2 of 15
6/12/10 at 11:46am
It is an inbalence in either magnessium, calcium, or potassium. For me taking extra magnessium gets rid of them in a hurry. Its a natural muscle relaxor. If I take potassium they get worse.
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post #3 of 15
6/12/10 at 12:09pm
A good liquid calcium/magnesium with Vit D is really great for stopping leg cramps..

I hadn't heard that potassium helps, but that's good to know!
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post #4 of 15
6/12/10 at 12:20pm
I am taking magnesium supplements and noticed I have no cramping this time.
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post #5 of 15
6/12/10 at 1:49pm
Yep, a magnesium supplement is what works for me. Sometimes folks find increasing potassium to help. I'm like livinzoo tho, and potassium makes them worse. Magnesium, on the other hand, is like a magic pill Good luck!
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post #6 of 15
6/12/10 at 3:09pm
When you feel one coming on, immediately flex your calf (bring your toes up toward your head as much as you can), rather than the urge to point them down for a stretch. Does that make sense? I'm not great at explaining. They usually come for me in the middle of the night, and right when I sense it happening, I draw up my toes to flex my calf and it stops the cramp from coming. It's worked every time this pregnancy and in my second pregnancy. I didnt' know that trick during my first pregnancy, and it was awful. This stretching trick has helped where supplements didn't. Good luck!
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post #7 of 15
6/12/10 at 3:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheriwx View Post
When you feel one coming on, immediately flex your calf (bring your toes up toward your head as much as you can), rather than the urge to point them down for a stretch. Does that make sense? I'm not great at explaining. They usually come for me in the middle of the night, and right when I sense it happening, I draw up my toes to flex my calf and it stops the cramp from coming. It's worked every time this pregnancy and in my second pregnancy. I didnt' know that trick during my first pregnancy, and it was awful. This stretching trick has helped where supplements didn't. Good luck!

Yes to this! I can do it reflexively in my sleep and it stops the cramp dead without really waking me.

But Ca/Mg/K do work for me, too.
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post #8 of 15
6/12/10 at 3:56pm
another vote for a cal/mag supplement. Worked wonders for me.
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post #9 of 15
6/12/10 at 4:40pm
liquid cal/mag supplements work great for me. Any sort of pill doesn't work at all. If that doesn't work, then try potassium and sodium. Eat lots of avocados and bananas and salt your food to taste.
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post #10 of 15
6/12/10 at 6:51pm
Mag helps for me. I have found that a cal/mag supp makes it worse. I think with my body chemisty I need more mag to absorb calcium than is in a normal cal/mag supp. (mag is needed to absorb calcium). One weekend when I forgot my mag supp, I picked up a high quality cal/mag supp since that was all I could find. My cramps got far worse. I think I was using my mag faster than without.

Just saying: If you get no relief from a cal/mag supp, consider a mag supp only.
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post #11 of 15
6/12/10 at 8:29pm
Thread Starter 

Leg Cramps

Okay I've already tried all the stretching, even at night when they come on and that sometimes stops them and sometimes doesn't. I even practice stretching before bed (a doctor told me to do that) Nothing was working and the only relief I could get was hot water on my calf muscle to help it stop the one I was having, the problem with that is they are so bad I can't get to the bathroom in time and warm the water up before they get pretty painful. I am definetly going to go get a liquid magnesium supp and try that first!!!! I eat a lot of bananas for the potassium to try to help and I've never noticed that helping at all and I've also tried a calcium/mag supplement in pill form and that didn't seem to help much. Maybe the trick is more magnesium. Thanks for your help.
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post #12 of 15
6/12/10 at 9:19pm
One more thing. If the mag alone doesn't seem to be helping, keep the following in mind.
My body does not transport mag well. I need to take extra, but still sometimes it hangs out in my blood stream not going where it needs to go, such as my muscles. Vitamin b6 (in the form of P5P) helps tell my mag where to go.
I'm having this problem rightnow. My mag demands are very high right now. I'm taking extra mag but am still getting cramps. I've run out of b6, need to get to a wfs.
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post #13 of 15
6/14/10 at 3:13am
I recommend acupuncture & bodywork for just about everything. They work wonders!
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post #14 of 15
6/14/10 at 10:19am
with my first I had horrendous leg cramps! and essentially I had to stop wearing flip flops, drink more water, and up my calcium/mag supplements. By the end I was taking twice the dosage and it did a wonderful job.
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post #15 of 15
6/14/10 at 2:34pm
Here's what did the trick for me:
-- Better shoes during the day (no heels, good arch support, etc.)
-- Liquid cal/mag supplement taken just before bed (I mix mine with juice)
-- No toe pointing (hard to remember when half awake, but it does prevent them)

Good luck!
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