I was awoken from sleep by a huge charley horse in my calf!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

Hurt like a mofo! I screamed like a baby, and bit the pillow! :cry:

Screamed like a baby in agonizing pain, that is.

I'm better now though.

[nutsnberries]

1. hey,

i've had a few bad ones, but not for years now.

since you were asleep you may not remember, but where you stretching pointing your toes away?
i switched to stretching with my heels down, even in my sleep, something in me remembers not to point my toes AND I used to keep TUMS or any generic antacid near the bed. The calcium carbonate can relieve the pain quickly. Maybe I haven't had one in years because I'm taking other calcium supplements now.

Anyway, when it happens and you don't have calcium, I've found that even if it's too sensitive to rub (or i've been too pregnant to reach my calf) you can put your foot down (toes) on a cool floor and slowly try to get your heel down to the floor.

that's all i've got. :)

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

4. What I hate is when you wake up, and are JUST ON THE VERGE of having

the charley horse/cramp--you can feel that the muscle might go either way... sometimes I'm able to avoid it by moving, or not moving, just right...

But what I hate worst is when you're on the edge of avoiding it, then you feel the muscle start to cramp and you know it's coming. ARRRGGGHHH!!! :grr:

[nutsnberries]

9. yeah, teetering on the edge, that's when i've half-woken myself,

and gently stretched my heels down. usually works.

[texas1928]

19. TAG!!!!!! You are it!!!!!

[nutsnberries]

20. how do you do this?

*TAG* backatcha!

[purr]

2. Dont forget about potassium!

A lot of my charlie horses were from low potassium.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

3. Yeah, I'm mad at myself because I was eyeing a banana after dinner.

For some reason, I just decided not to eat it.

[purr]

5. That was your body telling you to eat it :)

Whenever I get a weird craving for something I eat it. Every once inawhile I'll get a bad craving for OJ so I'll get 3 cartons of it and I'll drink it until I'm blue in the face. My OB told me that my body will tell me what I'm lacking and that will cause cravings.

Wonder what the cravings for junk food are for..

[DainBramaged]

Vitamin E helps too, except when you fall down

then it's owie time again.

[DainBramaged]

12. dupe double pump

damn

[tjdee]

6. Flex your foot, works every time.

Those do hurt like something else, don't they!

[nytemare]

7. Those things can f'ing hurt!!

Someone told me that if you are able to stand up, stand on the affected leg and step on it with your other foot. I could never do this when I was woken up with one, but I started to get one after spinning one day, and it took it right away.

When I have gotten one sleeping, I was just too out of it to think to get up and step on my foot.

Sometimes those charley horses will make my calf feel like a rock for a couple of days afterwards.

[0007]

8. I used to jump out of bed like a madman to work the pain out.

Now I just stay in bed and shake the my leg and it works great for me. No more painful charley horses here.

I eat bananas everyday. A doctor told me it was an electrolyte thing.

[cactusrose]

10. Magnesium & potassium

deficiencies can cause cramps.

Muscles need Mg in order to relax. Without enough Mg they stay or become overly contracted. When people get relief from cramps after taking calcium, it's usually because Mg also is in the tablets.

Sorry, I don't know the mechanism for potassium deficiency causing cramps.

Mg is lost through sweat. In a person who has enough Mg, this isn't a problem. But for people who are borderline or already deficient, it can cause big problems.

Mg deficiency (and/or an unusual sensitivity to cold) is why chiropractic or DO adjustments don't last for some people. The muscles are staying overly contracted and can pull the back out of alignment again.

Too much Mg like too little can be fatal. Mg deficiency has been linked to a number of medical problems including one type of kidney stone, some (not all) cases of high blood pressure, an increased tendency to form blood clots, tremors and muscle spasms, insomnia, nervousness, abnormal immune system functioning, "hardening of the arteries", a lowered pain threshold, and breathing difficulties. One of the best sources of info about Mg deficiency is the research of Mildred Seelig, MD, American College of Nutrition.

[Love Bug]

11. Pinch above your upper lip!

The next time you get a charley horse in your calf, pinch above your upper lip (thumb inside your mouth, index finger outside) as hard as you can. The pressure point there will release the muscle spasm.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. Do You Know How To Get Rid Of Those???

I do, because i learned all this stuff for the spasms from MS.

When you get a calf cramp, even if you have to use your hands, extend the heel away from the knee and pull the toes up toward the shin. If you do this as soon as you feel the cramp, the cramp will go away in 1 or 2 seconds! No kidding! This works absolutely GREAT!!!!

I know what to do for spasms in the arch of the foot, the front, back, and sides of the thigh, forearms, and the butt, too. So, if anybody is having these types of spasms, PM me!

The Professor

[JitterbugPerfume]

14. I used to get them years ago

when pregnant OUCH:-(

[bikebloke]

15. Walk around and curse

I don't get them that frequently now. Just before it locks up, I can sense it. When my claf was caught in a vice, I'd jump out of bed hobbling around until it loosen up. But not a nice thing when travelling. You can't always leap out of bed in a hostel. Or worse, a tent.

[LostinVA]

16. Potassium -- eat a banana a day

It works for me.

[RebelOne]

17. I get cramps in my toes quite often in the middle of the night.

[ProfessorGAC]

18. PM Me For A The Best Way To Shed Those Quickly

I've got MS and i've been trained on how to quickly alleviate spasms. Toes are easy!
The Professor