cramp at night

Magnesium helps with cramps.

If you're somewhere hot at the moment, yes, you may need more salt if you're drinking lots of water, but if you can find magnesium tablets or powder, I would recommend taking some before bedtime.

I too suffer with ankle and toe cramps at night. I find if I twist my foot on it's side and hold it for a count of 30 or so and then twist the other way and hold it does eventually go. Toes I stand on tip toe whilst leaning against the wall.
Drinking tonic water us supposed to prevent cramp.

You stretch your ankle muscles by bending and flexing your foot from the ankle.

Try drinking two large glasses of lightly salted water in the course of the day. Unless of course you have medical problems that make it unwise for you to consume extra salt.

Muscle cramps can be caused by dehydration or by lack of salt, so drinking salted water should help.

Any gentle exercise you can take in the course of the day, such as walking instead of going by car to the nearest shops will tend to strengthen your leg muscles which may make cramp less of a problem.

I can only speak for myself. I'd had excruciating cramps in my feet and legs which would wake me up most nights, until I decided to wear bed socks. Believe it or not, I have never had a broken night with cramp since I started wearing them which I do even when the weather is hot. I stretch my ankles while I brush my teeth, holding on to the edge of the sink. Two birds with one stone!

My DH swears by magnesium spray, recommended by a friend and initially used with much scepticism.

When a friend was in hospital she suffered badly from cramp. One of the nurses brought her a bottle of tonic water. No more cramp.

I had really bad cramps at night. I started using the magnesium spray and they stopped. My husband uses it now to prevent cramp and he says his back pain has stopped since using it. I buy the one which is supposed to help you sleep.

I suffer from cramp as well travelsafar it is very painful I know. I mainly drink water throughout the day so we have found some with added magnesium. It certainly helps as the cramp returns if I am out and don't drink my usual water.
Exercise helps as well.

There was a thread about this before and the technique of pinching the bit of your nose between the nostrils was mentioned. I got a sudden cramp the other day walking downstairs, I tried it and it worked.

fflur

I had really bad cramps at night. I started using the magnesium spray and they stopped. My husband uses it now to prevent cramp and he says his back pain has stopped since using it. I buy the one which is supposed to help you sleep.

Where’ do you spray it ?

Doesn’t prevent cramp but hairdryer on warm seems to make it go away.

I tried the Magnesium spray and found it did not work and I did not like the smell either so now I take magnesium tablets and that seems to work. A friend takes a glass of Tonic water every day and says that has helped her.

I too have awful cramps and it can be anywhere and sometimes in places you can’t bend or stretch I just have to hop around I ve never tried a magnesium spray do you get it from Boots or another pharmacy I’d forgotten about the nose pinching thingy I ll be amazed if that works

Have a tonic water.
I've heard all good reports from people who have tried it.
Does it contain magnesium, perhaps?

A small glass of Indian Tonic Water, before bedtime. That’s was my solution.

That used to work, it's the quinine in it but I find magnesium works better for me now.

I think you can get quinine tablets on prescription.

I see no reason why tonic water would have any effect - apart from hydration.

Nor me.
The same as rubbing 'Vics' on the soles of your feet should help a cough, but there are people who say it works.
I always go for the cheapest option first, anyway.

My DH gets night cramps a lot, in various parts of his legs. Sometimes several times in the night and they leave his legs/muscles really sore the next day. The pain is excruciating and it can take quite a while to go.

A glass of salt water does help him. but he tried magnesium night spray for a while as a preventative (every night). He started to get less but then missed nights. Too tired to do it. It took ages to rub it into both legs. Cramps came back.

Now he takes daily Magnesium tablets. Easier and quicker than rubbing the spray in every night. He's been on them for 2 months. Not missed a day and great improvement. Holland and Barrett do good offers.

Tonic water used to have quinine in but you need to read the label as not all brands have. You can have quinine tablets prescribed - I seem to remember Mil having them. She suffered to badly with cramp as did my dad.

Callisteman. You can get quinine tablets on prescription but I think doctors are wary of them as a long term solution. My DH asked about them years ago as the cramps disrupted his sleep so much. His doctor wouldn't prescribed them. There are dangers especially if you are on other medication. My DH is.

Thanks muse

I'll stick to magnesium then, the amount of quinine in tonic water is probably negligible so you would need to drink a lot of g&ts.

I've had this problem too, cramps in various parts of my legs and learned here on gransnet about magnesium and staying hydrated. This was maybe two years ago. The spray didn't work for me but the tablets have helped tremendously. A testament to that would be that a couple of months ago I reordered (from Amazon) what I thought was my magnesium and didn't pay close attention to the bottle when it arrived, just placed it in my basket with my other daily supplements. Maybe a week or more later I started getting cramps again and couldn't figure it out. I was staying hydrated and taking my magnesium (so I thought) and finally noticed that I'd ordered potassium instead of magnesium. The bottle looked very similar and I'd just not noticed. Once I got back to the magnesium tablets, the cramps disappeared. It was a miserable couple of weeks but I swear by them now. By the way, I take them after my evening meal.

My DH swears that drinking tonic water with quinine helps his night cramps which he used to get after a game of golf

These cramps are no longer a bother to him good luck in your quest to resolve this issue