OUCH Need help with Muscle Cramps

[rosepetals]

Hi, I have been having muscle cramping for months. At first it was charley horses in the calves. Now it is in both my legs and back. The attack when I sleep and while I am awake. :eek: :eek: :eek:

I have been adding seseme seeds or tahini to smoothies to increase my calcium. Use plenty of super foods. Take potassim and magnesium supplements.

What else can I Do???? The pain is horrible. It has gotten to the point that It feels like my muscles are in a cramp all the time and then they go into deeper cramps.

I don't want to go to MD. for labs.

[sport]

I have read that it is too much magnesium that causes cramping.
Give up the mag supplements for a while and see if it works.

[rosepetals]

I only have time to take it a couple of times a week. I have done without without any changes.

[sport]

I have found for years (long before I went raw) that if I go for too long without taking flax seeds that I start getting cramps during the night but I can not figure out why (and occasionally during the day).
When I read about the magnesium I assumed that it is balancing something I am doing which is giving me too much magnesium but this is just an assumtion.
Prior to that I thought that it was a lack of Essential Fatty Acids that was causing it. I do not understand it but it has always worked for me. I grind up 2 Dessertspoons of flax seeds and just add water and drink it. If I leave a few days without doing this I will get the cramps.

[Raw Angel Mom]

If you are low in calcium, you will have muscle cramp. Try to have greens or take angstrom size calcium mineral. It happens also a lot to woman who are pregnant due to the calcium level going down in order to be use for the child.


Hope you figure out soon your problem!

[Ilse W.]

I get muscle cramps when I don't drink enough water. My naturopath also told me that it's a LACK of magnesium. It could certainly also have something to do with calcium, as we need both of them at a 2:1 calcium:magnesium ratio. I would try drinking more water.

[annavon]

My mom used to get leg cramps at night. She heard of a cure that sounds strange, but it works. Put a bar of soap between the sheets near your feet at night. My mom tried it and doesn't have cramps any more. Only once when she discovered that the soap had fallen on the floor during the night did she have cramps. It apparently doesn't matter what kind of soap. Perhaps the alkalinity of the soap helps counter some of the acids in the muscles. After all we can abosorb things through the skin.

[firefaery]

I get muscle cramps when I don't drink enough water. My naturopath also told me that it's a LACK of magnesium. It could certainly also have something to do with calcium, as we need both of them at a 2:1 calcium:magnesium ratio. I would try drinking more water.

It's an imbalance between calcium, magnesium and potassium. It is generally a lack of magnesium, which is the mineral which allows the muscles to relax. Calcium causes contraction. It is best to do calcium in the morning and magnesium in the afternoon, they should not be taken together unless you are in balance.

You could also try mag phos tissue salt for direct delivery to the cells.

[steveoregon]

I got charlie horses when I cut out too much salt.

Sea vegetables should help "if" that's what's causing it.

[shashibala]

I know you said that you have tried adjusting your magnesium supplement, but I just wanted to add that I took a magnesium powder for a while and the leg cramps were terrible! I'm working on balancing my cal/mag/potassium levels!

[BDraw]

Hi! I don't post very often unless I really have something to contribute. . . this has also been my problem. I went to a Naturalpath and he told me I was low in calcium, which he told me months ago and I tried to up my seseme seed and almonds -- it wasn't enough. He gave me a liquid calcium (in capsules) by Natural Wealth. He suggested 6 a day (3 in the morning and 3 in the evening. It worked!!! The very first night! This would be 600 mg of calcium daily with Vit A and D.

He also told me that 95% of his patients are calcium deficient.

I got tired of trying to fix it with food and opted for a sure source.

Other ideas. My brother and mother swears by salt water as soon as a cramp hits. Claims immediate relief. I think it taste ucky and didn't want that salt in my system.

I usually grap my microwave heat pad and apply that to help me relax the muscle. . .walking while it heats for 2 minutes.

I hope you figure out your problem -- cramps are not fun.

[Vaclare79]

I was told to eat more bananas for the leg cramps.

[coco]

when i was pregnant i got some wicked leg cramps. i can suggest eating lots of pineapple to reduce inflamation and stretching out the legs with feet FLEXED! not toes pointed. this seems very simple but whenever my leg muscles would cramp up or even start to cramp up i could get them to relax but flexing the foot into a stretch. it won't prevent them but it can help when it's happening.

good luck!

[Dimond]

Have you tried stretching on a daily basis? Often that alone will help alleviate the problem and it's something we should be doing anyhow.

[rosepetals]

Thank you everyone. I will try out your advice.

[petaltothemetal]

Calcium and magnesium require essential fatty acids to be available for your body to uptake, so you may want to take a supplement with flax seeds.

Another thing to try is serrapeptidase. The best one is SerraGold by Enzymatica. It is a vegan metabolic enzyme that specifically works on tissue issues:D And you can't take too much. If your tissues no longer need it, it will digest your food! :)