leg cramps

At last I've found someone else who experiences the same degree of pain from cramp as myself. My cramps are normally in the big thigh muscles - quads, abductors - hips & abdomen. these usually last anything from 20 mins - 1 hour, during which time I can barely move. This is not only at night, but also if I try to get out of bed too quickly. They have occurred in a restaurant (very embarrassing to my companions) & I sit there with cold sweat pouring down my face totally unable to move, in a shop, & while out for a walk! The pain is so severe that I have actually passed out twice & woke up on floor next to my bed! I never get them in my calf & only rarely in feet.

Have tried most things - bar of Marseille soap in foot of bed - made feet smell nice but that's all. Mag. Chlor. also useless. Best I have found is Quinine Sulph. 300mg at night. I don't take it continually - 2 - 3 per week in summer & perhaps 1 per week in winter. It's now very difficult to get hold of due to health warnings by US FDA, but I'm sure that refers to those who take it regularly. I've been taking it on a very intermittent basis for about 20yrs with no ill effects. Take no notice of those who tell you to drink Tonic Water - you would have to drink a tankerful to get right dosage!!

I agree with you - most people think all you have to do is stretch & walk on cold lino - & it will go. We know that just doesn't work.

It's often associated with untreated hypothyroidism. I am hypothyroid but I take Thyroxine & have 6 monthly check-ups with my endocrinologist. She too is baffled by the severity of the cramps!

As far as I know there is no research into this condition. After all it's not life-threatening. Just awful!

I am 68 have suffered with cramp all of my life. Thighs, every muscle. Calves. When standing talking on social occasions I get cramp in my ribs, it is agony and embarrassing. I have had cramp in dangerous situations IE up a ladder when painting the eves on our house and struggled to get down safely. I rarely get a night when I am not ripped from my sleep with an agonizing attack, The pain is intense.I find myself roaming around the bedroom in the middle of the night when most people are sleeping to recover for the next day, massaging the offending area. I can even get it in my fingers whilst holding a knife or fork The

consequences of this situation are that I am tired all the while and very often severely dispirited. I have tried every remedy but nothing works. I find myself wondering how is it that crap like this can continue with such regularity for so many years. I get wild with anger very often at this condition Some nights I can have continues attacks and regularly only get 3 or 4 hours sleep in short bursts. I can assure you coping with all the other things that life throws up plus this debilitating complaint, I am often pissed of big style

Hi all, I get these screaming cramps too have done for ages so I have eliminated a few things and most nights I don't get any trouble, except maybe in my feet but that is bearable. Oh before I forget must have loose fitting bed socks for that. the one I can't stand is at the back of my calfs. Also in that area when I am asleep I get this sudden horiffic pain that wakes me up and leaves me too breathless to scream, it is just about the worst thing i ever had. Feels, presumably, as if I had been shot in the leg. It passes after a few minutes but sometimes I limp all day with the pain of it. Also I can get cramp in my hands, throat, ribs. I stopped drinking anything that came in a see-through plastic bottle a few years ago and it lessened the frequency of the attacks. Then again I can guarantee that if I drink real coffee I will get cramps, or if I sit in the car and read while my son does the shopping, I have to sit with my legs out of the door.

Now I rarely get cramps because I do leg exercises at about 5 pm, not late at night. I invented these exercises as they seemed to make sense and they work. So lean on something, if you have breathing problems, like a work surface. Do any kind of leg movement you can think of you will learn quite a lot soon, just needs about 15 minutes of it - but - both of your feet have to be on the ground all the time. It's quite fun thinking up new moves. I have a warm drink before bed and keep one of those pint vacuum flasks for through the night, if you feel a cramp come on have a good long drink and it will lessen it if not send it away. I hope I have helped some body with this horrible condition. Keep a diary of what you did on any day you got cramp as we are all different. June

I was wondering if you have found anything that really helps. It doesn't happen often, but last night I was in severe pain-wanted to cry-and really thought of awakening my husband and have him take me to the ER. I walked around painfully for about an hour and it finally settled down. It's hard to describe the pain-it's not like a charley horse at all. Just severe spasms everywhere in my leg.