Hey Again!

Was also wondering what I should do for leg cramps at night. I'm not having ridiculously painful charley horse type cramps but my calves and ankles are tending to kinda just shorten up. I can get it to stop by pushing my feet on my wall but it's weird. My first thought was a lack of potassium but, lo carb, we should be getting plenty of potassium and I surely am not going to start eating bananas! :crying: I am taking my multi's (solotron) religiously, Iron, Calcium and b12. Also getting plenty of fluids and not getting crazy with exercise... Any ideas?

Thanks again, everyone here rocks!!

Carol

I use rubbing alcohol on my tense calf and thigh muscles. I can't remember if I had this issue post-op early out, but I do get crampy, charley horse things now.

I just stick my leg over the tub and dump some rubbing alcohol down my leg and massage it. I always follow up with a bunch of lotion to prevent itchy, dry skin.

I get this whenever I eat Low Carb. I was fine when on fluids, but Thursday went to pureed foods and immediately started getting. I used to take a potassium pill and a calcium/magnesium pill when doing Atkins, but that's obviously out for now.

The rubbing alcohol sounds like a good idea. I too am not getting charley horses but feel things starting to cramp up when I'm sleeping.

Hey Again!

Was also wondering what I should do for leg cramps at night. I'm not having ridiculously painful charley horse type cramps but my calves and ankles are tending to kinda just shorten up. I can get it to stop by pushing my feet on my wall but it's weird. My first thought was a lack of potassium but, lo carb, we should be getting plenty of potassium and I surely am not going to start eating bananas! :thumbdown: I am taking my multi's (solotron) religiously, Iron, calcium and b12. Also getting plenty of fluids and not getting crazy with exercise... Any ideas?

Thanks again, everyone here rocks!!

Carol

Yes, I was for a while there and since I suffer from low potassium, i had to go back onto my potassium supplements. . . the doctor did tell me to also increase my Water intake, so i did. . . and it's getting better. . . oh and be really careful of those bananas, they have lots of carbs! :tongue_smilie:

I use a brand of magnesium oil or gel topically on the skin. It helps me to sleep and puts an end to the leg cramping. There are many brands just google it. I don't like the brand I have it smells awful but it works so I'll finish using it and switch to another brand. I found an interesting article on home remedies for leg cramping you might like to read...Relieving Muscle Cramps the Natural Way

I haven't had my VSG yet, but a couple of months ago I started having terrible charley horses that would take sometimes as long as a 1/2 hour to work out, then for the next couple of days my muscles would feel like I had worked out really hard.

I went to the Dr., and he ran a blood test on me. My potassium was fine, but I was low on Vit D, and he told me to NOT let myself get dehydrated. I almost always have a Water bottle beside me, but for about a week, I was just running around too much and didn't bother drinking enough water. One day, I realized that I had not had any water at all except in the morning when I had taken my pills.

When i don't drink my minimum of 64 oz. a day, I start getting that tight feeling in my legs, and that always sends me back to the water bottle. I don't want to have to go through those awful cramps again.

Since you are post op, have you talked to your Dr. about it?

Hope you feel better, and will send healthy thoughts your way....Pat

Lookinup,

I carry a Water bottle and always get in at least 64 oz so I don't think that's it. My vits have D in them and I was taking big doses of D up until 2 weeks ago. I'm waiting until I see my surgeon on the 12th to see when I can go back to my Vitamin D gelcaps and when I can take potassium as needed. Potassium, calcium/magnesium always helped stop those cramps for me.

I woke up several times last night with my feet starting to cramp. UGHHH This has only happened in my life when I was eating very very low carb. I may drink some Sobe Lifewater 0 calorie just to get the carbs without adding calories.

If there are vitamin d defincies, remember that some of our vitamin d absorption comes from just 15 min a day being in the sun and I don't know if its the same for everyone, but my little Utah town has been gloomy and overcast for months.

I've heard that if you live north of the equator, you can't get enough Vitamin D from the sun and need to supplement.