View Full Version : leg muscle spasms at night

leg muscle spasms at night

Proudest M0nki

i've been recently getting excruciating muscle "spasms" in
my legs at night...waking up from it, etc. it feels like the
muscle is being flexed really hard, and it occurs in my
calves, hamstrings, and quads...usually lasting 10 seconds
at a time. when it happens, you can actually see the muscle
"balled up"... and it only seems to happen at night. anyone
know why this is happening?

Tony

proudest m0nki wrote in message <0budnW2Sgu8JzlXdRVn-
iQ@comcast.com>...
>i've been recently getting excruciating muscle "spasms" in
>my legs at night...waking up from it, etc. it feels like
>the muscle is being flexed really hard, and it occurs in my
>calves, hamstrings, and quads...usually lasting 10 seconds
>at a time. when it happens, you can actually see the muscle
>"balled up"... and it only seems to happen at night. anyone
>know why this is happening?
>
>
Make sure you're getting hydrated properly, and check that
you're getting enough electrolytes mainly: sodium,
potassium, magnesium and calcium.

Colm

I don't know why it happens, but stretch the leg by bringing
your heel down and toes upward to get rid of it when it
happens. Stretching the toes downwards will make it worse.

--
Colm

"proudest m0nki" <nuhuh@notgunnagitit.net> wrote in message
news:0budnW2Sgu8JzlXdRVn-iQ@comcast.com...
> i've been recently getting excruciating muscle "spasms" in
> my legs at night...waking up from it, etc. it feels like
> the muscle is being flexed really hard, and it occurs in
> my calves, hamstrings, and quads...usually lasting 10
> seconds at a time. when it happens, you can actually see
> the muscle "balled up"... and it only seems to happen at
> night. anyone know why this is happening?

Andrew Taylor

In article <0budnW2Sgu8JzlXdRVn-iQ@comcast.com>,
proudest m0nki <nuhuh@notgunnagitit.net> wrote:
>i've been recently getting excruciating muscle "spasms" in
>my legs at night...waking up from it, etc. it feels like
>the muscle is being flexed really hard, and it occurs in
>my calves, hamstrings, and quads...usually lasting 10
>seconds at a time. when it happens, you can actually see
>the muscle "balled up"... and it only seems to happen at
>night. anyone know

I get woken by leg cramps during high-milage weeks unless I
stretch before bedtime.

Andrew

Runners World

"proudest m0nki" <nuhuh@notgunnagitit.net> wrote in message news:<0budnW2Sgu8JzlXdRVn-iQ@comcast.com>...
> i've been recently getting excruciating muscle "spasms" in
> my legs at night...waking up from it, etc. it feels like
> the muscle is being flexed really hard, and it occurs in
> my calves, hamstrings, and quads...usually lasting 10
> seconds at a time. when it happens, you can actually see
> the muscle "balled up"... and it only seems to happen at
> night. anyone know why this is happening?

Have you noticed that your right wrist (if your right
handed) is about twice the size of your left? And your arm
seems to be very "cut" looking, while your left is normal?
Notice a wet spot in the bed? Finding kiddie porn under the
bed with the pages stuck together? Remember any "vivid"
dreams from just before these episodes? Notice that after
these episodes you seem to fall into a very deep sllep that
lasts for hours? Go here --> www.stopjerkingoffsomuch.net to
get some useful advice.

Xenman

Dr . Dickie

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 08:26:52 -0400, "proudest m0nki"
<nuhuh@notgunnagitit.net> wrote:

>i've been recently getting excruciating muscle "spasms" in
>my legs at night...waking up from it, etc. it feels like
>the muscle is being flexed really hard, and it occurs in my
>calves, hamstrings, and quads...usually lasting 10 seconds
>at a time. when it happens, you can actually see the muscle
>"balled up"... and it only seems to happen at night. anyone
>know why this is happening?
>
>

As others have stated, look to your calcium, magnesium,
potassium, and sodium intake. One thing to consider, most
overlook this, are carbonated drinks with phosphoric acid
(colas). The phosphoric acid ties up calcium (forming
insoluble calcium phosphate). I used to get horrible cramps,
taking magnesium helped; however, only when I stopped
drinking drinks with phosphoric acid did my cramps quit.
Now, if I have a cola drink, cramps that night. OF course we
are all different, and YMMV.

Dr. Dickie Skepticult member in good standing #394-00596-438
Poking kooks with a pointy stick
====================================
"Let be be finale of seem. The only emperor is the emperor
of ice-cream" Wallace Stevens-1923
=====================================

Proudest M0nki

> Make sure you're getting hydrated properly, and check that you're getting
> enough electrolytes mainly: sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
>
>

hmm.. that's interesting.. i definitely get enough
calcium..but i'm on a birth control pill which is said to be
a mild diuretic and can deplete you of potassium... yikes

also, does anyone know if it's true that you can develop
blood clots from such spasms? i tried googling "leg spasms
at night" and found some information that said that...

Tony

The calcium is taken with the magnesium to aid in the
assimilation of the latter. Chelates are best I think.

proudest m0nki wrote in message ...
>
>> Make sure you're getting hydrated properly, and check
>> that you're getting enough electrolytes mainly: sodium,
>> potassium, magnesium and calcium.
>>
>>
>
>hmm.. that's interesting.. i definitely get enough
>calcium..but i'm on a birth control pill which is said
>to be a mild diuretic and can deplete you of
>potassium... yikes
>
>also, does anyone know if it's true that you can develop
>blood clots from such spasms? i tried googling "leg spasms
>at night" and found some information that said that...

Doug Freyburger

proudest m0nki wrote:
>
> hmm.. that's interesting.. i definitely get enough
> calcium..but i'm on a birth control pill which is said
> to be a mild diuretic and can deplete you of
> potassium... yikes

Switch from table salt to lite salt. Try to use about a
teaspoon per day by getting in the habit of salting your
food. Problem solved. Lite salt (various brands) is 50-50
sodium chloride and potassium chloride. Low fatters use it
to avoid sodium. Low carbers use it to pursue potassium.

Proudest M0nki

thanks for the info, doug!

"Doug Freyburger" <dfreybur@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:7960d3ee.0406111139.4719e54e@posting.google.com...
> Switch from table salt to lite salt. Try to use about a
> teaspoon per day by getting in the habit of salting your
> food. Problem solved. Lite salt (various brands) is 50-50
> sodium chloride and potassium chloride. Low fatters use it
> to avoid sodium. Low carbers use it to pursue potassium.

Bethowmuch

I think there are some guys in Iraq who specialize in
removing body parts, see them, no more spasms guaranteed or
they'll return your leg.

_!_ Grabber

I think "Runners World" hit his problem right-on.

Dr. Dickie <dr_dickie@chembench.com> wrote in message
news:<k7ilc09s89h8mve7kd8qfm2nhclksfp79s@4ax.com>...
> On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 08:26:52 -0400, "proudest m0nki"
> <nuhuh@notgunnagitit.net> wrote:
>
> >i've been recently getting excruciating muscle "spasms"
> >in my legs at night...waking up from it, etc. it feels
> >like the muscle is being flexed really hard, and it
> >occurs in my calves, hamstrings, and quads...usually
> >lasting 10 seconds at a time. when it happens, you can
> >actually see the muscle "balled up"... and it only seems
> >to happen at night. anyone know why this is happening?
> >
> >
>
> As others have stated, look to your calcium, magnesium,
> potassium, and sodium intake. One thing to consider, most
> overlook this, are carbonated drinks with phosphoric acid
> (colas). The phosphoric acid ties up calcium (forming
> insoluble calcium phosphate). I used to get horrible
> cramps, taking magnesium helped; however, only when I
> stopped drinking drinks with phosphoric acid did my cramps
> quit. Now, if I have a cola drink, cramps that night. OF
> course we are all different, and YMMV.
>
> Dr. Dickie Skepticult member in good standing #394-00596-
> 438 Poking kooks with a pointy stick
> ====================================
> "Let be be finale of seem. The only emperor is the emperor
> of ice-cream" Wallace Stevens-1923
> =====================================