Dead of night calf cramps

This Fat Girl Runs

Just curious who else gets these? I get them occasionally but recently had it happen twice in the space of about a week (one in each leg, yeah that was fun ha!)

How long afterwards would you go running again? Usually takes me three days to fully recover.

gerard_65

Started happening to me as well over the last couple of months and I'm not even running atm because of injury. About once a week. Calf is sore for a couple of days after.

JohnDozer

I only ever get these after I've had about 3-4 beers. Most recently this morning, they are horrible, like someone sticking a hot poker in the middle of my calf....

This Fat Girl Runs

They are excruciatingly painful! I've been jolted awake far too many times with these!

My latest happened on Saturday morning and I'm still limping a bit. No way would I be able to run at the moment. Hoping it loosen's up soon! I miss running!

Tom Joad

Used to get these and I always put them down to a bit of dehydration - hasn't happened in ages since I've started to drink more water. Of course this could be a complete coincidence.

rom

My personal experience with this has been that I have had this for a a long long time that I have constant pain. Finding it very hard to sleep as sleeping on my face my toes would be pointing down and be very uncomfortable. I always thought that if I go for a long run that my legs should be killing me afterwards. I always expected to not be able to walk properly for a few days after a marathon. However I would see people who are less trained not in the same way. It has held me back as training results in hard to get sleep and lack of sleep. I always have found it hard to recover from any sessions. Lots of physio and massage no good. I got some advise and I started to take magnesium tab from holland and barrett with my dinner. Ran 18M today and it felt really easy. legs feel great. been getting better nights sleep and legs are a lot less sore. I am only saying that it has helped me. This was after ensuring it was not dehydration or protein intake for me. drinking the night after a long run is not a good idea btw

pasty

I heard that the rubex soluble vitamin C tablets stop night cramps, well worth a try?

dna_leri

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

Just curious who else gets these? I get them occasionally but recently had it happen twice in the space of about a week (one in each leg, yeah that was fun ha!)

How long afterwards would you go running again? Usually takes me three days to fully recover.

I get them after a hard training session or race. Best recovery comes from a very easy jog the next day, morning if possible.

eoinín

I used to get these all the time, but curiously enough I haven't got any since i started running 3 years ago. Not sure if that's a coincidence or is something running has changed / strengthened in my muscles preventing it from happening any more.

PaulieYifter

I got them occasionally and funny enough I think it happened with the covers tucked in too tight at the bottom of the bed and my toes pressing against them

corny

I've come to recognise the triggers and warning signs so it happens infrequently enough.

The beer never helps and the little twitches before bed are a dead give away.

I also bunch the covers near my feet and sleep on my back so nothing interferes with my toes. Works most of the time but i live in constant fear of the innocuous turn on my side.:(

TFBubendorfer

I used to get them very frequently and they were excruciatingly painful, to the point where I was loudly screaming in pain on occasions.

I never entirely got to the bottom of it. I used to take magnesium supplements for a while (this had been recommended) and for a while they might have helped, but certainly didn't stop them completely, and to this day I'm unconvinced of their use.

Drinking alcohol was definitely a trigger, if I drank more than a pint then I could basically guarantee that I would get really bad cramps that night. However, it wasn't the only variable, I got violent cramps even if I hadn't touched a drop.

I gradually learned to manage the problem, I would usually wake up just before the cramp would strike and jump straight out of bed and put my weight on the affected leg. It really was matter of seconds, I had to get up immediately. This stopped the cramp before it would develop fully, though I would still feel "something" in my calf muscles.

I haven't had them for a while, and since I never figured out what caused them I can't say what seemed to have gotten rid of them. I rarely drink these days, which is bound to have something to do with it. I don't take magnesium, so that's not it.

This might not help much, sorry.

Crow92

No a runner but saw the thread, I used to get them every do often, was told to eat bananas for the potassium/magnesium and I found they did stop after. Coincidence or not, who knows but the cramps stopped so that was good enough for me.

RayCun

Not calf cramps but foot cramps, the muscle along the sole of my foot. I used to jump out of bed practically every night in the spring, always just as I was falling asleep :rolleyes:
I think the issue was that knee pain was stopping me from going to sleep on my side, as I've done since I was a kid. I couldn't get comfortable any more with my knees resting on top of each other, so I was going to sleep flat on my back. Now I sleep with a pillow between my legs or under my legs and the cramps have stopped.

Krusty_Clown

For me, the cause is dehydration + beer + eccentric exercise + no fruit (e.g. after post-marathon celebrations). So I make sure to drink enough water and eat some apples and bananas. Take a dioralyte if necessary.

EmcD123

I suffer from this and so does my mom but its actually in the soles of our feet ,fingers and eye for some reason.
We were told that because of all the training we're using up our salt quicker or something. We used barely any salt for cooking. Now we put a little salt in the potatos for dinner and that got rid of the cramps completely

mymo

Not a runner, but saw the thread and wanted to let you know a cure my dad uses.
He gets leg cramps a lot, and mentioned it to the chemist one day while picking up his meds (thought it might be a side effect of one) and the chemist told him to drink a small glass of Indian tonic water every night, must be the one with quinine in, doesn't matter if it's flavoured one.
It works for him and I tried it myself after physio caused cramps in feet and legs, it really did work.

gerard_65

mymo wrote: »

Not a runner, but saw the thread and wanted to let you know a cure my dad uses.
He gets leg cramps a lot, and mentioned it to the chemist one day while picking up his meds (thought it might be a side effect of one) and the chemist told him to drink a small glass of Indian tonic water every night, must be the one with quinine in, doesn't matter if it's flavoured one.
It works for him and I tried it myself after physio caused cramps in feet and legs, it really did work.

Where would I get Indian tonic water. I'm getting calf cramps every night now. I seem to wake just as its coming on so I stretch out my leg immediately but its a pain been woken every night. I might try take a pinch of salt before going to bed also.

rom

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=81046377

Indian tonic water can be got in tesco.

Anon2013

I used to get these on regular basis so painful and sore for days afterwards, I started drinking a glass of water before bed, stretching the calf muscle before I go to sleep and putting a cushion between my legs. I only get them now when I over excerises during the day. I also found that the amount of time the pain lasted would be reduced if I stretched the leg straight after the cramp occurred!

This Fat Girl Runs

I started taking magnesium as suggested by some runners on twitter. My right leg still has a funny 'pull' to it when I stand after sitting, so I've been taking it easy. I don't use a lot of salt either and someone else suggested making sure to get a little salt in my diet.

I haven't gone running since the first cramp which was 14th August. I'm really missing it and hoping this leg sorts itself out soon!

rom

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

I started taking magnesium as suggested by some runners on twitter. My right leg still has a funny 'pull' to it when I stand after sitting, so I've been taking it easy. I don't use a lot of salt either and someone else suggested making sure to get a little salt in my diet.

I haven't gone running since the first cramp which was 14th August. I'm really missing it and hoping this leg sorts itself out soon!

People in the western world have no issue with salt in their diet as its in everything.

This Fat Girl Runs

rom wrote: »

People in the western world have no issue with salt in their diet as its in everything.

I agree. It's just that I don't eat processed food, or not a lot of processed food anyway. I pretty much cook things from scratch and I don't add salt to my cooking. That's why someone said I probably should add salt.

Ososlo

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

I agree. It's just that I don't eat processed food, or not a lot of processed food anyway. I pretty much cook things from scratch and I don't add salt to my cooking. That's why someone said I probably should add salt.

I absolutely agree. I eat nearly all natural foods too and wouldn't be getting much at all from my food without adding it.

This Fat Girl Runs

Quick little update: my calves seem fine now, though I'm still careful with them. I'm not entirely sure what has helped but I have been foam rolling and also started taking magnesium as was suggested. That plus some careful stretching seems to have done the trick. No more cramps, thankfully!

Sauve

+1 for magnesium here.
I used to get occasional calf cramps that would wake me up, as well as twitchy/restless legs when I'd get into bed after a long/hard session.
Started the magnesium a couple of weeks ago, and all that guff has stopped, I've two quite content legs now

LionelNashe

JohnDozer wrote: »

I only ever get these after I've had about 3-4 beers. Most recently this morning, they are horrible, like someone sticking a hot poker in the middle of my calf....

Interesting - I get this 'hot poker' pain as well, usually if I eat salty food before going to bed. I think it's linked to too much salt and dehydration.

RonanP77

I have sciatica so I get back and leg pains at night. It stops me sleeping and that leaves me prone to other injuries. I've been getting cramps in my feet lately too.

I know following the advice here won't cure sciatica but it will hopefully help with other cramps. I'm going to keep working on the foam roller, take my magnesium tablets and make sure to drink plenty of water.

Goofy

Cramps are primarily a result of dehydration. Most people have said that they get them after a few pints.... That's cause alcohol is a diuretic. It dehydrates you. The headache of a hangover is also because of dehydration. When you are doing any kind of exercise you need to be drinking water regularly all day as you lose a lot through sweat and heavy breathing. Having a pint of water before you go to bed won't make much difference if are dehydrated. It will just make you wake up an hour later to go to the bathroom.

The best way to keep track of your hydration level is the colour of your pee. Google a urine colour chart to reference off. Basically the darker your pee the more dehydrated you are. You need to watch this all day and if it's too dark just drink more water.

rom

Goofy wrote: »

Cramps are primarily a result of dehydration. Most people have said that they get them after a few pints.... That's cause alcohol is a diuretic. It dehydrates you. The headache of a hangover is also because of dehydration. When you are doing any kind of exercise you need to be drinking water regularly all day as you lose a lot through sweat and heavy breathing. Having a pint of water before you go to bed won't make much difference if are dehydrated. It will just make you wake up an hour later to go to the bathroom.

The best way to keep track of your hydration level is the colour of your pee. Google a urine colour chart to reference off. Basically the darker your pee the more dehydrated you are. You need to watch this all day and if it's too dark just drink more water.

Tiredness is also a sign. Drinking water on its own is not great for it. The reason why sports drinks are good for it is that they have a certain percentage of carbs. I think 7% that basically is the correct ammount for you body to try and break the water down as food and kindof tricks you in taking in more water as a result than if it was just water alone. I don't condone drinking sports drink as they are not are needed but in a endurance event but I drink the blackcurrant cordial from aldi may be once a day and its great. Things like lucozade powerade etc are something that you only want to go to if you are running a marathon or something but then they would probably need to be half and half water then if you must use them.

walshb

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

They are excruciatingly painful! I've been jolted awake far too many times with these!

My latest happened on Saturday morning and I'm still limping a bit. No way would I be able to run at the moment. Hoping it loosen's up soon! I miss running!

The pain is horrendous. You actually really believe that the bone will break through your calf. Why is it that painful?

MaggotBrain

Used to get these a lot in my teenage years. Haven't had one in ten years since, I made sure my legs stayed under cover and remained warm. I found any time I got a cramp my leg would be freezing cold. I still wince when I think of the time I woke up with a double cramp one in each leg, I hopped out of bed only to collapse and whack my head off the wall. Screaming blue murder from the cramp and bleeding from the head wasn't the best way to wake the house.

Simple solution might be electric blanket, tuck in quilt along the side of the bed to ensure your legs aren't exposed.

MaggotBrain

Also found best way to minimise the pain and stop it quick, was warm it up as fast as possible.