cramping

[Sandra]

What's the best thing to do for cramp in your calf muscle, it's agony?

[meadow]

make sure to get enough potassium in your diet. eat a banana after trying to massage the knot out. magnesium is very important as well since it's involved in the absorption of potassium.

you can Google other potassium sources. i tend to just eat a banana then make a smoothie later with a banana in it. that's my cue to up my fruit intake!

[Sandra]

make sure to get enough potassium in your diet.

There is enough potassium in my diet, it's driving me nuts, never felt pain like it, I massage the knot out and within an hour it just comes back!

[meadow]

i'd still eat a banana. every time i've gotten a calf muscle cramp it will go away once i eat a banana. you can shove one or two in a smoothie if you don't like bananas. seriously, eat a banana! there's other things in there that also help but the main thing is potassium and making sure you also get enough magnesium to help absorb it.

[Sandra]

i'd still eat a banana. every time i've gotten a calf muscle cramp it will go away once i eat a banana. you can shove one or two in a smoothie if you don't like bananas. seriously, eat a banana!

ok meadow cheers, I'll go make a banana smoothie and see what happens

[meadow]

hee hee, good luck! i've got an interview but i'll nose around later on and see what else i can dig up about leg cramps and potassium though. i like to throw lots of strawberries in with the banana! YUM!

[pilvikki]

i know i sound like a bloody doomsday prophet, but a persistent cramp and/of pain in the leg can be a blood clot. check the literature on your meds to see if cramps are a side effect.

if not, hie off to the doctor and depending on what, if anything is going on. your system is compromised so it's always a good idea to keep ahead of trouble.

apart from potassium, dehydration is also a common contributor to the cramps.

aspirin is recommended for bloodthinner, but if it just shaves off a piece of the clot, it could get mobile and you don't want it meandering about in your system.

[meadow]

oh, good advice, pilvikki! i've been meaning to research this a bit more but haven't had the time.

drinking an extra bottle or two of water won't hurt either!

[ohlia]

What's the best thing to do for cramp in your calf muscle, it's agony?

I know how painful this can be, but immediately walking gets rid of it.

[pilvikki]

erm... not fast enough...

once [luckily only once] i woke up to it and got so startled that i fell out of bed!

[meadow]

i've personally found that trying to walk on it doesn't always get rid of it. sometimes i get them so bad i can't even move much less get out of bed to walk around!!!

ooh, Sandra i also meant to recommend to you making sure to some calf stretches. get a phone book or other large, sturdy thick book and stand with your toes and balls of feet on it and hang those heels off the edge. that ought to give you a nice, easy stretch to the calf muscles. that might help you in the long run.

[solana]

When I was fencing, in high school.. it was common to get a cramp there....
we were taught t stomp..
( yea, I know ) but It really did work most times...
so if you are having a cramp.. stomp!
( you can pretend you have a foil in your hand if you like........)