leg cramps

[Lisbeth]

I had one of the worst charley horse leg cramps last week.  I woke up in the middle of the night with my calf contracting and it stayed that way for about 20-30 minutes.  I was screaming in agony.  Fortunately Rashelle was there to help massage it out.  Plus I drank a bunch of water, which helped.  I had drank some alcohol and ate a bunch of potato chips before going to sleep, so I'm sure mine was caused by dehydration.  Now I'm reticent to even drink alcohol at night.

Walking on it helps more than anything.  I've had those stupid things ever since I started college.  It got so I would sleep with my feet flat against the wall.  The last time I was in the hospital, more than a year ago, I got them in both calves at the same time.  The nurse packed them in hot towls, and that really helped.

[Charlie Nicki]

Super old topic but I preferred reviving it instead of opening a new one. I've been getting cramps for 2 nights in a row. Both times it happened because I stretched my legs while sleeping, and it was extremely painful. I can still feel a bit of pain from last night. Is this normal? I was afraid my E dosage had something to do with it but apparently this is normal and there are other reasons for it?

[Faith]

multiple things .. for me it's due to low B12 and/or not drinking enough water.

[Another Nikki]

I can get the cramping as I stretch my legs or feet; not on hrt.

[Charlie Nicki]

I can get the cramping as I stretch my legs or feet; not on hrt.

Painful cramps?

[Northern Star Girl]

The majority of cramps in the legs and feet are most likely related to not drinking enough water and other liquids...  Dehydration has other health issues related to it so make sure
that you drink enough.(but not adult beverages!!! 

If you you are on HRT, many of the meds can delete water and salt and perhaps potassium in your system. 
Spriro is a T-blocker as well as a potassium sparing diuretic so be careful that your potassium doesn't get too high per the results of your frequent blood tests....  if it does, go a little easy on bananas, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, etc.  Your doctor can give you the correct advice on this.

One the best home remedies for me is to eat enough salty foods... salt helps your body to retain water... and thus, less cramps.

Many transitioners report a penchant for Dill Picklles...  and a craving for salt including potato chips, fritos, etc. 

A quick solution for me if I have cramps in the middle of the night is to drink a few ounces of dill pickle juice, or even a spoonful or two of yellow mustard.  The salt contents of the dill pickle juice and of the mustard ... (mustard also contains Tumeric... another good anti-cramp item) ..... can help solve the cramping withing several minutes.   

I usually eat several dill pickles a day, I crave them, and as a "pre-emptive strike" right before bed time I drink some dill pickle juice...
It is not as bad as it sounds, try it before rejecting the thought... in fact I rather like the taste of it given my craving for salty things.

As a side note, if you look at my open dill pickle jar in my refrigerator, the juice is usually all but gone!!!!   I usually go through a large jar of dill pickles weekly!!!

Hugs and well wishes,
Danielle

[Jacqueline]

The majority of cramps in the legs and feet are most likely related to not drinking enough water and other liquids...  Dehydration has other health issues related to it so make sure
that you drink enough.(but not adult beverages!!! 

If you you are on HRT, many of the meds can delete water and salt and perhaps potassium in your system. 
Spriro is a T-blocker as well as a potassium sparing diuretic so be careful that your potassium doesn't get too high per the results of your frequent blood tests....  if it does, go a little easy on bananas, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, etc.  Your doctor can give you the correct advice on this.

One the best home remedies for me is to eat enough salty foods... salt helps your body to retain water... and thus, less cramps.

Many transitioners report a penchant for Dill Picklles...  and a craving for salt including potato chips, fritos, etc. 

A quick solution for me if I have cramps in the middle of the night is to drink a few ounces of dill pickle juice, or even a spoonful or two of yellow mustard.  The salt contents of the dill pickle juice and of the mustard ... (mustard also contains Tumeric... another good anti-cramp item) ..... can help solve the cramping withing several minutes.   

I usually eat several dill pickles a day, I crave them, and as a "pre-emptive strike" right before bed time I drink some dill pickle juice...
It is not as bad as it sounds, try it before rejecting the thought... in fact I rather like the taste of it given my craving for salty things.

As a side note, if you look at my open dill pickle jar in my refrigerator, the juice is usually all but gone!!!!   I usually go through a large jar of dill pickles weekly!!!

Hugs and well wishes,
Danielle

I do think it is very common. You have gotten some good advice.

Additionally, Danielle, I need to thank you. I thought I was going nuts. I have been doing that with pickles, pickle juice and olives(for martinis and I don't even drink martinis). Two of my daughters like the same pickles too so I can just blame it on them to my spouse

Warmly,

Jacqui

[Northern Star Girl]

I do think it is very common. You have gotten some good advice.

Additionally, Danielle, I need to thank you. I thought I was going nuts. I have been doing that with pickles, pickle juice and olives(for martinis and I don't even drink martinis). Two of my daughters like the same pickles too so I can just blame it on them to my spouse

Warmly,

Jacqui

@Jacqueline
Dear Jaqui:   Yes, very correct... I have given this advice to others here on Susan's many times previously and have always heard of positive results...

Oh, and yeah....   I can't keep the green olives in my house, the juice is not as "tasty" to me as the dill pickle juice but it works also.... I get the big jars of green olives at Costco or WalMart....  even more saltier than dill pickles.   I love them all.... dill pickles, yellow mustard, green olives.... chips, etc.
Hugs,
Danielle

[Dena]

I usually go through a large jar of dill pickles weekly!!!

I have been buying dill pickles in the gallon jar. A jar last about 3 months as there is somewhere around 80-100 slices per jar. I hope the large jar your talking about isn't the same one I'm talking about!

[Northern Star Girl]

I have been buying dill pickles in the gallon jar. A jar last about 3 months as there is somewhere around 80-100 slices per jar. I hope the large jar your talking about isn't the same one I'm talking about!

@Dena
Dear Dena...  I do indeed go through a lot of dill pickles... I just looked, my "large jar" is 46 fl oz.   A gallon jar would be 128 fl oz .....    so three of my jars equals a little more than one of yours.

We can easily calculate that I go through many more pickles than you .... probably a 46 fl oz jar every week or so....   At the rate I mentioned I would go through a gallon jar in a month or less... more like 3 weeks!!!!!
Hugs,
Danielle

[Charlie Nicki]

I'm not on spiro (had the orchi 3 months ago) so I thought dehydration wasn't possible in my case, but I guess it is.

[Northern Star Girl]

I'm not on spiro (had the orchi 3 months ago) so I thought dehydration wasn't possible in my case, but I guess it is.

@Charlie Nicki:
Well, it is worth a try to see if you can get some relief from your leg cramps.   If it works for you it is a fairly cheap solution... and you just may grow very fond of dill pickles, dill pickle juice, green olives and yellow mustard.

Please report back with your hopefully good results.
Hugs,
Danielle

[Northern Star Girl]

The very good news about dill pickles....
>very few calories
  >no fat
   >very little carbs....

---> now, Olives on the other hand are loaded with fat....  but they are so very good!!!!

Hugs,
Danielle

[Dena]

I'm not on spiro (had the orchi 3 months ago) so I thought dehydration wasn't possible in my case, but I guess it is.

You can get dehydrated on the ice caps and here in Arizona it's possible to drink 2 gallons of water during the day and never need to pee. If your urine is any darker than a pale yellow, your probably not drinking enough water and you need to make an effort to drink more.

Table salt or potassium chloride both will control leg craps however as mentioned above, some medications like spiro cause you to retain potassium chloride so you can only use table salt for leg cramps. As I am only on estradiol, I consume  orange juice and a banana each day and that does a pretty good job of preventing the occasional cramp.

[Charlie Nicki]

You can get dehydrated on the ice caps and here in Arizona it's possible to drink 2 gallons of water during the day and never need to pee. If your urine is any darker than a pale yellow, your probably not drinking enough water and you need to make an effort to drink more.

Table salt or potassium chloride both will control leg craps however as mentioned above, some medications like spiro cause you to retain potassium chloride so you can only use table salt for leg cramps. As I am only on estradiol, I consume  orange juice and a banana each day and that does a pretty good job of preventing the occasional cramp.

Oh ok so I'll increase my potassium intake.

[Allison S]

Not related but I love black olives that are a bit dried but juicy [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] soo good..

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

[Northern Star Girl]

Not related but I love black olives that are a bit dried but juicy [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] soo good..

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

@Allison S
Dear Allison:    YES indeed, black olives are terrific as well...  I know it might sound gross to some, but I drink the olive juice...    NO CRAMPS !!!!!

Thanks for your comment and for following my thread.

Hugs,
Danielle