Night Cramps

(Terence Dean) #11

Eat Spinach, see if that stops it.

#12

Have you looked at or tried magnesium oil? I keep a bottle on my night stand. You can spray it where you are getting cramps, and your skin will absorb what it needs. I’ve had pretty good success with this method in addition to my supplements.

(Thurston ) #13

If you’re supplementing and drinking a lot of water you may be peeing their benefits away. Try Ketoaid the recipe is available with a quick search. It may be just what you need.

(Lonnie Hedley) #14

You wouldn’t be alone. Lots of people pop coarse salt crystals and let it dissolve. Nothing wrong with heavily salting your food.

(betsy.rome) #15

Try calcium citrate.
https://www.ketogenicforums.com/t/leg-cramps/7805

(Matthew Lennon) #16

Sauerkraut is worse than pickles in my book. :nauseated_face:

(Matthew Lennon) #17

Thanks. I will pick up some today.

(Cesar Cordova) #18

It’s actually potassium.

I use Wal-Mart’s Great Value Mio knock off (Lemonade flavor is the best) with Morton Lite Salt. 1400~ish mg per tsp. That’s more than 14 pills of K.

I have a 1.2 liter bottle, where I add 1tsp of salt and 4-5 squirts (to taste) of the flavor enhancer thingy.

I usually take at least 5 99mg (They’re limited to 99mg, that’s why the salt kicks ass) pills a day and eat tons of spinach and avocado. But if I’m working out, I make a huge jug of this, it really makes a difference. I even take it if I feel I’m not at my 100%.

(Kerin ) #19

Have you changed anything else like exercising and sleep pattern?
Energy increase?

(Blessed with butter ) #20

I do this too seems to work. Hemalayn pink salt is the best

(Matthew Lennon) #21

No. Everything else in my daily routine is the same.

#22

How bioavailable is the magnesium you are using?

There are several different types of mag supplement (9 the last time i checked) and they each vary in how much theyabsorb. Basically, the more you pay, the more you benefit.

Having said that, i paid out for quality Mag, for years, only to find i had significant deficiency. Presumably because i wasn’t absorbing what i needed. This is quite common, apparently.

So now I use magnesium oil - and feel MUCH better!

(G. Andrew Duthie) #23

Pink salt.

1/2 tsp to 16oz of water. 2 of those or so daily, along with your existing mag/na supplements.

And yes, leg cramps suck.

One question…do you take melatonin? I’ve been wondering whether there’s any correlation between melatonin levels and leg cramps, since I almost only get the cramps at night. They also tend to resolve (forgive the bluntness) after early morning urination. Which made me wonder if perhaps there’s a connection.

But regardless of the answer, using salt water has tended to be the most effective prevention for me.

(Drew Says "Eat the Salt, you damned stinking Keto ape" Hardcore Label Licka ) #24

Hi Mat I had the same thing when I started keto and got back on my bike. I found upping my salt and doing a set of these stretches every night just before bed helped me a lot.
I take 5g of pink salt, fresh lemon juice in 750ml sports bottle per day. I’ve even tried salt on cream cheese but then I found bacon works better. KCKO

Better Sleep.pdf (489.7 KB)

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Drew

(mole person) #25

My husband does this. Just eats it straight up. I prefer to mix it in water. It was gross at first but now I don’t mind it at all. Sometimes I even heat it and drink it slowly.

Leg cramps were something I never got before I went keto. I don’t have it all the time even now but when I do it is completely fixed by 50% salt and 50% Half Salt (grocery store potassium salt). I take 1/4 teaspoon of each twice a day when I have cramping; once in the morning and once in the evening. I wouldn’t take more Half Salt then this, however, as too much potassium is dangerous.

Good luck. Leg cramps seriously suck. I hope you can sort it out.

(betsy.rome) #26

Side note - I just re-started swimming yesterday, after not swimming since May. Last time I got wicked bad leg cramps at night / early morning following exercise. This time, I did 2 things:

  1. Drank pickle juice before bed
  2. Appied magnesium lotion generously to my legs

For the first time in ages, I slept through the night! and had no cramps at all.

(Blessed with butter ) #27

I love magnesium cream. It’s the best. It also helps you sleep. Rub it on the bottom of your feet. Even better add some lavender oil in it.

(Wendy) #28

I feel like lately I need a bit more mag as my feet are crampy after work. I walk A LOT. I may have to try this.

(Kate) #29

I wonder how much magnesium you are taking? You might like to consider taking additional magnesium; my nutritionist recommended 800 mg at night for the cramps. But also please note that mag citrate is not a good choice; it can act as a laxative. Try mag glycinate or mag taurate. My husband is tall with a large frame and requires more; he takes an additional 400 mg in the morning as well.

(Wendy) #30

I was taking some mag glycinate, which at the time helped with constipation I had but I ran out. Now I have some mag oxide 500 mg. I haven’t been taking it very consistently though. I’m thinking of adding a bit of lite salt too.