Really need help with the nightly cramps

(Don ) #21

Been using Mortons

(Don ) #22

Using 500 mg Calcium carbonate will swith to calcium citrate.

(Don ) #23

Dring plenty of water.

(Don ) #24

I drink plenty of water and take powdered potassium

(Don ) #25

Which one do you use?

(Troy Anthony) #26

The magnesium oil I use is from ancient minerals, can find it on amazon. Itā€™s not cheap but the big bottle has lasted me over a year as I use it less and less. In the beginning when I wasnā€™t sleeping well, I used it nightly, then slowly cut back over a few months to like twice a week. Just a heads up, it probably will make your skin itchy for the first few times but it goes away pretty quickly. You could research others experiences with it online. I was a bit skeptical, I am skeptical in general, but it worked like magic for me. I have no doubt I had a magnesium issue now and that was way before I even knew what keto was. Most people are deficient in magnesium keto or not.

(Troy Anthony) #28

And just to be clear, I never experienced cramping issues so Iā€™m not speaking specifically to that. I use to have a twitching awake thing happen and it would wake me up throughout the night. It completely went away after the oil and never came back to this day. This was completely unrelated to keto for me, before my keto days, but since I used it through my keto adaptation I think it might of had something to do with me getting almost no keto flu. I donā€™t know that for sure though, the sleep help I know for sure.

(mags) #29

I sometimes suffer from agonising leg cramps at night. Itā€™s the leg cramps that always stopped me from following Atkins in the past. I could usually only manage a couple of weeks at a time. Iā€™ve been keto for nearly 4months this time and itā€™s much better. I take a low carb supplement with potassium and magnesium and have increased salt. I love putting rock salt under my tongue several times a day. Good luck and keep away from the bananas!!

(Camille Yeager) #30

Putting salt under my toung helped with the nightly cramping and headaches I got my 1st few months. I used Himalayan pink and celtic grey. Keto aid also helped. I carry around a little bag of salt, and have a salt dish on my counter, and try to put a pinch under my tongue every time I get a drink.

(icky) #31

Hi Don,

Electrolytes are tricky.

Iā€™m a bit concerned that you are taking 3 magnesium supplements at once.

Not only does each electrolyte have to be balanced, but they also have to be balanced with each other.

Salt (sodium) is also an electrolyte.

Hereā€™s the important electrolytes and the names for having too much (hyper) or too little (hypo) of each:

calcium: hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia
chloride: hyperchloremia and hypochloremia
magnesium: hypermagnesemia and hypomagnesemia
phosphate: hyperphosphatemia or hypophosphatemia
potassium: hyperkalemia and hypokalemia
sodium: hypernatremia and hyponatremia

The thing seems to be that if for example you are getting ā€œtoo muchā€ of one electrolyte (maybe Magnesium in your case) then your body will down-regulate that electrolyte level by making you pee a lot.

That has that electrolyte and water flushing out of your system, but also the other electrolytes.

So now, for example your Magnesium levels would be fine again, but youā€™re deficient in the other electrolytes, will get those deficiency symptoms (a lot of them seem to be fatigue and muscle related like cramps, including heart muscle) and will then need to supplement those other electrolytes.

You can get these symptoms from any of the electrolytes and you can get them EITHER from having too much OR from having too little OR from them being out of balance with each other.

So you need to try and find out which electrolyte it is and whether you need more or less of it.

Electrolytes are really powerful body chemistry so I wouldnā€™t just go taking ā€œwhicheverā€ ones and Iā€™d be wary of taking 3 lots of one supplement.

(CHRIS) #32

I also use Ancient Minerals Mg for transdermal supplementation and it seems to help since I run (and sweat a lot) and have had major cramping issues in the past.

#33

Dony45, any luck? Iā€™m just over 4 months in with the same problem. Itā€™s the only down-side to Keto for me, but itā€™s a big one.
I take Magnesium, potassium, eat plenty of dairy for calcium and my salt intake is high. I like salt. But cramps wake me up every night and keep me awake until I deal with them by stretching and/or toe-raises.
Any relief for you?

(icky) #34

Can you get your Dr to do a general blood test, including all electrolytes?

Can you tell him you are doing Keto and supplementing electrolytes but still getting cramps?

The results should help you see if youā€™re getting too little or too much of anything.

If a blood test is an option, I think that would be better than guessing, given that youā€™re already supplementing and eating plenty of salt.

(Chad Hester) #35

I use NoSalt to ramp up my potassium. I do a 1/4 tablespoon in the morning and in the afternoon. I just put it in water with my fiber and guzzle it down. Not the greatest tasting thing but it getā€™s the job done. Iā€™m always right at or a little above my potassium intake for the day.

#36

I used to deal with leg cramps like crazy. It sounds like you are trying the right things, about all I can say is it gets better. It took a few months for me but the cramps finally went away completely. Electrolyte imbalance is a complex issue and sometimes the only real solution is to let the body find homeostasis. My top remedies were calm magnesium powder, Epsom salt baths and stretching. I canā€™t emphasize the movement part enough, if I stretch or go for a walk my legs feel 100x better in the evening. Good luck.

(Nicki) #37

I know that many people scoff at homeopathics, but for me the Hylands Leg Cramp pills are absolutely amazing. My cramps literally melt away within a minute of taking a couple of pills. I keep them in my bedside table, my purse and my car.

#38

Thanks, I think Iā€™ll do just that.

(Bunny) #39

Are these leg cramps, stomach cramps?