What about muscle cramps in legs?

(Pat Skaggs) #1

I have been having horrible muscle spasms in my legs, mostly at night. What can I do about it.

(Jennibc) #2

This was a big problem for me! I just posted this as a follow up to a question I asked about something similar last month. Everyone said drink ketoaid but all the recipes I found had artificial sweetener.

"I am coming back to post on what I’ve found that works if you want a ketoaid without any sweeteners. I am doing 20 oz of ice water, add 1/4 teaspoon of lite salt and serving of unflavored magnesium citrate (there’s a tiny serving scoop in container) and a teaspoon of lemon juice. This is the unflavored magnesium citrate I found. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XWZJCNZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

I have two to three of these a day and my cramping seemingly is gone and I don’t feel light headed. Thanks for all the tips!"

The last few weeks, I haven’t had any and they were pretty typical since last June, especially when I’d have any kind of alcohol.

#3

ZMA + salt works for me.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

If salt is properly regulated, so will be potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Keeping your salt up and eating leafy greens ought to help.

(The amazing autoimmune 🦄) #5

Thanks for the link. I have been looking for something like this for my fasts.

(Charlotte) #6

I used to get HORRIBLE leg cramps in the middle of the night. The pain was so bad I would be in tears. It mostly happened when I was late in pregnancy but also when I wasn’t spawning. The cure is Avocados! Avocados are a wonderful source of potassium. Plus you can avoid supplements and get some fats in, but that only works if you like to eat them.

(The amazing autoimmune 🦄) #7

I too eat avocados, I try for one a day. However sometimes when fasting or working out strenuously you need something else, especially in the beginning when you aren’t used to the new balancing of nutrition.

I also will eat hazelnuts for the magnesium.

(Keto butts drive me nuts) #8

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This helps me with my leg cramps.

(Jennibc) #9

I was getting them with daily avocados so it doesn’t appear to be a fix for all of us. But I’m glad it works for you! I’d love it if I didn’t have to drink salty water!

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #10

I get cramps when I don’t drink enough water. Of course, being me I throw water, magnesium and sometimes calcium at it and it goes away so I’m not sure what helps but it’s not potassium as I don’t supplement with it and only eat avocado every other week. For me, it’s hydration I think.

(Daisy) #11

For me it’s connected to water and magnesium. As long as I keep those 2 in check, no leg cramps or restless leg syndrome!
I prefer magnesium glycinate, the same brand posted above with potassium.

#12

After more than 4 years keto I got muscle cramp in the calf muscle last night.

Only one thing had changed: Reduced activity / increased sitting.

I eat 2 meals per day in an 8 hour window and supplement electrolytes and fish oil. It has been years since I have had a visit from a night cramp.

Last week I started a new job. Back to the toxic work environment in which my health suffered. Yesterday I sat at a computer all day from 6:30 am to 4pm with only short regular breaks. I was able to do this due to ketosis (when keto goes bad): keto abuse!

For the past 2 years the blood ketones have compelled me, through feeling energised, to be active and I’ve spent my days up on my feet moving around, only sitting to drive the car.

I would put forward from this n=1 observation that a degree of activity, movement and walking each day might be an ingredient to avoiding leg muscle cramps on keto. Especially for those who haven’t fully resolved the cramps through supplementation alone.

(Bunny) #13

Too bad you could not have sipped on some pickle juice which usually stops it immediately?

#14

Pickle juice is the magic elixir for my leg cramps.

(Susan) #15

Welcome to the forum, @Purplehaze

If you have any questions, just make a new thread and ask away =).

(Ken) #16

I make my own pickles. What the juice provides is sodium from the salt as well as vinegar. Plus, whatever minerals that were contained by the cucumbers.

(Mark Rhodes) #17

Link first for the impatient: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513970/ AND https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30136291 which led me to Dr. Katherine Chauncey who is leading her own LCHF revolution and reversing diabetes and using taurine supplementation to do it.

In November of 2018 I got a cramp in my abdomen that sidelined me. Seriously down for the count. Three weeks later and once again doing inverted crunches it happened again. SO I went to the Doc and we ruled out hernia from physical probing. The next time it happened I was at work at my desk. The cramp came in fast and hard. I had time to warn a colleague and I PASSED OUT from a cramp - which was inadvertently diagnosed as heart even though two EKG showed no issues ( I am 55 so of course IT MUST BE HEART). At least I got them to call off the flight for life.

So the next few weeks I had 3 ultra sounds, 1 MRI, 1 CT scan, blood draws, more blood draws and we could not find a single structural or chemical imbalance.

So…Bro Science? I began to cruise the bodybuilder sites. These guys are all packing down loads of Taurine. Now I recall @tdseest using taurine for his heart and I begin to do a little digging. HOLY SHIT…The Bro Brothers got it right for the wrong reasons.

Turns out taurine is a conditional essential amino acid. Nice. Most nutrition calculators do not even include it. I have since written to Spencer over at Cronometer. Perhaps a few more emails and that could be changed. Taurine will reduce cramps.

I since have taken between 2 and 8 g of Taurine daily. I have not yet done any abdominal work but my core does get workouts from some other movements. I am reluctant tot try, the cramp is that severe. Perhaps I should do it in my doctors office ( who was shocked to learn about taurine) should I have an extended spasm?

Anyway, that’s my missive about cramping. It is not all about the big three electrolytes.

(Mary Folse) #18

I have the cramps in my legs too. I always felt it was due to MS, however, I have a feeling of i stay keto,and don’t quit all symptoms will improve…just day two and I’m already having a calmer digestion, and sleeping better.

WHY did I STOP!!!

(Susan) #19

I eat Pink Himalyan salt daily and then drink a bunch of water and it has eliminated the problem I was having with leg cramps. Some people prefer to add it to their water and make their own Electrolyte solution.