Charlie horse

[kdrake8]

Hooooly shit, those are painful suckers!

Id never had one before but at night the last few weeks when I stretch while changing positions, I could feel them trying to start in my calves. Last night I got one and dear god. I couldn't get out of bed fast enough!

I guess it's a pregnancy thing but I never experienced them with M. Does anyone else ever get these? Any advice besides hurrying out of bed to try to walk around on it?

[kkfeb04]

I got them with both kids a lot. I made DH massage it out.

[imimahoney]

I had them a few times with Ari near the end. Eating extra bananas (its the potassium I think) helped a bit.

[Deleted]

Drink a glass or 3 of water and eat a banana.

They suck. I got them my whole pregnancy.

[kdrake8]

Thanks!! I'll try more bananas and def water. I bet the water is what did it yesterday.

[mscatra]

kdrake8, lead with your heel instead of your toes when you stretch. Someone told me this when I was pregnant and it worked great for me. If I forgot and pointed my toes and felt a cramp coming on, quickly switching to heel lead would sometimes stop the cramp.

[kdrake8]

Aug 31, 2013 7:02:59 GMT -5 mscatra said:

kdrake8, lead with your heel instead of your toes when you stretch. Someone told me this when I was pregnant and it worked great for me. If I forgot and pointed my toes and felt a cramp coming on, quickly switching to heel lead would sometimes stop the cramp.

thank you! I am going to change over to this

[mscatra]

Aug 31, 2013 7:14:06 GMT -5 kdrake8 said:

Aug 31, 2013 7:02:59 GMT -5 mscatra said:

kdrake8, lead with your heel instead of your toes when you stretch. Someone told me this when I was pregnant and it worked great for me. If I forgot and pointed my toes and felt a cramp coming on, quickly switching to heel lead would sometimes stop the cramp.

thank you! I am going to change over to this

I hope it helps!

[TrudyCampbell]

I got them a lot while pregnant. They are THE WORST!

[pippilongstocking]

I got bad ones while pregnant and mentioned to my dr who said its actually a lack of calcium. Not the calcium you would get from milk but a different kind (I can't remember the proper names) anyway, I started taking 2 tums before bed and never got another one. Get yourself some tums!
I actually stocked up on tums when I was in the US because we don't have good flavours here!

[kdrake8]

Aug 31, 2013 7:56:53 GMT -5 pippilongstocking said:

I got bad ones while pregnant and mentioned to my dr who said its actually a lack of calcium. Not the calcium you would get from milk but a different kind (I can't remember the proper names) anyway, I started taking 2 tums before bed and never got another one. Get yourself some tums!
I actually stocked up on tums when I was in the US because we don't have good flavours here!

oh this sounds great!!!! Thank you!

TrudyCampbell I know right?! I hope you don't have them this time!

[jaime183]

ouch.
I haven't had one since I was pregnant- I used to get them all the time during pregnancy.
Reading your post gave me flashbacks to them. OUCH

[unclejesse]

Quinine Sulfate helps with leg cramps. It's in some tonic waters, so drink that to help too.

[carawestt]

I got them constantly with Lincoln, they were awful. I would stretch my calves before bed and eat lots of bananas (or foods rich in potassium).

[laurack]

Ugh I hate these! I forgot about that pregnancy thing! Noooo why did I forget about all these horrible pregnancy things and agree to it again!

I would also jump out of bed and try to stretch/massage it out but they are agony! Omg.

I hope bananas help!

[kdrake8]

Aug 31, 2013 12:12:10 GMT -5 laurack said:

Ugh I hate these! I forgot about that pregnancy thing! Noooo why did I forget about all these horrible pregnancy things and agree to it again!

I would also jump out of bed and try to stretch/massage it out but they are agony! Omg.

I hope bananas help!

I tried some tums for magnesium and I'll let you know if it (and or any other tips!!) help!

[Deleted]

Bananas help a lot, and stay hydrated. I pull up on my toes to stretch out my calf when I get them.

[creamsiclechica]

Gosh, I get these too while pregnant and they're awful! Some are tear inducing! I send the bananas and hydration. And try and get a massage out of it when you can

[devonpow]

This is going to sound super weird, but put an unwrapped bar of ivory soap under your fitted sheet. I know, I know, it sounds so bizarre. My dad was having a problem with leg cramps and his dr told him this (he said something along the lines of "there is absolutely no logical or scientific reason this would work, but anecdotally it does". And it did! So weird,and it worked for me in pregnancy. Google it, it's a thing! (Snopes.com has it listed as "undetermined", lol)

[kdrake8]

Aug 31, 2013 18:47:33 GMT -5 devonpow said:

This is going to sound super weird, but put an unwrapped bar of ivory soap under your fitted sheet. I know, I know, it sounds so bizarre. My dad was having a problem with leg cramps and his dr told him this (he said something along the lines of "there is absolutely no logical or scientific reason this would work, but anecdotally it does". And it did! So weird,and it worked for me in pregnancy. Google it, it's a thing! (Snopes.com has it listed as "undetermined", lol)

like under your legs? Or just anywhere under the fitted sheet?

[devonpow]

Aug 31, 2013 18:49:02 GMT -5 kdrake8 said:

Aug 31, 2013 18:47:33 GMT -5 devonpow said:

This is going to sound super weird, but put an unwrapped bar of ivory soap under your fitted sheet. I know, I know, it sounds so bizarre. My dad was having a problem with leg cramps and his dr told him this (he said something along the lines of "there is absolutely no logical or scientific reason this would work, but anecdotally it does". And it did! So weird,and it worked for me in pregnancy. Google it, it's a thing! (Snopes.com has it listed as "undetermined", lol)

like under your legs? Or just anywhere under the fitted sheet?

We did under the sheet near the bottom. DH thought I was insane.

[thedahliharpa]

Those are awful, I can occasionally feel one building when changing positions while sleeping. The only thing I could do in response was scream fuck until they ended.

[orriskitten]

I used to get these while swimming if I didn't practice as often and got back into a heavy routine. I thought I was dying when I got my first one and a lifeguard had to help me out of the pool.

I find stretching and rubbing them to help. Never heard of the bananas thing, but it can't hurt!

[sno&2peas]

You need to make sure you have enough potassium i think and also not get dehydrated. I used to get them on and off and almost fell out of bed when I was pregnant and got one. The best you can do is smash your foot into the ground to get rid of it though when it happens and take your hand and flex your foot never point it makes it worse!! I got them in my calves and my feet fucking sucks!! Maybe water with electrolytes (smart water) helps too! I had the worst one when I had gotten really drunk at my 30th birthday ( the day after) so I thought dehydration was the cause there!

[TrudyCampbell]

I've heard the soap thing too! Do it and report back!

[claralou]

The soap thing sounds cool! Chug coconut water if you don't mind the taste. Way more potassium than bananas. I get these cramps anyway in my legs, but I was downing coconut water with C (weird craving) and I didn't get them once while I was pregnant.

[The Foozzler]

Aug 31, 2013 20:46:22 GMT -5 sno&2peas said:

You need to make sure you have enough potassium i think and also not get dehydrated. I used to get them on and off and almost fell out of bed when I was pregnant and got one. The best you can do is smash your foot into the ground to get rid of it though when it happens and take your hand and flex your foot never point it makes it worse!! I got them in my calves and my feet fucking sucks!! Maybe water with electrolytes (smart water) helps too! I had the worst one when I had gotten really drunk at my 30th birthday ( the day after) so I thought dehydration was the cause there!

This is key! Flexing my foot usually helped a lot. Never point! I forgot a few times and pointed and the pain was so awful.

[kdrake8]

I have been feeling them all this past week at night. It has to be at least partially related to going back to work, being on my feet all day, and high temps w no air conditioning at work .

I try to keep my water intake up but it's hard to get enough. I will try better this week and hopefully it will cool off soon. Ugh!!

I need to go buy ivory tomorrow!