Hello everyone,
OK--it is not too often that I can really get a chance to sleep because of my bad insomnia. However, I just woke up now from a first peaceful sleep in a long time to a very intense, painful, charley horse in my right calf. I could even feel the indention of where my calf was crapmped!!! Scared the &**% out of me I also have what the doctor calls "Achilles tendonitis" in both heels so they are swollen too. It was harder for me to work the charley horse out because of both of my heels. My skin feels rather tight around my right calf now. I haven't learned my lesson and googled charley horse. Wasn't very happy when I saw what came back. Especially with the other weird feelings I have been having. HELP I am now having a major anxiety attack. I am sure that is making things worse!!! Can anybody tell me what casues these cramps/charley horses? Now i feel one coming in my left leg.....geeez

Sherri

Hey Sherri, Wish I could help, but I am hoping someone will clue me in also. I have them most every night. Sometimes 2 and 3 times a night and they are killers!!!

Anyone know what causes them??

Thanks,

bev

Hi Bev,
Actually you did help. You let me know I am not the only one that gets them. This is like the third time I have had one this year and never got them before. I am sorry you get them so often. I hope we both can find answers.

Sherri

hugs sherri!! I get the charley horse in my shoulder i feel for you. All thei peri stuff hits us at once. Lizardlover

When the lady I used to work with was getting lots of Charley Horses, the Dr. told her to take Magnesium. He told her it was a sign that she was deficient in it. She did and said that it did help her. I get them too sometime. Always in the middle of the night. Sometimes in the calf and last week I had one in my big toe. Boy did that hurt!

Susie

HI SHERRI,

I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE WHY YOU'RE HAVING CHARLIE HORSES, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE THEM. IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT IN THE HEAT AND DONE A LOT OF SWEATING OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY, YOU COULD HAVE DEPLETED YOUR ELECTROLYTES; MOST COMMONLY YOUR POTASSIUM. BUT IT COULD ALSO BE DUE TO LOW CALCIUM AND/OR LOW MAGNESIUM. YOU MIGHT ALSO BE HAVING MUSCLE SPASMS THAT COULD BE A RESULT OF LOWER BACK PROBLEMS. THESE ARE LIKE CHARLEY HORSES THAT DON'T LET UP; IT'S JUST A CONTINOUS CRAMP, SPASM, AND TIGHTNESS IN THE CALF THAT FEELS LIKE A TOWEL BEING WRUNG OUT AND IS EXCRUCIATING. IF YOU ARE HAVING BACK PROBLEMS, THERE COULD BE NARROWING IN YOUR LUMBER SPINE DUE TO DISCS THAT ARE BULGING, HERNIATED, OR ARE JUST WEARING OUT DUE TO AGE, BUT ALSO, COMMONLY, DUE TO INJURY AFTER HEAVY LIFTING, BUT ALSO AS A RESULT OF MANY OTHER INJURIES. THE SCIATIC NERVE GETS PINCHED OFF AND BECOMES INFLAMMED. I HAVE BACK PROBLEMS, SO I'M TALKING FROM MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WHEN I SAY THAT IT CAN CAUSE HORRENDOUS MUSCLE SPASMS IN THE CALVES. THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M SAYING THAT'S WHAT'S CAUSING YOURS THOUGH. DO YOU HAVE THEM EVERY NIGHT, OR DO THEY JUST COME AND GO? ALSO, DO YOU FEEL ANY MUSCLE TIGHTNESS, TENDERNESS, CRAMPING, OR SPASMS ANYWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN YOUR CALVES? YOU PROBALY ALREADY KNOW THAT IF YOU'VE DONE ANY HIGH IMPACT EXERCISES INOLVING YOUR LEGS, YOU CAN GET CHARLEY HORSES LATER INTO THE NIGHT. WHEN MUSCLES GET INFLAMMED, LACTIC ACID BUILDS UP IN THEM, THUS CAUSING THE CRAMPING. JUST LIKE THOSE BIG BAD FOOTBALL PLAYERS YOU SEE RUNNING OFF THE FIELD WITH CHARLEY HORSES; WHICH IS ALSO DUE TO LACK OF HYDRATION AND/OR DEPLETION OF ELECTROLYTES, WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE THEM DRINKING GATORADE (HAS THE ELECTROLYTES LIKE POTASSIUM IN IT). NOW I'M NOT TELLING YOU TO DASH OUT AND TRY ANY OF THESE, BECAUSE IT COULD BE VERY HARMFUL (MOST SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR HEART), BUT YOU CAN GET OVER-THE-COUNTER POTASSIUM, CALCIUM, AND MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTS IN THE VITAMIN SECTION. ALSO, QUINIDINE IS USED MOST SPECIFICALLY FOR THE TREATMENT OF LEG CRAMPS, HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES, AND IS STILL BEING PRESCRIBED BY DOCS FOR LEG CRAMPS TODAY. I THINK YOU CAN GET THAT OVER-THE-COUNTER TOO. I KNOW THAT FOR MYSELF, THAT WHEN I'VE BEEN ON MY FEET ALL DAY, WHEN I FINALLY SIT DOWN, ALL THOSE MUSCLES START RELAXING. SO WHEN I GO TO STAND BACK UP, THEY ALL IMMEDIATELY TIGHTEN BACK UP, AND IT'S LIKE MUSCLE SPASMS IN MY BUTT, THIGHS, AND CALVES AND IS EXCRUCIATING AND MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO WALK AT FIRST. THAT'S BECAUSE ALL THOSE MUSCLES ARE TIGHTENING BACK UP UP TRYING TO GUARD MY SPINE, THUS THE TIGHTENING AND MUSCLE CRAMPS OR SPASMS. THIS I WAS TOLD BY A PHYSICAL THERAPIST, AND SOUNDED PRETTY DARNED LOGICAL TO ME. BUT IT'S TOTALLY MADDENING!!!!!!! ANYWAY, IF THIS IS BECOMMING A MORE FREQUENT EVENT, YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR DR. ABOUT IT, SO HE/SHE CAN EVALUATE YOU OR, AT THE LEAST, CHECK UP ON SOME BASIC BLOODWORK TO RULE OUT THE POSSIBLE CAUSES. ONE OF THE OTHERS THAT I JUST THOUGHT OF IS IF YOUR TAKING ANY DIURETICS (FLUID PILLS LIKE LASIX), YOU COULD BE LOSING TOO MUCH POTASSIUM. THAT'S WHY THEY TELL YOU TO EAT FOODS HIGH IN POTASSIUM LIKE BANANAS, ORANGE JUICE, ETC. WHEN YOU'RE ON DIURETICS. THERE CAN BE MANY OTHER REASONS FOR YOUR LEG CRAMPS, WHICH CAN FALL UNDER THE CATEGORY OF OTHER NEUROLOGICAL AND/OR MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AS WELL, SO DISCUSS IT WITH YOU DR. AND SEE WHAT COMES UP. HOPE YOU FIND OUT AND GET SOME RELIEF, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S AN ON-GOING PROBLEM. I FEEL FOR YOU BECAUSE I CAN SURELY RELATE. GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS, AND LET ME KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. I'M A LATE-NIGHTER MYSELF AND AM UP UNTIL 4 OR 5AM MOST NIGHTS. SO GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME. I WAS ACTUALLY RESPONDING TO YOU WHEN I FELL ASLEEP AT THE 'PUTER AND DIDN'T FINISH MY REPLY. SO HERE IT IS!!!!

CINDY

Hi Cindy
Wow thanks for all the information. Don't forgo your sleep; if you are anything like me you need all you can get. I don't take diuretics but I drink a lot of water. I heard somewhere that water is a natural diuretic so don't know if that could be part of it. Luckily I don't have them every night like Bev does. But I have had about 3 this year and never had them before. This one last night sent me reeling. I have pains in both of my heels (achilles tendonitis) so it was doubly painful to get up and walk to stretch my leg out. I just rolled over and BAM the pain was intense!!! I did have a CBC done in JUne when I went to the ER for an apparent panic attack. I was about 1/10 of a percent low on potassium. Forgot to say that I take Zocor for High cholesterol but I only take 20 mgs and I take a 100 mg gel tab of CoQ 10. That is something else I learned here--if you take a statin make sure you take your coq 10

I had leg cramps over and over again last night!! Seemed that if I even moved in bed or stretched my legs they would cramp TERRIBLY!! I just started a calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement. Have only taken it one time. I hope I can stay consistent with this.

bev

HEY BEV,
I JUST REMEMBERED SOMETHING FROM AROUND 3 YEARS AGO. I HAVE A WELL-MEANING ELDERLY FRIEND WHO IS ALWAYS CALLING ME UP WITH THE LATEST VITAMIN AND HERB SUPPLEMENT UPDATES, AND SHE RECOMMENDED THIS NATURAL CALM STUFF WHICH IS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE PURE MAGNESIUM. I HAD RIGHT BEFORE THAT BEEN TAKING CORAL CALCIUM. ANYWAY, I STARTED TAKING IT AND DIDN'T GET PAST 1 WEEK, BECAUSE I STARTED HAVING EVEN MORE EXCRUCIATING MUSCLE CRAMPING AND CHARLEY HORSES OUT THE WAZOO. GO FIGURE! I HAD SEVERE MUSCLE PAIN BEFORE I GOT ON IT, WHICH IS WHY I GOT ON IT, AND INSTEAD ENDED UP WITH TWICE THE PROBLEM. HOPE THIS COMBINATION HELPS YOU!!!!!! I'VE ABOUT GIVEN UP ON NATURAL HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS I'M HONESTLY AT THE POINT WHERE NOTHING HELPS AND AM TIRED OF WASTING ALL MY HARD EARNED SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY PAYMENTS TRYING THEM ALL. SORRY TO SOUND SOOOO NEGATIVE, BUT AFTER DEALING WITH ALL THE ILL EFFECTS OF FIBROMYALGIA FOR OVER 15 YEARS, I'VE EXHAUSTED MOST OF MY HOPE, EXCEPT FOR THE HOPE I HOLD ONTO FOR THE 2 OR 3 GOOD DAYS I GET OUT OF EACH MONTH
TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS,
CINDY

I don't know the answer, Cindy, I wish I did. I am so sorry you're suffering so much. I hope and pray things begin looking up for you. I don't know why some are called to suffer more than others. I just don't know.

I hope you are having a good day today.

Blessings,

bev

HEY AGAIN,
I'M NOT A DOCTOR BUT WAS A NURSE FOR OVER 25 YEARS (WHICH, OF COURSE, STILL DOESN'T MEAN I KNOW IT ALL; SPEAK MOSTLY FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE). BUT FORTUNATELY, DRINKING A LOT OF WATER DOES NOT CAUSE YOU TO LOSE ELECTROLYTES. NOW THERE IS, HOWEVER, A CONDITION CALLED WATER TOXICITY, WHICH YOU CAN GET IF YOU DRINK WAY, WAY TO MUCH OF IT OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I'M ASSUMING THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T APPLY IN YOUR CASE. YOUR CHARLEY-HORSES JUST MAY BE MORE TO DO WITH YOUR ACHILLES TENDON. I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WHEN I WAKE UP VERY BRIEFLY TO TURN IN BED AND STRETCH MY LEG OUT TOO MUCH, TOO FAST, I GET CHARLEY-HORSES. I'VE DON'T REALLY RECALL OF EVER HEARING ABOUT ANY MEDICAL BASIS FOR THIS, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MAYBE WHEN THIS PERFECTLY RESTED CALF MUSCLE IS SUDDENLY STRETCHED, IT CREATES THIS CHARLEY-HORSE PHENOMENOM!!!!! JUST A THOUGHT!!!! I DO KNOW THAT ZOCOR CAN CAUSE MUSCLE ACHING THOUGH. I COULDN'T TOLERATE ANY OF THE STATINS FOR THAT REASON, BUT MORE-SO BECAUSE MY LIVER ENZYMES KEPT GOING UP. AND I THINK THAT WAS MORE DUE TO MUSCLE INFLAMMATION THAN AN ACTUAL LIVER PROBLEM. THERE ARE CERTAIN ENZYMES IN THE LIVER THAT ELEVATE WHEN MUSCLES GET INFLAMMED. BY THE WAY, 1/10 OF A POINT LOW ON YOUR POTASSIUM IS PRETTY NEGLIGIBLE, BUT IT SURE MEANS YOU SHOULD PROBABLY KEEP AN EYE ON IT. GOOD LUCK AND TAKE CARE!!!
CINDY

[quote name='sherricl' date='Sep 1 2007, 04:09 PM' Wow thanks for all the information. Don't forgo your sleep; if you are anything like me you need all you can get. I don't take diuretics but I drink a lot of water. I heard somewhere that water is a natural diuretic so don't know if that could be part of it. Luckily I don't have them every night like Bev does. But I have had about 3 this year and never had them before. This one last night sent me reeling. I have pains in both of my heels (achilles tendonitis) so it was doubly painful to get up and walk to stretch my leg out. I just rolled over and BAM the pain was intense!!! I did have a CBC done in JUne when I went to the ER for an apparent panic attack. I was about 1/10 of a percent low on potassium. Forgot to say that I take Zocor for High cholesterol but I only take 20 mgs and I take a 100 mg gel tab of CoQ 10. That is something else I learned here--if you take a statin make sure you take your coq 10
[/quote]

THANKS SO MUCH BEV. I FIGURE THAT IF WE HAD ALL THE ANSWERS, WE WOULDN'T NEED GOD. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY SOME OF US HAVE TO SUFFER MORE THAN OTHERS. BUT I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS FORUM IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS. YOU REALLY NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH SUFFERING OTHERS ARE ARE EXPERIENCING. THAT'S WHY I NEVER JUDGE ANOTHER PERSON'S PAIN. WHAT'S PAINFUL TO SOME, MAY NOT BE PAINFUL TO OTHERS. JUST LIKE CERTAIN METHODS HELP SOME, WHERE OTHERS ARE A TOTAL DISASTER! AND PAIN IS A TOTALLY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, SO I JUST TOTALLY EMPATHIZE!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SENTIMENTS!! I'M HAVING A FAIR DAY TODAY, AND I'M HAPPY WITH THAT! HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A GOOD ONE!!!!!!!!
GOD BLESS,
CINDY

Hi again everyone,
As you guys can see in my above answer to Cindy, I said I drank a lot of water. I was basically doing this to clean and flush the toxins out. Earlier today I went to google and for some reason I came upon a website link that took me to an "overhydration" link. I read some of what the website said and it was saying that drinking more than 8 glasses of water a day could be potentionally fatal and the reason that is is because you are messing up the electrolytes and sodium balance in your body. Some of the symptoms include dizziness, blurry vision (which I have) nausea, convulsions, and of particular interest to me are LEG CRAMPING AND SWELLING OF THE FEET AND ANKLES. Granted the story went on to say that this occured mostly in infants and athletes because they lose important nutrients through their sweat. But I am going to cut down on my water consumption. I had been drinking about 10 16.9 ounce bottles of Aquafina a day for several months and I was thinking that maybe I am oversaturated or waterlogged and got rid of too much postassium or sodium. According to what i read 125 oz is about the limit for safe water consumtion. Maybe that is part of my problem. I immediately downed ONE glass of orange juice for potassium and some chips for the sodium.

Sherri

Ouch Bev,
I hope it feels better and good luck with the supplements. Let us know how it works for you.

Sherri

Hey Cindy,
I just posted about water toxicity. I think it is entirely possible that this happened to me because I drank a lot of water in one day or over several hours. Isn't that funny. I should have read your post first. But I think you might have hit the nail on the head

Sherri

SHERRI,

THAT'S AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO GLAD YOU RESEARCHED IT, AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE THE SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM. I'VE SEEN MANY ADULTS WITH WATER TOXICITY, OR OVERHYDRATION, SO IT'S DEFINITELY NOT JUST IN INFANTS AND ATHLETES. AND IT MOST DEFINITELY CAN BE FATAL, BECAUSE IT CAN TOTALLY WASH OUT YOUR ELECTROLYTES OR CREATE AN ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCE; MOST SIGNIFICANTLY YOUR SODIUM AND POTASSIUM! AND THAT CAN LEAD TO A WHOLE MESS OF PROBLEMS; THE WORST OF WHICH INVOLVES YOUR HEART. BUT YOU REALLY WERE DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER. WOW!!!! THAT'S A LOTTA WATER TO DOWN IN A DAY'S TIME. NO WONDER YOUR POTASSIUM WAS SO BORDERLINE ON THOSE LAB RESULTS. I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND YOUR REASON FOR DRINKING THAT MUCH. BUT YOU GO GIRL WITH THE BANANA AND OJ. WAY TO GO FOR TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND TAKING CONTROL OF THINGS!!! REMEMBER THIS THOUGH, POTASSIUM CAN, IRONICALLY, PRODUCE THE SAME SYMPTOMS IF IT GETS TOO HIGH, SO DON'T OVER-DO IT WITH THE POTASSIUM EITHER. ANYWAY, I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU READ MY POST AND WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. THANKS FOR REPLYING TOO!!!! HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT NIGHT'S SLEEP!!! LET ME KNOW HOW THINGS WORK OUT FOR YOU. GOD BLESS YOU!!!

CINDY

Hi Cindy
Thanks for the encouragement and your kind words!! Who would have ever thought that you could die from too much water consumption??? Glad I found out before it was too late. I still think part of my problem is perimenopause. I am not going to rule that out because of my age (43). I am going to have maybe a bottle of water for dinner and drink other fluids as well. Wouldn't that be nice if some of my symptoms could go away if I drank less water??? I would be so happy!!! I still have the dizziness, blurry vision with unequal pupils, the head fullness, and some leg cramps but these problems don't go away overnight. I am glad I read your post about water toxicity not only being for babies and atheletes. You know you really did me a service by letting me know that and I thank you. Yes, I will also watch it with the orange juice. I guess it is true what they say: do things in moderation. God Bless you too Cindy and maybe in a week I will feel like my old self again. Talk with you later.

Sherri

Hi, I am new to this site but am having the same problem with my big toe getting charlie horses. Luckly for me I got the answer from my physio therapist yesterday. He told me it may be caused by several things. One for sure is that as we age our ligaments thicken from lack of exercising and stretching our muscles. He gave me a list of exercises to do for the stretches. I'll try these for a couple of months and let you know if it worked for me. Another reason is lack of calcium and the minerals needed to help the calcium work. The best thing to do is visit your local health food center and get the advise from a person experienced in this field.
PS, don't tuck your blankets in. This will agravate your already afflicted feet. My spasms began after my bout of joint inflammation that has made me pretty useless since April of this year. That is another painful story that I will continue in the aches and pains section of this site.
I am so grateful to have found this site. Like everyone else, I thought I was going to have to go thru life without any support but have found it on this site. I will see you in the aches and pains section, tell you my story and what I'm doing about it.