Nocturnal Leg Cramps

Nocturnal leg cramps are common in aging adults as well as competitive athletes and can be a source of a great deal of pain. It is estimated that one third of adults over the age of 60, and half of the adults over 80 suffer from nighttime muscle cramps with 40% reporting pain several times per week.

If you have ever suffered from a “Charlie Horse,” you have an idea of the instantaneous and severity of the pain. What causes these leg and lower extremity cramps, and how can they be treated or possibly prevented? According to Harvard University, here are a few causes of nocturnal muscle cramps:

1. Dehydration
2. Sitting for long periods of time
3. Standing on hard surfaces for long periods of time
4. Some neurological disorders/diseases
5. Nerve damage
6. Anemia
7. Flat feet or high arches
8. Lack of essential vitamins

In reviewing the list above there should be no surprise that so many older adults suffer from nocturnal leg cramps. Dehydration and a sedentary lifestyle have long been an issue with the aging population, with the severest cases being hospitalized from lack of fluids and or muscles that have atrophied.

While there is no magic pill that can be prescribed for this nighttime painful nuisance, there are some simple things you can do to alleviate or minimize the pain.

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Do not sit in one place or position for extending periods of time.
3. Wear supportive shoes if standing or working on hard surface floors.
4. Wear orthotics if you have flat feet or high arches.
5. Take a complex B vitamin with at least 30 mg of B6.
6. If you are anemic, take an iron supplement, and eat plenty of iron rich foods.
7. Stretch before going to bed, and when waking in the morning.
8. Apply ice or heat if necessary.
9. Walk immediately to work the spasm out of your leg or foot.

Also, drink two to four ounces of tonic water before bed.

1. Tonic Water contains Quinine, a medication used to treat malaria and once prescribed to treat muscle cramps.
2. Quinine has been banned by the FDA for use in treating leg cramps with a normal dose of 200 to 300 mg per tablet. However, the FDA has NOT banned its use in Tonic Water.
3. A liter of Tonic Water contains a mere 83 mgs, even three eight ounce glasses a day would be safe to consume.
4. A summertime bonus is that Quinine also helps repel mosquitos.

I personally heard from a family member that their doctor suggested drinking Tonic Water before bed each night, and recently suggested it to my sister. She called me the next day in awe, that for the first time in over a week she slept through the night with no nocturnal night cramps, crediting the Tonic Water. This encouraged me to write this blog sharing this important information with others.