The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Mustard
Posted by Stuman (Oceanside, Ca) on 12/29/2016
★★★★★
Mustard provided immediate relief for my night time finger cramp. 2 teaspoons of mustard at the time of the cramp has given me relief within 10 seconds of ingestion.
I am still looking for a preventative solution to my overnight, middle, finger cramp.
Mustard
Posted by Lily (Atascadero, California) on 12/27/2017
Reply to person with middle finger cramp... I had a severe cramp to my middle finger that caused me not to be able to move it...it was bent and I could not straighten it. A friend got me to try a parafin wax bath (In which) you coat your hand with hot wax) you cover your coated hand with plastic (a baggie will work) Immediatly after the treatment ..I was once again able to move the finger. I had the condition for approximately 2 years..and am happy to say that it has never returned even after 11 years. I now own one of those wax baths but haven't had to use it since the friend let me use hers!
Loosely Tied String
Posted by Deb Nelson (Aws) on 08/22/2016
★★★★★
For muscle cramps, I don't know why it works, my family ties 100% cotton string loosely around the ankle. We use string used to tie roasts in the meat market. Can be purchased at any kitchen store. This remedy has been used in our family for five generations or more. I keep my strings on at all times. We put them on children with growing pains, pregnant moms, and older friends.
Magnesium
Posted by Dave (Fountain Inn, Sc) on 07/29/2014
Greetings Ruth,
About your Hep C and hives and calf cramping...
My guess is that the hives goes back to the Hep C as the cause and not the use of magnesium. I've used Mag for decades with no hives issue. Never heard of one.
I suggest that the neuropathy that you also mention is related to the cramping. Peripheral Neuropathy is being caused by some underlying condition; often sugar issues or myelin sheath damage (MS styled problems). For that, I like to take 2Amino Ethyl Phosphoric Acid (AEP), also called "membrane integrity factor".
It comes in different forms but the most common is Calcium AEP: Read about it ...google "nutrition review calcium AEP"...this is super in dealing with the leg pain issue related to neuropathy.
So: Again my thinking is that the Hep C is causing the hives; that the Peripheral Neuropathy is caused by another underlying problem (could be liver) and the cramping might be helped by AEP.
By the way, have you checked out on this EC site all the posts of "Oscar" on Hep B and C? He uses BHT. You might want to go to EC's "ailments" and scroll to Hep B and Hep C; or to the "remedies" section and see the BHT section.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Stan (Las Vegas, Nv) on 10/18/2013
★★★★★
For muscle cramps, I use 2tbls apple cider vinegar (acv), 1/4 tsp baking soda, 2tbls aloe vera and 8 ounces of fresh pressed apple juice. it works every time for me.
Prunes
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee, Usa) on 07/27/2013
★★★★★
My husband was on a long drive under stressful driving conditions (dark, windy roads, towing a trailer, etc. ) He got a cramp in his hamstring and couldn't drive anymore. (My son was able to take a turn at the wheel. ) He would normally take blackstrap molasses for a cramp, but we didn't have any in the vehicle. We did have prunes, which are high in potassium. He ate 5 of them and his cramp went away! He did take blackstrap when he got home, before bed and woke up feeling fine! Don't eat too many prunes at once or you will end up with stomach cramps, though.
~Mama to Many~
Point Toes To Nose
Posted by Peter (Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff) on 04/29/2013
★★★★★
Instant leg cramp relief:
Point your toes to your nose as hard as you can, standing up or lying down all ways work.
Myself and my partner both sufferd with this for many years, total agony, I forget who told me this but it works every time instantly. I was swimming in the freazing cold sea once and got a leg cramp some way out, toes to nose and it went, if I had not known that then I don't think I'd be typing this now.
Oh, and no long lasting after pains :)
B12
Posted by Tls (Gainesville, Florida) on 01/16/2013
★★★★★
Muscle Cramps:
I have recently started taking b12 shots and suprisingly I have had cramps only a couple times, whereas I was getting them every night.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Timh (Louisville, Usa) on 01/17/2012 2043 posts
Asg01, please accept my addendum as the phrases "leg cramps" and "sleep deprivation" are flashing light alerts for Magnesium deficiency, as the body very sorely needs this as well as many other minerals. As for the Ginger, it is quite possibly not really a cure but a simply a relief as there are no known Ginger deficiencies in the human body. The Coca Cola fix is another sign of mineral deficiency as Cola is loaded with phosphorous, (but causes calcium deficiency).
A few mo ago I started a good Ionic Trace Minerals (72 known bioavailable mins) from the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and immediately (within hrs) felt profoundly better. There are tons of studies and ongoing on the importance of Minerals alone in human and animal health. In Livestock Agriculture, almost all animals in the developed world are supplemented with Minerals as a rule because intensive productivity depraves the soil and foods.
Acupressure
Posted by Bill (Calgary, Alberta, canada) on 12/19/2012
Another acupressure technique is to gently bite your lower lip.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Palaminolady (The Woodlands,texas) on 08/21/2013
You don't have to swallow it, rub it where the cramp is and it will go away. Also any kind of vinegar will work.
Calcium
Posted by Kathy (Ontario, CA) on 05/24/2009
★★★★★
I used to have leg cramps almost every night. So I would get up and just raid the fridge! I knew that I was missing something in my diet. So ultimately the thing that really helped was taking a calcium pill or 2 before bed and that always lets me sleep thru the night with no cramps! Also on the days that I didn't drink enough water my cramps would flare up. I would just but the chewy calcium....but it seems that any brand works!
Bar of Soap
Posted by Jennifer (Baskin, La) on 06/29/2011
★★★★★
I could not believe the bar of soap actually worked! I woke up last night with severe leg cramps and tried everything to get rid of them. I then saw the advice here and decided that using the soap wouldn't hurt.. I just put the soap in the bed and went back to sleep. No more cramps!
Pickle Juice
Posted by T W (Jackson, USA) on 09/08/2008
★★★★★
My combination may be of help to sore throat sufferers as well as people having leg cramps. I have always liked dill pickle juice and, as chance would have it, I was suffering from leg cramps when I took 5 gulps of juice. Lo and behold, my cramps went away. I now make my own dill pickles that uses cayenne pepper in the recipe. I am currently working on a concoction that includes elderberrys, garlic, honey, cayenne, vinegar, as my base. Any input would be appreciated.
Dill pickle recipe:
3 cups water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup pickling salt
1 clove garlic
1 or 2 cayenne peppers
1 tsp. dry dill
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Epsom Salt
Posted by Glitzy Feather (PA) on 06/19/2021
No tub here, ...just a shower. Does anyone know if it would help for these nighttime foot/leg cramps if I were to just soak my feet in a tub of epsom salt in the evening? Would that also help to stop the cramps? Thanks in advance for any info. I have to say how much I absolutely LOVE earth clinic. It has saved me in many instances! I TRULY APPRECIATE EARTH CLINIC AND ALL THOSE THAT SHARE THEIR CURES!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sandy (Oakland, CA) on 07/02/2007
★★★★★
I used to get serious leg cramps and tried vinegar from a recommended home remedy. One to 2 onces of apple cider vinegar brought relief from almost any cramp within a minute or so. A happy side effect was the complete elimination of heartburn. I had an ulcer as a teenager and very serious heartburn as an adult. I used to take wads of antacids, but haven't touched one in over ten years. As an avid bike commuter I became aware of the requirement to drink plenty of water at least 24 hours before riding. This keeps my cramping to a minimum. The total combination of adequate daily water and periodic vinegar (apple cider vinegar is the tastiest and gentlist) and consistent aerobic, sweat exercise has eliminated the above two maladies and when combined with adequate sleep, has eliminated fatigue.
After 15 years of personal experimentation I have become convinced that a regimen of organic, pesticide-free food, adequate water, sleep and daily exercise is the key to be a default state of human health.
Magnesium
Posted by Phyllis (Rockhampton, Australia) on 05/14/2007
★★★★★
I have been dealing with the pain of cramps for a lot of years now, however as I am getting older & the pain is now so painfully excruciating I am going to make sure I get a cure for this problem, NOW. I bought a bottle of "BIO magnesium" last night & out of three nights cramps I didn't get any cramping even though I can still feel the cramp lying in waiting, & I had 12 hours sleep, WOW, I feel like I need mores sleep now because I have been so badly deprived of sleep from the extremeties of the pain. I also bought ?Mersyndol" which the chemist herself said would help me get some sleep, in which it did. I will post my latest knowledge back here again soon!..
Candied Ginger Slices
Posted by Hugo (E Freetown, MA) on 02/27/2006
★★★★★
I WAS ON A DIET SO I MADE LITE CANDIED GINGER SLICES TO SUPRESS APPETITE. I WAS ALSO SUFFERING FROM SEVERE SCIATICA AND BACK SPASMS. AFTER A WEEK BOTH DISAPPEARED. IT WAS BY ACCIDENT THAT I DISCOVERED THE TOTAL RELIEF OF LOWER BACK PROBLEMS. I AM 64 YRS OLD. I HAVE DISCONTINUED GINGER AND MY BACK HAS BEEN PAIN FREE.
Buffered Salt
Posted by Sue (Delray Beach, Fl) on 04/03/2011
★★★★★
My husband was told that when he gets the cramp, to just take a little salt - I put some sea salt in a dish next to the bed - when he gets a cramp, he takes a piece of salt, and is still amazed that the cramp disappears immediately. And he doesn't have to take anything daily because it works!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by David (Chicago, IL)
★★★★★
I saw somewhere that apple cider vinegar cures Fibromyalgia. I don't definitely have it, but was diagnosed with it based on symptoms years ago. I've had muscle spasms varying in severity for 24 years. I just started to come out a 1 1/2 year bout with it. Drank vinegar and have been completely pain free for a week. It's asinine this isn't common knowledge. It feels kind of like an metabolism enhancer too. I'm down to 1 tablespoon twice a day. And I repeat I'm completely pain free. I don't know what was wrong with me, thought it was just something I had to live with. Somebody tell a doctor!
Eliminate All Fructose
Posted by RB (Somewhere in Europe) on 12/27/2023 85 posts
★★★★★
Re: Muscle Cramps -- Solution: Eliminate All Fructose
After eating a ton of fruits, I started having muscle cramps that were so intense that I could not sleep, and could not walk. But all of my muscle cramps disappeared 4 or 5 days after I cut my fructose intake to zero. FYI, there is fructose in all fruits, fruit juices, honey, tomatoes, ketchup and soft drinks.
Magnesium
Posted by Art (California) on 12/17/2022 2338 posts
ACV, Ginger, Garlic
Posted by Julie (Seattle) on 11/06/2022
★★★★★
ACV, Ginger, Garlic
3/5 of The Five. I have suffered from debilitating charley-horse type of leg cramps (calves and thighs) that wake me up at night screaming in pain. I have CHF and T2D and it's surely related to one or both of those. I was at my mother's and she gave me StopsLegCramps. Less than a minute and they're gone. I've started taking it at night. Turns out it's 3/5 of The Five for heart problems -- ACV, organic garlic, organic ginger. Miracle as far as I'm concerned.
I'm wondering if adding lime juice and honey to it would work just as well as making The Five myself. It's sometimes difficult to come by the right ingredients to make it, and frankly, I've been too lazy to do it myself, though I know I need to.
B6
Posted by Michele (Clearwater, Florida) on 08/26/2024
Have you tired topical Magnesium get? It will get rid of ANY foot/calve cramp within 5 minutes. I keep some on my night stand.....
Salt
Posted by Clare W. (Banbury ) on 02/17/2021
★★★★★
I had cramping in my calf. Not excruciating, but constant and uncomfortable, for four days. Tried the organic cider vinegar with the mother but it didn't work. I took a teaspoon of Sole (a drink made with pink HImalayan salt and water) which is something I always have. The cramp subsided and left a small residual ache. I only feel it slightly if I put my legs up.
Bill Thompson's Protocol
Posted by Tessa (BC) on 06/01/2024
Thank you, Bill, for the saturated magnesium chloride solution for muscle cramps. As you said, the key is the saturation.
I used a glass Mason jar and filled it up half way with magnesium chloride flakes (I used Ancient Minerals last time, but I've used other brands - no difference).
I added distilled water close to the top and waited for the flakes to dissolve. If they all dissolved, I add more flakes until the bottom of the jar has a layer that remain due to saturation.
Then I pour some of the dissolved liquid into empty glass roll-on deodorant bottles (old Nivea or Ombra roll-on bottles).
Whenever I get a cramp (usually because I've eaten too much sugar), I use the roll-on over the cramp and rub it in the painful area. A short time later, the pain is gone.
I leave these deodorant bottles everywhere in the apartment since magnesium helps with headaches, sore joints and muscles, sleep problems, etc. I even use it as a deodorant but I need to really rub it in or it can sting (don't use right after shaving).
For small burns or irritated skin, I use the magnesium roll-on, then apply a light layer of aloe vera gel and gently pat that in.
Makes a huge difference! Thanks again.
Hope all is well with you and yours.
Cheers, Tessa
Magnesium, Tonic Water
Posted by Jane (Canada) on 10/02/2020
Take a potassium supplement. Had same issue and bananas and magnesium didn't help but potassium tablets did. People think muscle cramps are magnesium related, and they can be, but they can also be from severe potassium deficiency.
