Replies

1. 
   joeh | Feb 26, 2007 11:49pm | #1

   Tonic water contains quinine, that's the ingredient that will alleviate cramps.

   Potassium pills, it is what's in bananas that will also help.

   The thread wasn't about cramps, it was hijacked from something else like venting or cellulose or maybe TOFU?

   Joe H

1. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 27, 2007 12:18am | #2

   i like tonic water for fast relief

   for long term , i started buying combination juices that have banana juice in them

   here's some information about potassium

   <<<

   Potassium in nutrition and medicine

   Potassium is an essential mineral micronutrient in human nutrition; it is the major cation (positive ion) inside animal cells, and it is thus important in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. Potassium is also important in allowing muscle contraction and the sending of all nerve impulses in animals. See action potential for an explanation of the interplay of sodium and potassium in all excitable animal cells. Because of the interaction of the charge on a potassium ion and its surrounding water molecules, K+ ions are actually a little smaller than Na+ ions, and ion channels and pumps in cell membranes can easily distinguish between the two types of ions, actively pumping or passively allowing one of the two ions to pass, while blocking the other. A shortage of potassium in body fluids may cause a potentially fatal condition known as hypokalemia (see article for detail), typically resulting from diarrhea, increased diuresis and vomiting. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness, paralytic ileus, ECG abnormalities, decreased reflex response and (in severe cases) respiratory paralysis, alkalosis and arrhythmia. Eating a variety of foods that contain potassium is the best way to get an adequate amount. Healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet rarely need supplements. Foods with high sources of potassium include orange juice, potatoes, bananas, avocados, apricots, parsnips and turnips, although many other fruits, vegetables, and meats contain potassium. Research has indicated that diets high in potassium can reduce the risk of hypertension. The 2004 guidelines of the Institute of Medicine specify an RDA of 4,700 mg of potassium. However, it is thought that most Americans consume only half that amount per day ([2]). Similarly, in the European Union, particularly in Germany and Italy, insufficient potassium intake is widespread ([3]). Supplements of potassium in medicine are most widely used in conjunction with the most powerful classes of diuretics, which rid the body of sodium and water, but have the side effect of also causing potassium loss in urine. A variety of medical supplements are available. Some people with kidney disease are advised to avoid large quantities of dietary potassium. End stage renal failure patients undergoing therapy by renal dialysis must observe strict dietary limits on potassium intake, since the kidneys control potassium excretion, and buildup of blood concentrations of potassium may trigger fatal heart dysrhythmias.

    Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

1. 
   joeh | Feb 27, 2007 01:22am | #4

   Mike, TMI there, but it works.

   In the summer I go through a couple quarts of cheapo Walmart pink lemonade a day.

   Although it says nothing on the label, it's apparently got enough of whatever to keep me from the middle of the night leg cramp.

   Joe H

2. 
   Sasquatch | Feb 27, 2007 04:47pm | #16

   This is something that should be discussed with a doctor.  If you get too much potassium, it can cause weakness in the leg muscles.

   If you are on certain heart medications, too much potassium can cause additional problems.

   An extra banana or a beer after work might be ok, but anything more than that on a regular basis bears a deeper analysis.

    

1. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 27, 2007 06:07pm | #17

   SO....i'm screwed....

   i'm drinking one banana in the morning and two beers after work..

   well.. back to the Nordic Trak for me.....Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

1. 
   43Billh | Feb 27, 2007 06:51pm | #18

   back to the Nordic Trak for me.....

   Nordic Track = Good stuff!

2. 
   Piffin | Feb 27, 2007 12:54am | #3

   It was in the tavern. I gotta eat more bannanas 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   BenM | Feb 27, 2007 04:29pm | #15

   Here's a list.

3. 
   JTC1 | Feb 27, 2007 04:05pm | #14

   I confess, I hijacked Piffin's thread - "I need to eat more bananas".

   The "tonic water for cramps" trick was passed on to me from my Dad who claimed it was the only useful piece of information he ever learned from "Modern Maturity" (AARP's magazine).

   Jim

   Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.

    

   Edited 2/27/2007 8:13 am ET by JTC1

2. 
   DanH | Feb 27, 2007 01:23am | #5

   Yep, quinine and potassium.

   Also ask the doc to check your ferritin levels (a special form of iron) next time you see him. Low ferritin is sometimes associated with RLS and similar leg problems. A little dangerous to take iron supplements without the test first (iron overdose is nasty), but upping your intake of green leaf veggies is a safe step.

   So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
3. 
   nikkiwood | Feb 27, 2007 01:27am | #6

   A few years back, I was plagued with leg cramps -- always during the night when sleeping.

   I spoke to my doc and a couple of other medical types about it, and all seemed to agree it was mainly a hydration problem, but they all said a banana per day would help too (potassium).

   So I upped my intake of water, but that didn't seem to help much. I finally figured out it was because I couldn't consume enough to do the job.

   So I switched to Gatorade or Powerade, and that did the trick. The down side is these concoctions have a lot of carbs, which means many calories.

   Aside from bananas and drinking more water, you probably should speak with a doc before trying anything else. It's possible your cramps have nothing to do with yur level of hydration.

   ********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

4. 
   Brickie | Feb 27, 2007 02:46am | #7

   Come to think of it, it's been years since I've experienced muscle cramps and, yes it might be tonic water.  Could be the gin too.  Who wants to drink tonic without gin, anyway?

1. 
   barmil | Feb 27, 2007 05:45am | #11

   Brickie,

   I religiously drink tonic water in the summer to avoid a malaria relapse from my time in Vietnam, and I've never had leg cramps. To deal with its bitterness, I always add lime, and maybe a splash or two of gin. Then again, after the gin, maybe I forgot if I actually had malaria or leg cramps. I switch to Korbel in the winter -- a Wisconsin law -- and I still don't have leg cramps. But I also eat bananas -- at least I think I remember having done so. Today I have arm cramps, but that's from a two foot snowfall the last two days. I thought, "Where the blank do I put all this snow?" Now I can better appreciate the New York and Colorado troubles this year.

1. 
   Brickie | Feb 27, 2007 08:53am | #12

   Barmil, I hear ya.  I'm proud to say that I've never been beset by malaria either.  Here's to clean livin'!

   Edited 2/27/2007 12:54 am by Brickie

1. 
   43Billh | Feb 27, 2007 02:20pm | #13

   Thanks to every one, you guy's are the best!

   Normally I drink lots of water. it seams like the days I work harder than usual ( home projects ) and forget to drink during the day, is the night I get cramps. Still going to mention it at my next physical.

   Bill

5. 
   sledgehammer | Feb 27, 2007 04:25am | #8

   Leg cramps are no joking mater. A friend once collapsed on the job from leg cramps and got carted away to the hospital to have a 12 hour potasium IV to get him back to normal levels. Your body does a fine job of warning you there is a problem, you just have to recognize the signs.

1. 
   DanH | Feb 27, 2007 04:41am | #9

   Further, if you get significant leg cramps while doing fairly vigorous work, especially if you haven't been eating much, stop immediately and massage the legs until the cramps go away, then work slower until you're sure you're all right, especially avoiding squats. Leg cramps can be the warning sign of rhabdomyolysis -- the death of muscle due to overexertion -- and that can be both crippling and life-threatening.
   So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

6. 
   Danno | Feb 27, 2007 05:28am | #10

   Like Piffin said, it was a thread in the Tavern about eating more bananas. (Actually, lots of other things have lots mor potassium than bananas.) I asked a question about a year ago about cramps and got lots  and lots of replies--you may try to find that thread. I've found that Hyland's really works for me. I found that after I spend a day crawling around on my knees (pulling staples or screwing down underlayment, or any activity where I'm getting up from kneeling or squatting a lot) will give me cramps that night, if not immediately. I asked my orthopedist and told him I used Hylands and he asked me to repeat the name becaue he gets them too and didn't have a good cure!