Guest guest Posted August 5, 2006 Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 Hi folks: I had a severe and unusual case of cramp last evening. It was unusual because it occurred in the FRONT of both my lower legs simultaneously, in the muscle that is responsible for pulling the toes in the direction of the knees. The muscles were contracted and locked and would not release, almost not matter what position I assumed ...... standing, sitting, lying on back, side or front. After about fifteen minutes I found that sitting on the floor with my knees up and massaging the entire lower leg slowly relieved the symptoms. Anyway, my reason for posting about this is that a Google search (using the terms " cramp dehydration " ) revealed that one of the major sources of cramp, top of the list of causes at one website, is dehydration. What I found most interesting was the following suggestion as an alternative for using table salt with the water they drink for hydration purposes when electrolytes are being lost: " Also, those with muscle cramps may want to take a banana with their water. Potassium loss, often due to taking diuretics, can also cause muscle cramps. Potassium is also important for muscle contraction. " Source: http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education3/14-water- hydration-cramping.htm http://snipurl.com/ug0u Just a suggestion. Rodney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 5, 2006 Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 Rodney wrote: > > > Hi folks: > > I had a severe and unusual case of cramp last evening. It was > unusual because it occurred in the FRONT of both my lower legs > simultaneously, in the muscle that is responsible for pulling the > toes in the direction of the knees. The muscles were contracted and > locked and would not release, almost not matter what position I > assumed ...... standing, sitting, lying on back, side or front. > > After about fifteen minutes I found that sitting on the floor with my > knees up and massaging the entire lower leg slowly relieved the > symptoms. > > Anyway, my reason for posting about this is that a Google search > (using the terms " cramp dehydration " ) revealed that one of the major > sources of cramp, top of the list of causes at one website, is > dehydration. What I found most interesting was the following > suggestion as an alternative for using table salt with the water they > drink for hydration purposes when electrolytes are being lost: > > " Also, those with muscle cramps may want to take a banana with their > water. Potassium loss, often due to taking diuretics, can also cause > muscle cramps. Potassium is also important for muscle contraction. " > > Source: http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education3/14-water- > <http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education3/14-water-> > hydration-cramping.htm > > http://snipurl.com/ug0u <http://snipurl.com/ug0u> > > Just a suggestion. > > Rodney. > =========== I have posted on this subject before but perhaps on another list so I will repeat a brief version. I too used to suffer from night time cramping. I finally correlated this to low sodium. I sweat a lot from summer jogging, and consume rather low sodium in my home prepared cooking. I experimented a little with " Ringer's " solution, the formal name for replacement electrolyte (mostly sodium) but found I could completely eliminate night time cramping by drinking a few grams of table salt mixed into pure water (as needed). I try to monitor that my sweat tastes salty for evidence I have adequate/excess salt in my body. If you are consuming processed foods you probably get adequate sodium but if preparing 100% of what you eat, it is possible over time to drift into a low sodium state after you body uses up what it had stored. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 5, 2006 Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 OTOH if you eat almost anything that comes in a can (such as salmon or tuna) you are probably getting plenty of sodium. Although has posted that Wal-Mart sells unsalted salmon, many of us don't live near a Wal-Mart and depend on the supermarket to buy our canned (Wild Alaskan) salmon or other canned fish. I rinse my canned salmon now (thanks for that tip JW), but I'm sure there's plenty of sodium left even after rinsing. on 8/5/2006 10:25 AM, at crjohnr@... wrote: If you are consuming processed foods you probably get adequate sodium but if preparing 100% of what you eat, it is possible over time to drift into a low sodium state after you body uses up what it had stored. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 5, 2006 Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 Actually, I don't find that "wild" Alaskan salmon all that bad, BUT, IMO, it's not the "salmon" I grew to hate. I think it's a different fish and they call it salmon, because it jumps or something. I eat very little fish - the possums love it. About all I can eat is 2-3 oz when I open it. Meats have a smell I prefer not now. The sodium, I need more with veggies - not talking serum - that never changes. The body will suck the sodium out of feces if not enough so it makes no difference what one might prefer or the HTN doc says. If you can't defecate - you die. That's the realism. I never had cramps even at low levels of intake like 1.5 gms, but my wife does with probably 3 gms, so it's an individual thing. She has normal BP. I think lack of sodium might show more in osteo - just a guess because a lot of sodium is stored in bones. And that might "reflect" into muscle cramps. It maybe the tyramines in canned fish I don't like. Tyramine is a code word for migraine. Regards. Re: [ ] Cramp and Electrolytes OTOH if you eat almost anything that comes in a can (such as salmon or tuna) you are probably getting plenty of sodium. Although has posted that Wal-Mart sells unsalted salmon, many of us don't live near a Wal-Mart and depend on the supermarket to buy our canned (Wild Alaskan) salmon or other canned fish.I rinse my canned salmon now (thanks for that tip JW), but I'm sure there's plenty of sodium left even after rinsing.on 8/5/2006 10:25 AM, at crjohnrbellsouth (DOT) net wrote: If you are consuming processed foods you probably get adequate sodium but if preparing 100% of what you eat, it is possible over time to drift into a low sodium state after you body uses up what it had stored. JR .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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