OUCH! Foot cramps!

[ticklish]

Hi, can anyone help me? I have been getting some painful foot cramps - you know the ones where you bend your foot and then it really hurts to unbend it.

Am I lacking in something? If so, what?

Thanks for your help.

TICKLISH

[*LovemyKids*]

I think that it is common in pregnancy if there is a solution i need it i am starting to get them in my legs OOOUUUCCHH in the morning when i first wake up. I had them with the boys as well.

Nikki

[{sarah}]

I've started to get them as well & they are just horrible.

When I was pregnant with Zander my Dr recommended having a little bottle of tonic water each night with dinner to help prevent them. There is quinine in the tonic water & for some reason it helps. I couldn't stand the taste of it even mixing with something else, so hunted for something else, I found Schweppes Bitter Lemon in the little bottles has quinine as well & they taste waaaay better. So maybe try having one of them with dinner each night & see how you go.

[Jayney]

Liquid Calcium helps also. Good luck

[ticklish]

Thanks for your replies ladies.

Qunine - really?

Funnily enough I drank a bottle of Schweppes bitter lemon the other day and I read the label saying that it contained quinine - I panicked a little and thought - geez, I wonder if this is really something I should be drinking while UTD because of the fact that they warn you that it contains Quinine. I guess I can rest easy now because I took the risk that it was okay and drank the stuff anyway. Better get some more.

Jayney - is liquid calcium something you get at a health food shop? I have never heard of it.

It is entirely possible that I am a bit low on calcium. Most calcium supplements I have looked at have too much vitamin D in them or simply are too low in calcium and magnesium to be of much benefit ie the Swisse Pregcel one where it costs a lot to get not a lot.

TICKLISH

[Mel09]

They reckon bananas help too... not too sure if its true!

Just to let you know.... I hear ya on the ouch factor... my leg and foot cramps are getting worse and worse... ahhh the joys huh!

[dusty]

poor circulation - try lying with you feet slightly elevated above your heart for a few minutes at a time.
try stretching out your calves and feet a few times a day.
low salt levels - even slight dehydration causes cramps too.
i have suffered foot cramps all my life and the only way i get relief is to stretch it out (even though it hurts). i tend to get them in bed at night so it means getting up and stretching it out.

i hope you get some relief ticklish.

[Jayney]

We find the liquid calcium at the drug store but that is in Canada. I was thinking about the "too much Vitamin D". Not a problem for us. My skin hasn't seen any sun in weeks. Winter being what it is here.

[ticklish]

Happy to report that I have no more foot cramps. I have been more diligent in keeping up the fluids and seems to be working.

Thanks for all your advice Dusty.

Jayney - no shortage of sunshine here. We have been sweltering - temps in the high 30Cs and low 40Cs. Cooler today - thank goodness!!!

Vitamin D is apparently toxic in doses not much higher than the RDI and as it is fat soluable, it needs to be taken with caution. It also destroys folate. A lot of calcium tablets I have looked at contain the RDI in one tablet and require at least 3 per day to get a decent dose of calcium, so I am trying to up my dose of calcium containing foods.