Severe Calf Cramps

I have been waking up to severe cramps in my calf. enough to make me speechless! and not able to move!

Is there anything I can rub into them to make them feel better?

Im going for a full body pregnancy massage tomorrow night.. but Im worried I wont enjoy it because when she goes to the legs.... im going to tighten up muscles because of the pain..

The pain continues after the cramp but not as bad.. and im having trouble walking and standing from sitting/laying down position.

DP has been massaging them just with normal moisturiser.. not helping at all!!

any suggestions?

I had these with my DD's. I used to stretch my toes back & forth to stop the pain. I don't know what else you could do.

I can't even put my own socks on!! I can't reach my ankles let alone my toes!!

My Dr suggested drinking a small bottle of tonic water with dinner each night as the quinine in it helps prevent cramps. I didn't like tonic water so drank Schweppes Bitter Lemon because it has quinine as well. It really elped :)

Hi Bianca (it's Lorelle from Ballarat) ;)

... OMG, I so remember those pains about the same stage of my pregnancy :doh: ... I was in Coles & the pains were so bad I said to DP I've gotta sit down like right this second & there was a ladder on wheels in the aisle ... a staff member wasn't about & I sat on a step on this ladder & before I knew it I was doing a wheely backwards down the aisle :cryinglaugh: I tell you what it freaked me out that much with shock that I forgot about the leg calf pains & cramps :D

Would love to say go find a ladder with wheels on it in Coles but you may go into labour sooner than expected :rolleyes:

So sorry no advice (I did try a cream for one night that DP purchased that very day only to read on the instructions 'not suitable for preg women', augh) ... I did keep my walking or rather woddling up :)

... Yeh, maybe just ring up your hospital & ask for a midwife for advice ... rather then waiting to go in for your next appt !!

All the very best matie, .. hope you find something really soon to relief the pain :hug:

An after thought !! ... I just thought maybe ring this number (even in evenings) maybe they can help
- they are called "Nurses on Call" (for all sorts of medical advice) 1300 60 60 24 (I rang them once last year for something & they were very helpful & friendly. I hope the number is still the same)

I've heard the tonic water thing too now that I think about it. I didn't know about it early enough to see if it worked though. I think I saw it on Whats Good For You or whatever that show was called.

I didn't use my hand to move my toes. I just naturally had to move them when I felt the pain & it gets rid of it. Hopefully the tonic water will prevent it all together for you if you try it though.

From what I remember, you need more magnesium in your diet to help reduce the cramps

Bananas are great!

Thank you all for all your suggestions!

I will try the tonic water idea!!

Also I haven't been able to eat bananas the whole pregnancy.. they make me ill. - DP is allergic to bananas... this is something ill have to talk to a midwife about also!!

Thank you all again!!

:hug: I used to get these too. so horrible.. Would cry ..

bananas are one thing I was suggested as sometimes the cramps can mean a lack of potassium.. As hard as it is get your parttner to grab your foot when a cramp hits and pull your toes towards your shin. it hurts like all buggery but the cramp passes quicker

I second what Nic said, DH used to straighten my leg and pull my toes forward and it helped. My grandfather used to say cramps were lack of salt in your diet.

Hey Bianca,

I get exactly the same thing... last night was horrible and I know what you mean about them still hurting when I wake up my calf still hurts like something is poking into it OUCH! Not fun at all.

When its cramping I just stretch my foot up towards me which seems to release the cramp. Lol no I don't use my hands, bending over my belly and reaching my foot is almost impossible (almost... though I CAN still put shoes on most days LOL!). If it happens while you're awake (or you don't mind waking DP up) then get your DP to stretch your leg for you. I found massage didn't help one bit, and actually made the morning after pain worse.

Yeah DP wakes up to me moaning haha and pushes my toes back up towards me.

But its not the actual cramps im worried about.

my legs even after 2 days (since the cramp) are still crampy and painful. If i bend my toes back and forth my calves hurt heaps and I can barely walk.

I think ill be going up the hospital today to see a midwife.

My BP was up yesterday. So I want a CTG anyway

Hi Bianca,

I got it really bad during my 1st pregnancy, my Dr said it was lack of calcium so to increase your dairy intake, I also took another calcium tablet in addition to my normal multi vits. She had also said to stretch out the calf muscle every night before bed. That worked for me, if I didn't stretch I got the cramps and I could barely walk for days too.

This pregnancy I have been drinking heaps of milk and taking Elevit and I have only had 1 severe cramp about a month or 2 ago.

I hope it stops for you I know how painful it is :hug:

banx,

Good news, there is a cream that you can use!!!

Its called Schuessler Tissue Salts Cream Muscle relaxant.

It has Mag Phosphate in it and it is absorbed into the cramping muscle and helps. Footy players use it in a game and i used it every time i had a cramp in my pg it works a treat.

Make sure that you are drinking enough water as cramping is very often related to being a bit dehydrated...

i put the cream in the lounge room so i had to get up and walk on the leg so i would stretch it out at the same time.
If you use the cream one or twice a week as a preventative i ffound that helped too. but upping my water was the best way to avoid them all together
HTH :)

I only had 2 cramps throughout my entire pregnancy. I put it down to living on tums (contain calcium) to ease my indigestion. I did end up with a calcified placenta but I was pretty much cramp free.

Sorry to hear you are having trouble Bianca.... I have heard you can also get magnesium suppliments from the chemist that can help - check at your appointment today and also at the chemist hun. :hug: Hope they get better soon.

Make sure you are getting enough water and calcium. I am also a big fan of the tonic water - I drank it last pregnancy to help combat my leg cramps. Magnesium supplements also help. Brazil nuts contain magnesium too so if you can't stomach bananas carry around an almond & brazil nut mix to snack on during the day (almonds for calcium and brazil for magnesium).

Hi - ouch - keep flexing your toes upwards, especially before you go to bed, that'll keep the calf muscle stretched. Also, what the other ladies suggest - take extra magnesium - pregnancy depletes our normal level, plus circulation to extremeties (legs/arms) is compromised during pregnancy, hence the cramping due to less blood flow in distal muscles. I would also highly recommend putting a cupful of epsom salts in your bath at night - fabulous for the muscles, not to mention relaxing :) htp

Lee

I had these too, even when i wasnt pregnant, sometimes it can be an indicator of not enough salt in your diet. Dont think it's anything to rush to the hospital for though. is painful though..

Hi I have had these too.... it seems to be mineral deficiencies caused by the bub leaching all the minerals out of your body! Naturopath simply recommended taking twice the dose of normal pregnancy supplements.... I have also been taking metamucil with calcium and eating lots of dairy :) hope some of this helps!

I have been getting these in my hip and tops of leg muscle nearly every night driving me mad and so uncomfortable I do get the calf leg cramp as well so im very careful not to stretch my legs out straight at all and if i do i bend them again and pull my toes towards my knees as to re leave a calf muscle cramp you stretch out your leg grab your toes and pull towards your knee to take the spasm out but how to prevent them is what i really want my hips are really sore some days and so stiff

I also find pushing my toes towards my knees is the only thing that helps to ease the cramps! Thankfully I don't suffer too often but I do believe massaging the calves helps considerably for that pain in the muscle that tends to linger long after the cramp is eased.