I have had lots of problems with fairly severe lower leg cramp since going on this wol. Have always had a bit of a tendency to this anyway and LC has made it a lot worse.
Well, I have tried everything, I take 3 cal-mag supplements a day, use hot water bottles, use potassium salt, changed my seating posture on the advise of a physio. Nothing helped.
But a few days after cutting out eggs the cramps were not so bad and a fortnight later they're almost gone completely for the first time since starting Atkins.
Anyone else ever noticed anything like this? Anyone else with bad cramp want to try and report back? It could just be coincidence but I'd really like to know.
Zan

Just last night I got what I call "Charlie Horses" the dull achy cramps in both my legs and really made it hard to sleep. I'd had eggs Sat. and Sun. for breakfast.
I also take Calcium supplements but my brother in law (who also LCs) says to try potassium supplements which makes sense - my Mom used to say eat a banana for a leg cramp.

I don't know what in the eggs might be causing it but I think I'll try a potassium supplement.

cc

I wonder if there is any connection? I get severe lower leg cramps. I mean, they wake me up in the middle of the night, and they are so bad that I often vomit with the pain! The only thing that helps at that point is heat to try to work out the spasms - so we throw towels in the tub and pour hot water on the towels and then wrap my legs in the towels. The muscles are like rock, and I cannot even get in the tub because they are so cramped up that I cannot walk. It can take 30 minutes before the muscles start to loosen up. This is not a fun experience.
I thought it was because I started taking calcium supplements as I am now post menopausal. A doctor friend advised me to take magnesium to counteract the cramps, so I now take cal-mag supplements. I don't normally eat eggs in the morning, so I doubt that there is a connection here for me - I usually just have a LC shake in the morning as it is so quick.
I notice that I am more likely to have the cramps if I do not get out and walk during the day (it has happened after long flights on planes, and days where I am stuck to my computer) My own doctor recommended baths before bed time, and stretching before going to bed. The leg stretches do help, and if I get cramps now they are the type that I can stretch out without the type of response I used to get.
I can remember as a young girl in my teens having occasional leg cramps in bed at night, so I am obviouusly very prone to this.
I would be interested if anyone else has experienced anything like this, and whether there are any other possible solutions - I will try the magnesium supplement to see if it helps
I just think the LCWOL is a coincidence
Cheers
Pat

I suffered from charley horses at nighttime, too. The only thing that has helped me is potassium. I take 300 mg (or mcg, don't know which size) a day. When I stop, the cramps come back. The cal/mag didn't do a thing for me. I take that combo anyway due to the lack of dairy in my diet.

I don't know of a connection between eating and eggs and cramping. I go in spurts eating eggs, right now I'm off them.

The cure for night-time leg cramps? Give this a try.

MSM is known among some marathon runners to be the cure for leg cramps and spasms. I was already taking 1000 mg MSM with my breakfast vitamins but still getting night-time leg cramps. So I began taking another 1000 mg at bed time and was cured the very first night. The instructions on the bottle say two capsules 1-2 times a day with meals. Therefore, this could be increased to as many as four capsules per day.

Give it a try and please give feedback.

Kent

I was getting nightime charlie horses so I started taking cal-mag supplements (1 in the morning and 2 at night). It took about 4 weeks for the cramps to go away, but they finally did and they haven't come back.

;-Deb

Thanks for the remedies.

I will try both the potassium and the MSM. My husband has run 2 marathons (including the Boston) but never gets any cramps in his legs. I have been taking the cal-mag for months now, and although they are not as bad as they used to be, I still get the cramps.

I will let you know if these work for me.

Cheers
Pat

Hi, this is interesting. Eggs are high in arachidonic acid, which some folk are sensitive to. The protein power book explains what the main symptoms are, I can't remember at the moment, I listed them in my journal somewhere. I know chronic fatigue was one, Wonder whether leg cramps could be one of them too. I've stopped eggs for a week or so, to see if I improve without them.
Has anyone else stopped eggs and found anything improves?

Protein Power list the symptoms for sensitivity to arachidonic acid (page 350 in my printing) but does not make any connection between arachidonic acid and leg cramps or spasms. Arachidonic acid is also found in all meat, especially red meat and organ meats as well as egg yolk.

I developed leg cramps while avoiding excessive fats which should have been lower in arachidonic acid. I was also taking cal/mag supplements for several years and still developed the cramps. Therefore, I cannot see the connection between them and leg cramps.

However, upon taking extra MSM the night-time leg cramps disappeared immediately and have not returned. That is not scientific proof either, but I believe that arachidonic acid and cal/mag are barking up the wrong tree.

Kent

I remember when I was around the ages of 11-14 I would wake up in the middle of the night in such pain because my calf muscle was spazzing. I guess that is what you call a 'charlie horse'? I haven't felt that pain for year....Until the other night...& again last night. I don't want to feel that anymore..All I have to do it take extra potassium everyday? What exactly is MSM? I was looking it up and all it said was that it was for Joints.

Zan, I hope your pain goes aways soon.

Thank you

Candice

MSM (methyl sulfonyl methane) is a naturally occurring sulfur compound found in small amounts in fruits, vegetables and grains. Sulfur is part of the chemical structure of many amino acids found in the proteins of meat. Sulfur is the forgot mineral and many vitamin and mineral references fail to even list sulfur. Yet, it is one of the most common minerals in the body.

Sulfur requires potassium, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and biotin in order to be assimilated into the body according to the book, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, page 8, which also say:



The Vitamin Shoppe catalog says this about MSM Sulfur:



Dr. Atkins recommends MSM to treat inflammation instead of anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. Large doses are required to be effective, some 10 grams (10,000 mg) a day or more, but MSM is extremely safe and very few if any side iffects would be expected at that dose or even more. The recommended dose listed by Vitamin Shoppe seems to be on the light side compared to other references. See his book, Age-Defying Diet Revolution, page 36.

I was taking 1000 mg MSM tablet per day with all the other required vitamins and minerals listed about but still developed night-time leg cramps. These were eliminated by taking another tablet before bedtime, but I have now increase this amount to four tablets per day as suggested on the bottle as a result of this discussion.

Kent

a couple of nights ago, taking one, 1000mg cap before bed. Doesn't seem to be making any difference yet but will take it for a month and see. Supplementwatch.com didn't have much good to say about it but did say it couldn't hurt.
Cramps were getting better anyway since stopped eating eggs. However, they have come back the last two nights. The only things I have done differently are going on a peanut butter binge, and eaten cheese again for the first time in months. Don't know what the heck is going on but this morning had stomach cramp as well just after eating cheese for breakfast so I'll lay off that again.
And no more peanut butter either - once I start I eat the whole jar. Hey, I've had years of practice at binge eating. Now I only binge on lc foods, at least that's something.
Zan

I went out yesterday to buy the MSM & potassium supplements, based on the discussion here regarding leg cramps. I got the MSM without problem, and started it last night. The pharmacist said that potassium should NOT be taken without a doctor's prescription - that it can be quite dangerous - it can stimulate the heart and cause irregular heart beats. He said to eat bananas (not) or raisins (maybe a few) to get the potassium in naturel form.
My husband (a doctor) said that is very sound advice.
Wanted to let you know so you can make an informed decision.

Will let you know if the MSM helps.

Pat

It must depend on the brand - I think you just have to use your judgement. The potassium suppliment that I have is 50 mg per dose. In comparison, a banana has about 450 mg and a medium potato has 750.

Hi PatHawk,

You said,



One tablet of MSM may not be enough as discussed in my previous post above. My bottle recommends 4,000 mg per day, or four tablets.

Your doctor is correct about the dangers of potassium supplements even though others have stated otherwise on this site. The limit by law is 100 mg of potassium except in the time release types that allow more. However, potassium is available in your local supermarket in the form of Morton's Salt Substitute which is potassium chloride. There is a warning on the label and so caution is in order. I use Morton's Salt Substitute along with regular salt, sodium chloride, in equal amounts to keep one's minerals in balance. Don't overdue it. Just use enough to enhance the flavors.

Bananas and raisins are a POOR choice as a food source for potassium because of the high glycemic value of the carbohydrates. These are not suitable for those on the LC lifestyle. Unfortunately, doctors recommend bananas to patients who have heart disease, high blood pressure and are on diuretic medication. They do this because diuretics deplete the already low body potassium level. This very bad advice and clearly shows the ignorance medical schools have in the area of nutrition and the health problems associated with eating carbohydrates.

Tomatoes are a great LC source for potassium. I eat 1 or 2 medium size tomatoes each day. They have 270 mg potassium each but only 6 mg of carbohydrates of which 1 mg is fiber. They are also a good source of vitamin C with only one tomato supplying 40% of the recommended daily allowance, RDA. This is a good food for LCing because meats have no vitamin C.

Kent