[SweatyBanana]

Hi.. I just want to start off with a little background information..

My name is Matt, I am 17, I am 157 LBS, and I am 5'11".

I used to drink way to much pop (like 3-4 cans a day), and now I quit drinking it all together to see if it would solve my problem. I only drink water now and I drink a lot of it. This did not solve my problem.


Now for the problem; I wake up, almost ever night, in excruciating pain. I have to bite my mattress so I won't scream in pain. I remember how much it hurt when I broke my femur in half, and this comes pretty close. I get a huge cramp in my calve that takes approx 5 minutes to stop hurting so bad that I can actually move again. It is not in only one leg, but happens in only one leg at a time. My legs aren't weak (I thought this may have been the problem due to a surgery I had, but since it happens in both legs, I don't think it is) and I do need to work my upper body out a little bit.

I have tried jogging, lifting, etc, but nothing has solved my problem yet.


I was just wondering if anybody had an opinion on this or had any experience with it.

[Klandathu]

Sounds like you have a blood flow problem.
Get your sugar level checked. You might be diabetic. I say this because it affects peoples extremities.
Also soda is bad and switching to water does not help nearly enough. You also have to cut down on all total sugar all together but that is something your doctor is better at explaining.

It's best to go have a full exam and not trust what people have to say here as a remedy.
I am only just giving my opinion and should not be taken as an explanation as to what you have.

I say these things because I am a diabetic and my left leg bothers me every now and then because of the disease

[Cynicalkitty]

Sounds like a charlie horse is what you have.
Extremely painful.

It's not really known what causes them. But there are a lot of suggestions.

I remember I went on a trip to Thailand and when I got back I had those types of cramps for 3 days in a row while I was sleeping. I think its due to the fact that I didn't stretch my legs when I was on the plane,
24 hour flight and no stretching I guess is a bad idea.

The best way of making them go away once they happen is to try to walk to stretch out the muscle, it seems impossible to walk on it but it helps.

Also here are some links.

http://www.ecureme.com/emyhealth/data/Leg_Cramps.asp

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/24161

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_horse

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...5042839AAecRiQ

Hope it helps =).

[SweatyBanana]

I am also thinking vitamin deficiency.

[slmclarengt]

Originally Posted by SweatyBanana I am also thinking vitamin deficiency.

That is definitely a possibility, but another possible cause is you are pulling your muscles during the night possibly out of anxiety. I know I used to be able to pull my muscles on demand and eventually it stopped hurting because I got used to it, but when I talk to my mom next who is a doctor, I'll see what she knows about it for you.

Slmclarengt

[guy]

Originally Posted by SweatyBanana I am also thinking vitamin deficiency.

I get these too. I also get constricted blood flow in my forearms when I wrestle. I asked the trainer about the calf cramps and the forearm blood flow, and he said that potassium could help. I talked to another friend who got these a lot and he says that it only helps some people, and he takes multi vitamins every day. So I guess you could try multi-vitamins but I only get calf cramps during sports seasons.

[Zenith77]

My mom is a massage therapist and her boyfriend is a physical therapist. I'll ask both of them what to do and see what they say. But right now you can do the following:

• Stretch! If you every have anything cramp up like that, stretch it. Because it will also help with the next problem.
• IIRC, there is some sort of syndrome caused by sitting to much, and causes blood clots. Stretching will definitely help this.
• Too much lactic acid build up? Stretch again.
• If it is because you have too much sugar (I don't know how this would cause your problem), it will take a good while for your muscles to stop cramping. You should try to stay away from too much sugar anyways (especially high fructose corn syrup), as high consumption causes your endocrine glands to wear out (causing diabetes). The stuff just isn't good for you.

I'd recommend to visit your family/regular doctor first to see what is going on. He'll probably then refer you to a physical therapist or other doctor depending on the problem.

@guy: I don't think sports is what is causing him to get cramps to the point where he has to bight the bed to avoid screaming.

[SweatyBanana]

Originally Posted by Zenith77 @guy: I don't think sports is what is causing him to get cramps to the point where he has to bight the bed to avoid screaming.

That would sound so bad out of context.

[XxAvalanchexX]

Originally Posted by SweatyBanana I wake up, almost ever night, in excruciating pain. I have to bite my mattress so I won't scream in pain.

Sadly, the internet cannot solve all of your problems. This is one of those times that you should actually go to the doctor. If it's been happening for at least a week and hasn't gone away or at least improved, you definitely need to make an appointment.

[TheNewt]

Uhm, how about you call up your doctor set up the soonest appointment you can. Head over there for the appointment and have it checked out. Sound good? I think so, it is probably the easiest, fastest, and most efficient way to have it solved.