The Damn I'm Old Thread - Putting Up With Being a Geezer

[Vic2012]

^ It might be a side effect of the Statin med I take for cholesterol, or just dehydration. Ever since I started hydrating before beddy bye the foot cramps are a lot less. Jeezuz, listen to us yammers on about foot cramps.......

[markwoll]

So I have a recent weird thing going on. In the middle of the night I am sometimes waking up with severe cramps in my feet. It never happens during the day or anytime when I am conscious, but I will wake up with my toes all bent and severe pain in my feet. The only way I can get rid of it is to get up and walk around. It is really strange and annoying. Anyone else have anything like this and if so is there anything you can do about it?

Yep. It hasn't happened for a while ( jinx ).
Walking to flatten the feet was the solution. Sometimes my ankle would cramp.
Sometimes I could sort of head it off by consciously relaxing my feet. It seemed like there was a bit of 'feedback'. I would detect the cramp coming and think about it which would make it worse.

[Garyhead]

With these foot cramps....are they more prevalent in the Winter than in the Summer? Just wonder if its dehydration. Folk tend to forget to keep the water consumption up in the winter when it isn't hot. How about self-checking to see if you are consuming 64oz water (8 - 8oz glasses) a day. Start early so your not hoovering before bedtime.

Now days I only seem to get them (cramps) after a night of excessive alcohol consumption. I DO drink the 64oz minimum per day....more line 96oz tho.....

[Vic2012]

Cannibis is good for cramps.......

[SteveSly]

Wow. I thought I was the only one. It started for me about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Didn't happen every night but did occur 3-4 times a week. One thing I learned in a physiology course is that the minerals essential to proper muscle function are calcium, magnesium, & potassium. That's why certain athletes (cyclists, long distance runners, etc) eat bananas, even while competing: they're rich in magnesium & potassium. Potassium is also key to prevent cramps. I can't eat bananas because they have too much sugar and I'm diabetic so I took a multivitamin for a couple days and the problem went away. But if you don't have diabetes, eating a banana before bed is also a good way to get a good night's sleep because they are a good source of tryptophan which the body converts to serotonin and melatonin, the hormones that relax the mind and help you sleep.

I have also heard of a relation between cramps and certain minerals. I do take a vitamin most days, although sometimes I forget it. I eat bananas on occasion, but can't say they are a regular part of my diet.

[SteveSly]

^ It might be a side effect of the Statin med I take for cholesterol, or just dehydration. Ever since I started hydrating before beddy bye the foot cramps are a lot less. Jeezuz, listen to us yammers on about foot cramps.......

I do take Lipitor, but have been taking it for many years, and never had this issue before.

[SteveSly]

With these foot cramps....are they more prevalent in the Winter than in the Summer? Just wonder if its dehydration. Folk tend to forget to keep the water consumption up in the winter when it isn't hot. How about self-checking to see if you are consuming 64oz water (8 - 8oz glasses) a day. Start early so your not hoovering before bedtime.

Now days I only seem to get them (cramps) after a night of excessive alcohol consumption. I DO drink the 64oz minimum per day....more line 96oz tho.....

They have just cropped up this winter. It could be related to water intake. Had not really thought about that.

[Vic2012]

I do take Lipitor, but have been taking it for many years, and never had this issue before.

I take the generic version. Same med. Same side effect. You need to hydrate and exercise.

I just got a leg cramp from sitting in the same position on a bar stool. Truth......

[moecurlythanu]

I just got a leg cramp from sitting in the same position on a bar stool. Truth......

Well, that certainly beats getting cramps in bed.

[SteveSly]

I take the generic version. Same med. Same side effect. You need to hydrate and exercise.

I just got a leg cramp from sitting in the same position on a bar stool. Truth......

I take the brand name because I work for the company that makes it so get it for free. I have never had any problems with cramps before until this feet thing just recently, so not sure that it is related for me, but you never know I guess. I exercise all the time, but may not be hydrating enough.

[moecurlythanu]

I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV, but what if your wife gives you a foot massage before bed? Can't hurt.

[Yodelgoat]

my wife would rather wet nurse a wild hog than ever touch my feet

[Vic2012]

Has anyone seen those commercials for a product called Theraworx, for muscle cramping? I wonder if that stuff works.

[Hal...]

With these foot cramps....are they more prevalent in the Winter than in the Summer?

It would for me but it was related to my feet being cold rather than water consumption. But I've always had problems keeping my hands & feet warm in winter.

How about self-checking to see if you are consuming 64oz water (8 - 8oz glasses) a day.

I've never drunk that much water in a day, other than summer, and I've never had any major problems. Probably because we get a lot of water from our food, especially fruits & vegetables, which are mostly water. In fact, I saw an interview with a doctor a few years ago who said "they've" reduced that 64oz water/day requirement because of how much water is in food and other beverages.

I eat bananas on occasion, but can't say they are a regular part of my diet.

It's worth a shot.

[progmatist]

As for my aching feet, Dr. Scholl's arch support inserts have worked wonders.

[spellbound]

I rarely get foot cramps, but I have often been afflicted with leg cramps, either in bed or after having sat in the same position for a while or after exercise. Their frequency seems to have decreased since I started taking daily multivitamins again. So that might help. Bananas rarely help. More water rarely helps. Eating mustard can ease muscle cramps, but does not prevent them. Some say drinking pickle juice has the same effect, but I like mustard more than I like brine.

I don't notice them more in summer or winter. In winter, I can't feel my feet, due to cold temperatures and my aversion to wearing shoes.

Has anyone seen those commercials for a product called Theraworx, for muscle cramping? I wonder if that stuff works.

Don't think I've seen that one, but I seldom watch commercials and never listen to them. I do occasionally watch a muted commercial and try to guess what it is for. My impression almost never coincides with what they are selling. If they want to sell stuff to people with mute buttons, they need to do a better job of communicating visually. What I see is either the opposite of the intent, or just funny as hell.

[Vic2012]

^ I drank pickle juice and it made my blood pressure go through the roof.

[spellbound]

If you just want to raise your BP, choose alcohol. It's more fun than brine. Won't help with muscle cramps, tough.

[Jerjo]

Don't think I've seen that one, but I seldom watch commercials and never listen to them. I do occasionally watch a muted commercial and try to guess what it is for. My impression almost never coincides with what they are selling. If they want to sell stuff to people with mute buttons, they need to do a better job of communicating visually. What I see is either the opposite of the intent, or just funny as hell.

You're a geezer! You need to set up the subtitles on your TV! Though not all ads have subtitles.

[spellbound]

Guilty. But I do have closed captions on all the time, because what we think we hear isn't always what was said. Eh? My wife is continually amazed at my ability to stop seeing the TV during muted commercials.

[SteveSly]

I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV, but what if your wife gives you a foot massage before bed? Can't hurt.

Like Yodelgoat my wife does not do feet. I also work 2nd shift (she works first) so during the week she is long asleep before I even get home from work. Even on weekends I almost always stay up later than her.

[Duncan Glenday]

I rarely get foot cramps, but I have often been afflicted with leg cramps, either in bed or after having sat in the same position for a while or after exercise. Their frequency seems to have decreased since I started taking daily multivitamins again. So that might help. Bananas rarely help. More water rarely helps. Eating mustard can ease muscle cramps, but does not prevent them. Some say drinking pickle juice has the same effect, but I like mustard more than I like brine.

I don't notice them more in summer or winter. In winter, I can't feel my feet, due to cold temperatures and my aversion to wearing shoes.

Don't think I've seen that one, but I seldom watch commercials and never listen to them. I do occasionally watch a muted commercial and try to guess what it is for. My impression almost never coincides with what they are selling. If they want to sell stuff to people with mute buttons, they need to do a better job of communicating visually. What I see is either the opposite of the intent, or just funny as hell.

Trust me on this : Pickle juice as the "miracle cure" for cramps is pure B.S.

I say this as an endurance athlete (well, I try anyway ) who also owns and organizes one of the nation's premier and most challenging endurance events.

Guilty. But I do have closed captions on all the time, because what we think we hear isn't always what was said. Eh? My wife is continually amazed at my ability to stop seeing the TV during muted commercials.

Two rules in my house:

1). We ONLY watch stuff that's been recorded on the DVR, so that we can skip the commercials

2). On the rare occasions we wind up watching live TV, the mute button is hit the instant the commercials come on.

[progmatist]

^ I drank pickle juice and it made my blood pressure go through the roof.

Pickle "brine" is loaded with salt. It's no wonder your BP spiked.

[Vic2012]

I thought my head was going to explode.

[Lou]

I thought my head was going to explode.

I hope you weren't watching a Fins game at the time!