Follow
Share

My husband is 80. Recently he has been getting severe leg cramps especially at night. It keeps him up and is wearing him out. Is he lacking a mineral or vitamin? Also, his voice has become very weak. He doesn't understand why. He has had some heart issues and has 3 stents. Any insight would be helpful.

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing

53 Answers

Most
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First
1 2
Maybe he is potassium deficient. That will cause leg cramping. Try bananas.
Helpful Answer (15)
Report
Leg cramps are very painful, poor chap

Have you asked his doctor?
Helpful Answer (3)
Report
Magnesium supplements helped my Dad. I would check with his MD to see if there are any other issues.
Helpful Answer (12)
Report
Could be that he has poor circulation in his legs or potassium or magnesium deficit. If he is on a water pill, he may be dehydrated or have a low blood pressure.
Try hydration and maybe a small bottle of tonic water. Quinine (in tonic water) has been used to treat leg cramps years ago. Please discuss this with his doctor as well. 
Helpful Answer (13)
Report
Yes, I'd discuss it with his doctor. My mom gets them really bad. I have read that dehydration can cause it, but, I'd discuss it with his doctor before treating it, especially if he is a heart patient.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report
Is this restless legs syndrome? My hubby takes Gabapentin at bedtime. I take a teaspoon of cider vinegar (ugh) and within minutes my cramps are gone.
Helpful Answer (6)
Report
My mom takes vinegar too. I think it's the calcium and potassium in them.  I've always wondered if it really worked for others. 
Helpful Answer (4)
Report
I get painful leg cramps when I wake up. It helps me to keep an extra blanket over my lower legs. It keeps the muscles warmer and helps with the circulation.

My father had very painful leg cramps, even during the day. In his case it was peripheral vascular disease and would have to be handled by a doctor. If you husband has three stents already, it may be that he has some blockage in his leg. Minerals and heat may help some if there is blockage, but surgery is often the best option. If you think it is blockage, let his doctor know about the problem. I hope you can find something that helps.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report
I get leg cramps at bedtime sometimes. I take B vitamin, magnesium, and potassium. (In addition to bananas, kiwi fruit has high potassium, as do potatoes and avocados.) I also used to take over the counter leg cramp pills that have quinine in them (I hate the taste of tonic water!) But you have to be careful with taking quinine, some say that it can cause vision problems. Obviously, check with his doctor before starting supplements.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report
I have not often seen so many different ways of curing a problem at least temporarily than in the many answers relating to the question about nocturnal leg cramps...
So I'll just add one more, told me by a doctor in the 70s... yet few people know about it.
It is called NIACINAMIDE..... 250-500 MG per CRAMP... and you will then only have one cramp, once you get into the habit of eating Greens...dark greens... cooked or raw about a 1/2 cup cooked,
or about 1 cup raw PER DAY... high in MAGNESIUM .. !!!
When I stick to that I have no cramps... yet when I travel, my diet changes on long trips + even sitting in the car can cause cramping ... at which time I carry Niacinamide with me...and take 250mg for light cramping... 500mg Niacinamide tablet as fast as possible when a cramp starts.....
That does it for me for the rest of the trip.. or @ night....
But just to nip that possible aggravation in the B...., I take 250mg just before the next bedtime and so far have never woken with a cramp, when I do that.
It is very hard to be low on potassium , as most food , fruits, veggies have that in abundance...And eating too much potassium...?? well your heart may act up !!!
I don't know why Niacinamide is not suggested in sites like Cleveland clinic under the heading of "legcramps".... or "niacinamide"... Could be a legal aspect... but every friend or relative I have told about niacinamide, has had success from
it's use... and swears by it... just try a low dose the first time to see if you have any kind of effect from it.
Since it is a form of Vitamin B3 there is very low chance of any side effect, other than a bit of perspiration, which I have never felt... I have had the same bottle of 100 tablets of 500mg Niacinamide for 5 or so years, that I wonder if the potency is decreasing... but I keep it at bedside and in my pocketbook.........I wish you well !!!
Helpful Answer (2)
Report
Check with your doctor before adding Niacinamide. It can cause all sorts of other problems especially in people over sixty. I checked online and one cure written about is to place a bar of soap beneath the bottom bed sheet near the legs. Really? Whoda thunk it. But worth a try.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
Quote: "It is very hard to be low on potassium..."

That's not true. Ask anyone who has ever played sports or lived in a hot climate.
Low potassium can be caused by a variety of things besides sweating and exertion, though, including blood pressure medications, kidney disease, diuretics or meds that have excessive urination as a side effect, diarrhea, etc. Elderly people can easily be in one or more of those categories. Add that to the fact that many elderly people don't eat very much, or sometimes have poor diets, and it can definitely add up to low potassium.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report
Mom used to have severe problems with leg cramps and restless leg syndrome. Soon after I started giving her a banana every morning, the problem disappeared. Also, before I learned that statins and I do not agree on anything, I was having severe leg cramps and numbing. When I discontinued the statins both the cramps and the numbing disappeared. Since I don’t have high cholesterol in the first place, this was a sensible choice for me. Obviously, you’d want to report to the doctor before discontinuing anything. My cardiologist was very resistant to hearing that the statins were having such a horrible side effect, so I had to fire her. My GP and I have a great relationship, and when I described the symptoms to her, she totally supported the step and no cramps to speak of since. So if your Mom’s on statins, have that conversation as well. Their side effects can be pretty crippling.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
If it's a potassium issue, a glass of Lo-Sodium V8 juice is a good quick source of potassium.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
Hi I have osteoarthritis in my knees 62y old. Use this remedy every day on empty stomache. 2 apples ,1 med beetroot raw, slice of lemon, 4 carrots put in a juice extracter. Drink the juice every morning
After a few days cramps and pain disappear. Keep on drinking every day. Helps acid also and iron levels will feel much better..... All best Roda
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
Any marked change needs reporting to your husband's doctor. Do that before you tinker with anything else. Though meanwhile you could try socks at night time - clean ones, obviously, not the ones he's been wearing all day!!! :P
Helpful Answer (2)
Report
A tablespoon of mustard can also help. Think it's the turmeric in the mustard that does it. My husband keeps those little packets you get at fast food places in his desk for when it happens at work.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report
I asked that question at my Doctor's office some years ago and the head Nurse told me to get some Tonic Water. I did and when I have muscle cramps I drink a small bottle of Tonic Water and the cramps stop. It has quinine which does the job. I never drink any other kind of Soda.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report
Besides possible potassium deficiency, you may also want to see if there's any electrolyte in balance as well as dehydration, poor posture, lack of exercise including stretching. These are to start having leg cramps. I'm shocked this day and age how lazy people have become and you wonder why our bodies are breaking down and having issues. Even couch potatoes need at very least light stretching and exercise. Perhaps you might try doing with the Jackson's did and moving all the furniture out of one room and encouraging exercises and workouts. Replace the furniture with treadmills and other exercise equipment if necessary. Instead of a couch in front of the TV, replace all of the furniture with treadmills and other exercise equipment so people can exercise while watching TV. Another good idea is to get one of those exercise bikes where you have to pedal for an hour for electricity. I saw this invention online a while back and you pedal for an hour for a whole day of electricity, but you must do this daily. You can also hook it up to the computer or even the TV. If it was made just right you would have to pedal the whole time just to make the TV work or even the computer. At first I didn't know exactly what to think of the invention but in some household it may be absolutely necessary to improve household health. I've never had leg cramps, I must've done something right years ago between diet and exercise. It's a very good thing I like french fries, this is the best way to get me to eat my potatoes since this is how I fast like them. Of course all eat other versions of potatoes, but french fries are my favorite so I must've done something right. Years ago I wouldn't touch gatorade, I didn't think it was good for you and I didn't think I'd like it until years later I tried it for the first time. I was actually a maze and even found out from a friend how bad Gatorade used to taste but by time I found out how good it really tasted they'd already come a long way in the flavor. Sport drinks have electrolytes that your body needs. Drinking water alone is just not enough since it can flush out other nutrients including electrolytes. A friend of mine's mom was electrolyte deficient but I don't recall exactly what he said happened to her but I think he said something about her going crazy. I don't quite recall but something happened to her. Another friend was telling me that back in the old days the strongest athletes were actually dying despite drinking tons of water. This was before it was finally discovered that all of these athletes were lacking electrolytes. That's when sport drinks were invented. You can only wonder just how many people besides athletes actually died from electrolyte deficiency, and now you know why there's always a big 10 gallon thermos dispenser on the field
Helpful Answer (0)
Report
Check with his doctor. He could be deficient in potassium or perhaps it’s a side effect from a medication.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
I get leg cramps a lot .Magnesium helped me.Get a doctor to check his blood for a mineral deficiency.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
There are a lot of suggestions here for preventative measures. I'm going to offer something I discovered that helps when a cramp starts: when I feel a cramp starting, I immediate stretch my leg and try to point my heel away from me--that is, the heel is sticking out while the rest of the foot points more toward my head. This stretches the muscles under my leg, and by holding my foot this way for a minute or two the cramp is essentially avoided because the leg muscles are unable to contract. This works beautifully if I'm awake; if I'm asleep it might start to cramp before I'm awake but by doing this the worst of the cramp is usually avoided.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report
My husband also has the leg cramps. After a visit with our Dr. he suggested mixing a glass of half tonic water and half juice before bedtime. It has worked very well for him. He mixes it with orange juice. But please consult with the Doctor first.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
I’d be more concerned about the changes in his voice.
There’s a lot of intricate muscles & functions going on. I’d suggest he get an appt with an ENT.

Armchair MD for me is that he’s dehydrated and it’s affecting all his muscle groups..... his legs....his throat & neck muscles. I know for us (new orleans) it has been a very unrelenting hot & humid summer that extended until yesterday with temps in upper 80s and total humidity. Usually by now I don’t have to multiple water bottle to do stuff outside but not this fall. That being said try to get him to up his water intake, have a hefty gin & tonic with a whole lime every evening (you wouldn’t want scurvy lol!) & sleep with his legs cocked so his muscles are not stretched long. Keep notes to take to the ENT appt too. Best of luck and let us know what you find out.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
Potassium and magnesium deficiency and/or dehydration are common causes, heating pads and epsom salt baths help. I used to get tight, painful leg cramps pretty regularly. I think the biggest thing I changed is I started taking a magnesium supplement. I'm in my early 40s, so this wasn't age related deficiency, but perhaps was due to daily habits of exercise or something.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report
Quinine
Helpful Answer (0)
Report
Night cramps are awful! My immediate cure is to stand and press the arch of foot against something like a chair rung. As a kid quinine worked for me, but they stopped offering it due to its need in other countries for malaria.

Many things can cause cramps, as you can see above. For me at different times it was lack of calcium, potassium, cold feet, and restless legs. Let doctor know. Good luck.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
I use organic Bragg apple cider vinegar. I used 1 oz once a day. If it upsets stomach taking it alone try putting it in sweet tea. That makes it easier on your stomach.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report
Get some tonic water “with quinine”
. You don’t need to drink much. My husband was on quinine by prescription until it was taken off the market. His doctor then said to drink tonic water. I have restless leg syndrome and it helps me. When I wake with leg problems I take a couple swigs and that’s it. I just keep the bottle in the bathroom. It’s inexpensive and easy to acquire. If that doesn’t work then move on to more in-depth trials.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
I use organic Bragg apple cider vinegar. I used 1 oz once a day. If it upsets stomach taking it alone try putting it in sweet tea. That makes it easier on your stomach.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
1 2
This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.

Recent Questions


Popular Questions


Related Questions

Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter