If you have leg cramps at nighttime, while trying to sleep, keep a salt shaker on your nightstand. Once your leg cramp sets in, pour some salt into the palm of your hand and lick it. Your leg cramps should subside soon.
By Terri
A friend read somewhere about a bar of soap keeping leg cramps away. Just put the bar of soap (NOT Dial and NOT Dove) between your bottom fitted sheet and the mattress, and leave it there. I didn't really believe it, but my husband insisted I try it anyway. He put a bar of Yardley's English Lavender soap in our bed, and I have not had a
single leg cramp (Charley Horse) since. I had them every single night of my life, but none for over a
month now. It's wonderful. I wish I understood the chemical reason for this working. It must be some kind of chemical which prevents the cramps.
I'm telling everyone I know about our experience, and I hope that they all have the same results. Leg cramps can be one of the most painful things and once they start, it's very difficult to relax which you must do in order for them to quit entirely.
Julia in Orlando, FL (03/28/2005)
I have awful leg cramps, but also have high blood pressure. Therefore, I am supposed to have LITTLE
salt. Don't know which is worse.
My husband has used the bar soap suggestion when he has a leg cramp and it works for him. He just puts it right under his knee on the leg that is cramping - this may not be clear. Also it has to be wrapped in a cloth. He keeps this in his bedside table.
I'm checking with my doctor to see if mine is caused by one of the medications I use. Thanks for all the suggestions. (03/28/2005)
By Billie
Leg cramps can be a sign that your body is low on potassium, so eat potatoes or bananas are also good too. Also, if you drink a lot of milk each day that can also cause them so try cutting down on the amount of milk you drink. (03/28/2005)
By tiffany
The body needs a proper BALANCE of potassium and sodium (salt). So, if you eat too much potassium; ie: bananas, potatoes, even milk, and not enough sodium in the body, it could cause the cramps, too. But please check with your doctors, not good to begin using extra salt or potassium without advise. How long does it take for the soap to ease the cramp, could it just be mind over matter type of thing? Thankfully I don't often suffer night leg cramps, but would love to know how/why this works. (03/28/2005)
By kidsNclutter
I drink Tonic Water, with quinine and it helps a lot. I use the diet kind. (03/28/2005)
By Ginny
This sounds very strange,but in the Fresno Bee Newspaper some time ago a Doctor wrote;"If you have leg cramps, put a bar of soap in your bed. Not anything like Dove or Oil of Olay but plain soap." It works for me. (03/29/2005)
Salt works because it means you're not getting enough in your diet. Just add a little more at night before you go to bed. If your legs are twitching just as you start to fall asleep too, this is another sign of a deficiency. Prevention is better than pain! (05/03/2005)
By Cathy
I have tried everything. I had my blood work done, I took natural pills, prescriptions, drank 'nasty' tonic water, stretched my legs, I have done it all. The soap WORKS!! If you try it and still have cramps, add another bar of soap. I have 2 bars of Safeguard in their own sock. They are pinned to my mattress pad out of my way, I don't even sleep under the covers some nights. I don't care why it works I am just thankful that it does. Tell everyone you know. (07/31/2005)
By Donna Williams
My brother-in-law insisted that I try putting soap in my bed for the terrible leg cramps and foot and toe cramps I get all night and day. After four days they have totally disappeared. His mother won't try it and neither will his wife so I hope they will after my experience. (04/30/2007)
By Carmen
I don't understand the thing about soap. How do you use it. What do you do with the soap when you have a leg cramp. I have leg cramps and they are very painful. I am losing sleep because of them and I am very sore the day after any help I can get will be appreciated. Thank you (10/23/2007)
By Isabell
My husband suffers from occasional leg cramps, but nightly RLS. He twitches constantly, so much so that it moves the entire bed and I can't sleep. Without telling him, I placed a small bar of soap between the sheets near the bottom of the bed on his side. It has been three nights of stillness, with hardly any restless leg syndrome. I hate to even tell him about it, as he would not believe it. But that seems to disprove the psychological effect, as he does not even know that the soap is there. (01/04/2008)
By Annette
I have no clue why - but the bar of soap thing works. I tried one night out of total desperation. I constantly get the toe/foot cramps at night. I've tried the quinine water (doesn't always work for me)I wear socks to bed at night and I have a small hotel size bar of soap in each of of them. Sounds totally weird but it has worked for the past three weeks. The only other thing that works (but it takes about 15-20 minutes to kick in) is to take an Advil. I would love to know how it works - anybody have an answer for that one. (04/15/2008)
By Randi
I have been using the soap in the bed for more than a year, and it works 100%, I started with Ivory Soap, but have switched to Irish Spring as the smell is better. The soap would fall out of the bed sometimes, and a cramp would come, so I now place the plain soap in a plastic bag (poly bag) and pin it to the sheet with a safety pin. Works like a charm. You do not need to buy any of the advertised remedies, and one cake of soap will last indefinitely. Sometimes I get a cramp while driving, and for this I take a quarter of a quinine tablet. Stops the pain almost immediately. Been using the quinine for more than 35 years. Just get a few tablets and divide each tablet into four parts (12/11/2008)
By Richard
Bananas (01/30/2009)
By Allen
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Pickle juice helps me, I have an extensive history of DVT blood clots poor circulation ect. I drink pickle juice and the pain dissipates.
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