cramp

[tradey]

my 17yr old daughter has for the last few months been getting bad pains in her legs and arms she had it last night been up with her rubbing them most of the night,it cant be growing pains can it surely not,im hoping to get her in the docs monday shes been putting it off but now i think she needs to go cant go on like this nearly every night.anyone else suffer like this thanks x

[keithlbw]

My wife suffers from night cramps , her friend suggested she drinks a glass of tonic water a day .It has made a great difference.
Something to do with the quinine in tonic water apparently.
Hope this helps.

[WendyS]

I also suffer a lot of cramp at night and it's also been suggested to me that this condition is made worse because I am dehydrated and don't drink enough water, which I suspect is true. So check that your daughter's fluid intake (especially water) is at a good level and see if this makes any difference.

[Ethel]

My cramps are always caused by drinking too much alcohol.

[surferchik]

Cramps are primarily caused by lack of water and sodium in the body. Hence consider increasing water intake and (slightly) salt intake to help relive them. Also, good ol' Wikipedia mentions Nocturnal Leg Cramps:

Nocturnal leg cramps are involuntary muscle contractions that occur in the calves, soles of the feet or other muscles in the body during the night or (less commonly) while resting. The duration of nocturnal leg cramps is highly variable with cramps sometimes only lasting a few seconds and other times several minutes. Soreness in the muscles may remain for some time after the cramp ends. These cramps are more common in older populations but may happen to anyone. They can happen quite frequently in teenagers, in some cases while exercising at night, these can be very painful especially if dehydrated.

The precise cause of these cramps is unclear. Potential contributing factors are believed to include low levels of certain minerals (magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium), dehydration and prolonged sitting. Less common causes include more serious conditions or use of drugs.

Hope these ideas help, cause i know how painful it can be! Of course check it out with the doctor, but don't expect too much, as they have very little to go on, seeing as the cramps occur at night only, and hence it is hard to determine what causes them..

[tradey]

thankyou to you all i know i can rely on you.i will make sure she has a glass of tonic water a day,fingers crossed it works,i felt so sorry for her last night she didnt get much sleep but still went work,thankyou surferchik that helps me alot.