How can I Relieve a Charley Horse?

This will sound really weird but I have a friend who is a nurse and swears that drinking dill pickle juice will stop a charley horse almost immediately. It has to be dill pickle juice, not bread and butter or gherkin pickle juice, and you have to drink it at the time you are having the cramp.

The problem for me is that, thank the Lord, the charley horses in my calves do not occur nightly so I cannot keep dill pickle juice on the nightstand every night just in case. And, my charley horses are so severe that I cannot sit up to drink much less stand and walk. I've never had such intense cramps that last so long -- 15 minutes. And the pain is so severe that I have to yell! I'm not sure what else

I push my heel out to stretch the muscle that is in spasms, which does work on less intense cramps, but not the ones I've been having recently.

So if anyone knows what to do for the spasms that are rock hard, and have a life of their own -- please let me know.

Drinking tonic water (which contains a small amount of quinine) before going to bed, as well as during a cramp, is somewhat helpful. I also keep Tums (calcium) handy and chew two during a charley horse. Potassium, magnesium and regular calcium pills have helped me very little. The pain is literally excruciating, so I hope to hear others' ideas, too.

I'm 14 and I get charley horses very often. The pain normally lasts for a couple of minutes then I can fall back to sleep, but my leg continues to be sore for a couple of days. I am a dancer, so that may be a cause.

I am 33 weeks pregnant and was getting nightly debilitating leg and foot cramps for weeks! I also had pain in my legs every day after the cramps. I was told to take slow-release caltrate and to increase potassium in my diet. Within two days my leg cramps were completely gone! I hope this helps other people!

I seem to get Charley horses in my abdomen. I have three kids and my last was born by C-section. Ever since then I have suffered from these horrible cramps. They are unbearable to the point where all I can do is try to relax and stretch it out but then it goes around to my lower back. Has anyone else had these stomach charley horses?

Take two Calcium Citrate+D from Wal-mart a day and they should stop. I've not had but one or two with this 38 week pregnancy! I wish I had known that with my other three! I finally found an OB who knows what he's talking about!

Force yourself to stand on the cramping leg the instant you first feel a cramp. Walk on it vigorously, no matter how much that hurts at first. After a few steps putting real weight on the cramping leg, the pain releases. The longer you wait to put weight on the leg and walk on it, the harder it is to relieve the cramp.

I was always told (also by doctors) that one reason for charley horses is the consumption of too many liquids and not enough exercise to sweat those liquids out. The muscles build up with water. That's why you need the potassium, to help push the water out of the your muscles.

I'm not sure of this helps at all or is even remotely correct but this is what I have done all my life and when I get a charley horse, I hold my foot in the position where my toes are pointed towards my head. Then when the pain subsides, I reach for a banana and orange juice, since both are filled with ample potassium.

anon 18742, are you pregnant? Maybe you should look up the symptoms of sciatica. that's what I have and it sounds like what you're describing. It's very common and feels like a cramp, but its actually a pinched nerve in your back and there is no relief for it, even trying to lay down, or sit, no relief. you just feel shooting pains and cramping and like you may fall down. Look it up.

I get cramps on a daily basis. it is the most horrid pain next to natural childbirth one could have, I think.

It starts at the side of my calf and then proceeds down my shin to lock up my toes, my foot and my ankle in the most odd positions. Other than relaxers, the only thing that works for severe issues for me is scalding hot soak with Epsom salt or (not recommended) cutting off circulation above where is has started. I feel for all you all who go through this!

I've suffered sporadically for years with these in the middle of the night. If you can manage, and your bed is close to a wall, place your foot flat on the wall - the spasm in your leg stops immediately.

The product is called Hyland's leg cramps with quinine. I was told it works wonders quickly.

My grandmother buys a natural remedy pill specifically for charlie horses. She swears by these. You put one under your tongue and it dissolves really quickly. She said her cramps are gone as soon as it dissolves. Ill have to find out what the name on the bottle is. You cannot buy it in united states. She buys it from a catalog that's in canada. It's not an illegal drug. I'll try to find out the name and repost with the ingredients

I get charlie horses in my calves at least once a month or more. I have the pain for three to five days after. I have tried exercise, quinine, stretching, water, bar of soap in bed (old wives tale), warm compresses, cold, etc. I still can't find a cure after almost 20 years. I lose a lot of sleep from these and would love a cure. I get them in both calves and my toes.

I get charlie horses about once a month it seems and last night I had a huge glass of milk and still got a charlie horse. The pain was so intense that I couldn't move for almost ten minutes. I tried relaxing my muscles and massaging, but it only made the pain worsen.

I hope this is only a charley horse. the pain starts in one leg from my calf up to my thigh then to my abdomen and down the other thigh and leg. Had i been walking i would have fallen. the pain was so intense i began to start sweating really bad. I could not stand, sit, or lie down comfortably for maybe about 15 minutes. I thought i was having some type of attack. It stopped but my thighs and calf still hurt. Has anyone ever experienced this? if so what did you do?

I get terrible charley horses or cramps in the back of my right thigh..it runs from inside my thigh where my leg attaches and runs across the back towards the outside. These are mainly during the night..but occasionally any time of the day.

I have taken potassium and magnesium but get no relief. I also get cramps in my calves of my legs. I have gotten a cramp a few times in my left thigh too.

What I do is get up and shake my leg (sorta like Elvis) trying to make the muscle relax. It does help although it might take several minutes.