Hand Cramping and Spasms

[NY65912]

Yes, I know I'm an old fart at 70 but in the last few years every time I do wrenching, painting or manual labor inevitably my hands start to cramp painfully. I'll also get feet, legs and spasms just about every muscle that's stressed. All my blood work looks fine but this is really getting to be a PITA. I came off of my statin for a while to see if that made a difference but no dice. I take magnesium and eat well. It's starting to really be a problem when working on projects.

I'm thinking of making an appointment with a rheumatologist to see if they will have an answer.

Anyone else having this problem or have a solution?

[masraum]

From what I understand, cramping is often fixed by getting more magnesium. There may be other causes too. I'm not a Dr and haven't stayed in a HI Express or otherwise in years.

[oldE]

Hydrate. For me if I am doing songs with lots of bar chords or playing the 12 string, I might suddenly get a debilitating cramp in my left hand. Sometimes it is a struggle to find a chord form which can allow the show (these days, volunteering at the seniors' facility) to go on.

[NY65912]

I take plenty of magnesium but I am guilty of not hydrating enough.

[wdfifteen]

I was told adding electrolytes can help. I tried that and didn't see any improvement. Vicki and I have both been experiencing it lately.

[rfuerst911sc]

Maybe as a cheap experiment buy Gatorade and drink that for a few days . Then start working like you normally would and hydrate with Gatorade as you are working . See if that makes any difference . Not pushing Gatorade any sport drinks with electrolytes will do . Can't hurt to try . Good luck and hope you get better .

[JackDidley]

^^^^^^^+1 for Gatorade. It helps me.

[Bugsinrugs]

I spent last summer replacing my southern exposed deck. I drank fluids constantly. Mostly water. Found that my cramping in my legs diminished but I also had to get up to pee three to four times a night.

[porsche tech]

Pickle juice.

[jyl]

Bananas? For the potassium.

[john70t]

For Mg there are a few different types. Some are more absorbable. I take the citrate.
Vit D3 is also needed supposedly.

[p911dad]

My neighbor swears by pickle juice, vinegar or a teaspoon of yellow mustard for muscle cramps, something about the acetic acid in each. Temporary relief only unfortunately. It works for my leg cramps, that I know and it doesn't work for everybody.

[KFC911]

LOL ... the last time I woke up in the middle of the night with a BAD leg cramp... I managed to get to the fridge ... 'cause I remembered PPOT ....

Didn't work for me

[greglepore]

Originally Posted by NY65912

I take plenty of magnesium but I am guilty of not hydrating enough.

Me too, and that's it. I get hand and foot cramps easily, and don't hydrate nearly enough. Water almost always fixes it. If its hot and I'm sweating a lot, sometimes a little sodium/potassium, but potassium is something to be careful with.

[NY65912]

Been staying away from the potassium. I had potassium infusion one while in hospital for Crohn's and the nurse scared the crap out of me, saying if you feel burning going up the arm and to the chest to call her for fear of getting too much and endanger the heart.

I take a 2000 iu D3, a 1000mcg B12 and 2- Magnesium Glycinate 100.mg every day.

I have a big stock of Gatorade and will drink more.

Going to try pickle juice too.

Cheers,
Mike

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by porsche tech

Pickle juice.

There is something to be positively about pickle juice, but it boils down to the essential minerals. If you have cramps review your diet. Silly as it sounds, spinach seems to be the wonder food for me. You get amounts of iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium, along with trace minerals like manganese and copper.

Here's some more AI generated stuff:
Raw spinach: provides more folate and Vitamin C.
Cooked spinach: (steamed or lightly sautéed) can make iron, calcium, and certain carotenoids more absorbable by reducing oxalates, which inhibit mineral absorption

I actually didn't know about the cooked aspect. I eat spinach in salads a few times a week. Now and then I toss it with spaghetti and parmesan. I guess I'll eat more lightly cooked.

[Evans, Marv]

I've mentioned this before. My wife had cramping, pain, & stiffness in both of her hands and got steroid shots for it. She tried taking a 1500 mg. supplement capsule of turmeric daily. It has seemed to eliminate her problem - can't say how or why. That was over a year ago. She still takes the turmeric and hasn't had a reccurance. Not saying it works for everybody, but an easy try.

[Cajundaddy]

Hydration and be certain you are not vitamin/mineral deficient. Most standard blood tests do not account for Vitamin C, Vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, etc. Ask for a more broad spectrum test and see what gives.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by john70t

For Mg there are a few different types. Some are more absorbable. I take the citrate.
Vit D3 is also needed supposedly.

I was just watching this video from Youtube University:

https://youtu.be/V-SVLLYmmlQ?si=logipk29aGne0MQK

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Here's some more AI generated stuff:
Raw spinach: provides more folate and Vitamin C.
Cooked spinach: (steamed or lightly sautéed) can make iron, calcium, and certain carotenoids more absorbable by reducing oxalates, which inhibit mineral absorption

I'm a bit confused but guessing oxalates are different from oxidizers.

I've read multivitamins should not contain iron, which is difficult and slow to digest. i.e. spinach broccoli etc.

Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant supposedly.
Water based and mostly safe. Repeated max overuse can cause kidney stones long term.
Acids such as pickle/olive juice might help dissolve these as a wag.

Spinach with iron is an oxidizer.
The four hemoglobin attached to each oxygen cell for pickup.
There are inexpensive blood oxygen testers which clamp on a finger.