did the stretching last night and was up 3 times with excruciating pain in the legs... going to give up the stretching and stay with the tonic water and muscle relaxant... ( 1/2 pill)

did the stretching last night and was up 3 times with excruciating pain in the legs... going to give up the stretching and stay with the tonic water and muscle relaxant... ( 1/2 pill)

did the stretching last night and was up 3 times with excruciating pain in the legs... going to give up the stretching and stay with the tonic water and muscle relaxant... ( 1/2 pill)

did the stretching last night and was up 3 times with excruciating pain in the legs... going to give up the stretching and stay with the tonic water and muscle relaxant... ( 1/2 pill)

did the stretching last night and was up 3 times with excruciating pain in the legs... going to give up the stretching and stay with the tonic water and muscle relaxant... ( 1/2 pill)

Glad to find this post! My feet are having the charlie horse muscle spasms. I can be standing, sitting, or lying down or asleep and the spasms will start. Leaves your entire leg sore the next day and you always have the feeling one is going to start at any minute! Kind of like the feeling of having to sneeze but you can't?

ncgranny - pickle juice is also EXCELLENT for a sore throat. The salt and vinegar help to calm a very, very sore throat. I just sip a spoon full or so. Either that or just use a hamburger dill pickle slice instead of a throat or cough drop. I will definitely be friends with my pickle jar if it helps with leg cramps too!!!!

Iron is the best thing that helps. The other thing is exercise. I had this badly for years, just before and after RA. It went away about 7 years ago, the same time I started riding my bike.

So since I broke my elbow and can't ride my bike, getting it again. So now I am walking (more like hobbling) and it does help. I think with RA flared, we don't exercise, and the blood vessels close down.

Calcium, magnesium and potassium didn't do anything for RLS, but they do help charley horses. I get those, too, if I am not careful. Sucks to be us!

Wow! Thanks again everyone! I'm taking Magnesium now but have decided to skip on the pickle juice. I have a weak stomach and well, the thought of that just...they are somewhat better than they were. I hate the thought of anyone else going through these but it feels nice to know that I'm not alone! Thanks :)

The magnesium really seems to help. I can tell even with 100mg (200mg cut in half) that it helps my shoulders and back muscles. Got me wondering if my hurt neck (trapezius muscle on the side of neck) and shoulders is really RA or just too much computer work.

I wish I could take more magnesium but it hurts my stomach in the morning. Which is better? Stomach ache or hurt neck -all day.

Going to try to add magnesium in every other day and try to build up to 200 mg.

Be sure and use Chelated Magnessium and take at night, easier on stomach.

Good luck with leg cramps. It really helped my muscle and my Rheumatologist after I asked him (why did he not suggest that himself) said he recommended it to his fibromalgia patients.

Thanks for posting this - just when I needed it! Started getting a lot of spasms, worse at night, but happening all day/night. Then the cramps started, first in my feet now also in my legs. Tried zanaflex (helps a little) and bananas. The spasms are very distracting, the cramps are downright horrible!! Going to try some other suggestions in here, thanks!!

OMG...posted 9 times and only hit add once....sooooo sorry..

Cassie that is DS at its finest! But no where near a record. You could keep trying, though!

Just wanted to add that my mom swears by aspirin for her leg cramps. I know that for those of us with RA, aspirin may be a no-no, but if your doctor okays it, it might work.

My cramps are better..only waking up once a night instead of all night long. I'm still taking the Magnesium but I swear it's from the RA meds. Oh well! Thanks everyone!!