Leg cramps when fasting 2-3 days?

This topic contains 6 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by veganman 5 years, 10 months ago.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

Keen-wa

2:30 pm
4 Jun 14
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Hi all, I’ve been using 5:2 for nine months and getting on well with it bar one problem – severe leg cramps at night. There seems to be a consistent pattern of cramps (painful shin, calf and upper foot cramps) if I do back-to-back fasting over 2 – 3 days. I’m trying out zero-caffeine on fast days and plenty of potassium rich foods – but want to isolate the cause so that I can keep back-to-back fasting as an option? Any similar experiences . Any words of advice ? Thanks.

Amy C.

2:34 pm
4 Jun 14
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You are probably low on salt.

I drink some chicken bouillon each day to stave off the cramps.

Keen-wa

2:40 pm
4 Jun 14
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Thanks Amy; will add this to my on-going experimentation…

Stef.

2:54 pm
4 Jun 14
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Drink a tonic water shortly before you go to bed, the one you would put into a gin and tonic, without the gin though. This really helps!
Stef.

Keen-wa

3:17 pm
4 Jun 14
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Thanks Stef; never heard of this one before. Will try it out.

Gitmo

5:39 am
16 Jun 18
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Re: tonic water for leg cramps
Make sure the tonic water contains quinine. That’s what arrests leg cramps. Mustard does, too, for some people. But not so much for me.

I fast five days and eat two. The nights I eat are when I get the leg cramps. Tonic water helps as preventive and also to stop them once they start. I chug an 8 once tonic water to stop a cramp.

I can’t tell that magnesium makes a difference.

veganman

6:57 pm
19 Jun 18
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There are a lot of unanswered questions–age, medications you’re on, diseases you have, etc. when i fast, i only have water. No electrolytes, which your body should regulate. That said, cramps can be from low oxygen being supplied to those extremities , nerve problems (some nerve diseases, such as disc compression to name one), electrolyte problems (imbalance–this should not happen in a fast unless your kidneys are not working; or you are taking in an unusual balance of sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, etc), gland (endocrine) problems (ie, thyroid, adrenal, diabetes, some tumors), unknown; and others .