Night cramp remedies

[Oranj]

Post-PBP, I am close to running out of my favourite night cramp remedy, CrampEx.^[1] However, the nice lady at the pharmacy counter said it'd been taken off the market in the last 3 months due to having Nicotinic Acid as one of the ingredients, which has apparently become a prescription-only medication. CrampEx is massively effective in cutting out my post-exercise night cramps in the week after a big effort (which in the past has occasionally left me with pulled calf or quad muscles). A quick google of online pharmacy outlets indicates that everywhere is "Out of Stock", and someone on Amazon is selling 48-tablet boxes for £199!!!

Does the YACF collective know of any other effective medication?

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[1] I am one of the population who, for whatever reason, is more susceptible to cramp. I will pre-load before an event with tonic water, and top my my magnesium levels with a multivitamin supplement (and I quite like peanut butter, bananas and tomato juice  ). Nuun or Zero in my bottles too.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

A fair percentage of RUSA folk are proponents of 'pickle juice' as an anti-cramping supplement, though the evidence looks dubious to me. I'd choose the cramps but YMMV.

[hellymedic]

Can't you get the same substances by getting suitable vitamin supplements?

How much of each substance does a Cramp-Ex tablet contain?

We are talking Vitamin D, Calcium and Niacin here!

[Canardly]

I suffer with cramps all the time. Quinine tabs are effective (prescription unfortunately) and more recently I followed a YACF post in dropping a nunns tab into a glass of water and taking this in one hit which seemed to be effective, in that, it staved off an oncoming leg cramp. I have tried Boots calcium with D and K with what impact I am not sure.

I have tried all the sundry vitamins with little or no effect. I always have a bottle of water at the bedside. Suffering galloping leg cramps when zipped into a mummy sleeping bag is an interesting experience!

[JohnR]

I am a cramper and in my quest to alleviate them, I have found that a daily magnesium tablet from Morrison's has all but stopped the night cramps. Calcium enables your muscles to contract, whereas magnesium helps them to relax. Any imbalance towards more calcium raises the possibility of cramps along with dehydration as your muscles need both components in water. Most western diets are lacking in magnesium and some people, like me lose more of it than others.

On a ride I find electrolyte tablets like hi 5 help to hydrate me better than water with salt.

Your symptoms appear to be just like mine.
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

[rogerzilla]

According to my mother: the remedy is to put the shoes you wore that day under the bed, upside down (with the soles facing the ceiling).  This usually works, probably because your unconscious mind knows you have some *something* and the placebo effect is very strong.  I can report 100% success.

N.B. Some authorities have the shoes crossing each other instead of, or as well as, upside down.

[Biggsy]

Post-PBP, I am close to running out of my favourite night cramp remedy, CrampEx.^[1] However, the nice lady at the pharmacy counter said it'd been taken off the market in the last 3 months due to having Nicotinic Acid as one of the ingredients, which has apparently become a prescription-only medication.

16 mg Nicotinic Acid (Niacin) is in each Wilko A-Z Multivits and Minerals tablet, without prescription, that also includes 200 mg Calcium, 5 μg Vitamin D.

Each Crampex tablet contains 20 mg Nicotinic Acid, 200 mg Calcium Gluconate and 0.02 mg Colecalciferol (form of vitamin D).

[Thing2]

My brother was talking about this yesterday. He had a couple of blood tests for his gp (after a rugby game and several days later), and I think was going to be getting a prescription.

[Chris S]

I bought a pot of Magnesium Ascorbate; the arguments being:

1. It's one of the better assimilated forms of Mg, although not the best.
2. It also delivers Vitamin C, so two vitamins for the price of one .
3. It was really cheap.

However - as I mentioned elsewhere, you have to be careful if making it into a drink rich with citric acid (eg, Lemonade made with fresh lemons) as it converts to Magnesium Citrate in your guts, which most definitely has a purging effect on the intestines  .

One of the "side effects" I get of a LCHF diet (which changes electrolyte balance/requirements profoundly) is twitchy muscles, and cramp - and this stuff goes a long way to fixing it; also helps with restless leg syndrome.

[Biggsy]

If the pharmacist is right that niacin is now prescription-only, I suppose Wilko could have switched to different formulation of multivits despite still showing the old one on their website.  I'd be surprised but will check when I next visit my local branch (as long as I remember to take my reading glasses).

Maybe it's only a certain strength that's prescription only?

[Canardly]

Lidl multivits also contain Niacin 16 mg (not stopped cramps tho but!)