Mom (90) has been having leg cramps for past 5 days. Saw cardiologist, had blood work, had ultrasound to rule out blood clots...everything checked out ok. Still having leg cramps. PCP on vacation and substituting doc suggests Tonic water to help with leg cramps. After first glass, mom became agitated and complained about roaring sounds and what is wrong. "I am going crazy"...I assured her she was not crazy (I have ringing in my ears due to neurological damage and have had for 9+ years) and turned on TV and Fan for background noise. Got out the computer and typed in Side effects of Quinine in Tonic water and --- some people have adverse effects and can develop irregular heart beats, head aches and ringing in the ears... Mom tends to have spells of irregular heart beats anyway...now I have to worry about this until we flush this out...Great I have problems sleeping on a good night and now have more to worry about because of a 50 cent bottle of tonic water!
Have you found similar reactions? What other things have you tried for leg cramps...perhaps with less side effects? Experience with other things that doctors have suggested that sound innocent but caused problems with your senior?
My brother and I take turns taking care of my 83 year old dad. He was complaining of leg cramps in the morning as soon as he would start to stretch before getting out of bed in the morning and sometimes even in the middle of the night. He was wearing just underwear to bed. I bought him pj bottom; he tried them. Since wearing pj bottoms he has not had a problem.
I have had ringing in the ears for 9 years...If you can find something that stops it for you...do it. There are days it drives me crazy...especially when both ears are ringing at different frequency!
When I have leg cramps, I use a little pill called Leg Cramp. I wonder where they came up with that name? ha. It is fast and works for me. It is a lot cheaper that tonic water. Also if I get a pain in my foot at night, it works for that too. That soap thing sounds like an Old Wives tale.
P.S. I don't drink tonic water but it's good to know about the side effects of quinine!
But after I broke my leg (in my late 40s) the leg I broke got cramps on a regular basis – cramps so bad that I would uncontrollably scream out in pain and could not walk. The only things that helped were acupressure and TENS. You can do both w/o going to a doctor. I use the Tony Little TENS machine (about $99 at HSN – I have NO association with HSN or Tony Little) and I do my own acupressure. I was lucky because I happened on the acupressure point by accident and I knew about TENS therapy from previous injuries (for which I spent thousands on expensive TENS physical therapy).
Where the cramps are coming from (at what point in the leg or foot they start) is important to know, in order to know what acupressure point to press on or where to place the TENS pads. But I highly recommend both – each has virtually no side effects if done properly. You can consult a physical therapist for a while, just long enough to find out the pressure points and the place to put the TENS pads (and what strength to use), and after that you can do it at home with little to no cost (after the initial purchase of the TENS machine).
aurawave-perfect-tens-pain-relief-by-tony-little/7600286
Other causes of leg cramps can be something as simple as dehydration – and many people are dehydrated when they don’t realize it. So please make sure you mother gets enough liquids each day – liquids w/o added salt or sugar. Too little potassium, calcium or magnesium in your diet can contribute to leg cramps so make sure she’s getting enough of all of these – but it’s best if she gets it through her diet (food) instead of pills. And be VERY careful about taking calcium supplements as some research shows it can cause more harm than good.
PS) I have issues with ringing in the ears and sensitivity to sound (sounds others cannot hear) for many years. I found taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D every day helps a great deal. Please ask your doctor if this is something you can try for your mother. I’m not saying asking him if he thinks it will help (because most doctors will say vitamins can’t help, that’s what they are taught), I’m suggesting you ask him if he thinks it will harm her. If it wont’ harm her, I recommend trying it. It can make her calmer and in a better mood too.
About leg cramps – Mayo Clinic:
mayoclinic/diseases-conditions/muscle-cramp/basics/causes/con-20014594
I wish you and your mother well. I hope this information helps.