What are you supposed to do when you get a bad cramp?

[HEyHEY]

I got one in my calf last night and was perfectly still in pain and TRYING to remember what the fuck I was supposed to do. Anyone remember? Is it massage it?

God, my calf still hurts this morning.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. Take potassium supplements.

Or eat a banana.

Also, magnesium supplements or magnesium oil help.

[XemaSab]

2. Walk it off

Then fluids and potassium to prevent more.

(You're just a walking hazard, aren't you? (

PS Don't go to North Korea they jail journalists there and I don't want to see you on an episode of "Locked Up Abroad" in 10 years.)

[HEyHEY]

3. I was in far too much pain to walk

I just realized I'm not eating enough potasium.

[XemaSab]

5. Even gimping around helps

I get about one a year, and they HURT. x(

[nytemare]

4. Drink pickle juice.

http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/pickleJuice.htm

Also, if you are able to when you first feel the cramp, standing up on the affected leg and stepping on the foot with your other foot can make it subside. You might have to support yourself when standing, though, so you don't fall over. This is impossible for me if I wake up with one, as I am just too out of it, but seems to help when I feel one coming on during exercise.

[elleng]

6. Massage, rub it out; you'll feel the muscle 'bunched' up;

and walk if you can.

Eat bananas daily. (Potassium)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Stand on your toes

go back to the flat of your foot. Repeat until the cramp is gone.

[flvegan]

8. With the calf, very slowly stretch it out.

Toes up, toes down, then toes in a circle. Repeat. If it feels better, massage at the same time.

The "toes in a circle", you heard here first.

[Kali]

9. oh man if I do anything other than toes up I get a cramp in the arch too!

at east until the main spasm subsides aaahhhggg I wish I hadn't clicked on this thread...I can feel one starting.....x(

[Jamastiene]

10. Scream!

If you scream loud enough and long enough, somebody will come check on you. Maybe they'll know what to do. In the meantime, cussing and screaming is a valid coping mechanism when it comes to pain. It at least takes your mind off the pain.

[LostInAnomie]

11. Stretch the muscle slowly in the opposite way it's contracting.

Then take some potassium and drink a lot of water.

[rcrush]

12. cocaine?

[HEyHEY]

16. worse

getting up off the floor.

[hibbing]

13. ouchie

Hi,
Those calf ones are killers, oddly I only get those when..nevermind.
But I find slow slow slowly stretching your toes upward helps. Those are some harsh cramps. Other suggestions posted about potassium and bananas I would also suggest for prevention matters. Good luck

Peace

[Quantess]

14. eat a gob of yellow mustard

Not dijon or anything. The cheap, yellow kind works best.

[Capn Sunshine]

15. pinch the "small" of your upper lip hard

just under the bridge of your nose. It's an accupressure trick; all us surfers in SoCal know this one. Sometimes the waves are just too good, and you don't want to go in, even though you're cramping up.

[JVS]

17. Go get yourself a nice massage if they have any massage parlors in China.

[SoxFan]

18. amputate

[Bertha Venation]

19. take Midol

Seriously, sorry about the pain. Cramps like that suck.

[MrScorpio]

20. I shake my foot loosely

Works like a charm

[DeepBlueC]

21. my mother uses quinine

I just sent her some.

[Midlodemocrat]

22. Point your toes to the ceiling as hard as you can. It will go away completely.

I suffered from them for years while playing tennis in college, and my trainer taught me that trick. It works even before it's a full blown cramp.

[Tobin S.]

23. Eat more bananas, drink more water, drink less alcohol