Q. I have tried just about everything for leg cramps and have found nothing that helps. My doctor has me on Lyrica and potassium, hoping that might help. It hasn’t.
I was awakened three times last night and the attacks last as long as fifteen minutes. Do you have any suggestions? I am at my wits’ end and exhausted!
A. Now that the FDA bars doctors from prescribing quinine for cramps, there are no obvious prescription solutions to this problem. Readers have offered a number of home remedies. These range from sensible approaches like stretching the leg muscles before bed or drinking low-sodium V-8 juice to peculiar habits like sipping pickle juice, swallowing a spoonful of mustard or slipping a bar of soap under the bottom sheet. Each method has supporters.
We have collected these recommendations in our Guide to Leg Pain, and we are sending you a copy so you can try them and find one that works.
