Cramps everywhere
 

It is hot here and I do a lot of work outside not because I have to but because I enjoy working outside. I sweat like crazy I will change t shirts at least 3 times a day and completely soak through my jeans or shorts. At a minimum I drink at least one gallon of liquids throughout the day. I have a home made gatorade concoction that I drink also. A gallon of it has 2 tsp's of salt , 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup corn syrup, 2 Tblsp lemon juice and a sugar free flavoring. I drink at least 1/2 gal. of this a day. At night I have also been drinking a cup of pickle juice, I heard this was good for curing cramps.

While working I am fine but at the end of the day I will eventually begin to get cramps everywhere. Tonight my wife had to cut my steak for me because my hands kept cramping up. From head to toe I cramp up, The leg cramps can particularly be very painful and last quite awhile.

Am I not getting enough salt to replenish my losses during the day? Are there foods I should be eating more of that would help? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

That sounds awful, I hope you get some good info to help alleviate this. Take care.

Eating bananas always helped me.

Also, I use these in the heat and humidity of summer - Amazon has them (worked in SE Asia summer heat/humidity, also). Must drink lots of water with them. I’m sure the docs here have better info.

“Medi-Lyte Tablets by Medique
Manufacturer: Medique Products
Tablets helps provide rapid rehydration and nutritional support for muscle cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and more*
Each tablet contains Calcium 10.8 mg, Potassium 40 mg and Magnesium 12 mg
Tamper-evident foil packets with English and Spanish labeling
* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”

The current "flavor du juor" at work for oral re-hydration is Drip Drops (https://dripdrop.com/). I stumbled across them at an Expo on post and checked with my medics when I got back to the office. The medics confirmed the hype and provided the NSN (which doesn't do me a damn bit of good!). Not having access to them through the supply system, I had to go on line to get mine. I ordered a 24 piece sample pack and can tell you that I've been sufficiently impressed that half of it found its way into my range bag and I've used/given away most of that. I'll be ordering more soon. I find it significantly better than Gatorade and I've personally seen it work on incipient heat casualties. (Knucklehead kids that think they're inured to NC summer heat/humidity even when exercising strenuously!) Since I've started carrying/sharing the DripDrops in my range bag several members of my regular crew have also added them to their kit. Usual disclaimers, MOO, YMMV (but I think you'll benefit from checking it out).

You can get cramps from under hydrating and from over hydrating.... I work outside in 110 degree's here in Az and do not drink anywhere near that much.

We've had SFAS candidates stroke out from to much hydration too.

Not saying that's it but you have an imbalance of some type....you should get some blood work done when you are in that kind of distress.

Electrolytes
 

NUUN and Hammer nutrition have drop in tablets that I find work GREAT on my long rides to prevent cramping. Cheap, effective and in my bug out bag. Sounds like you may be overhydrating?

try upping your potassium and magnesium levels?

I was thinking the same.

Pedialyte
 

Pedialyte is another secret weapon.

I can appreciate what you are saying, I do not drink a gallon in a short period of time but over the course of 6-8 hours. I know it is hot in AZ, when you are working do you also sweat like crazy? From what I gather a persons body handles a lot of water per hour. Hard to find a consensus as to intake, eight 8 oz. glasses seems to be a rule of thumb but then again I read where you cannot drink too much, not buying that theory. I have to find a balance.

Perigrino: I got some Drip Drop will have to find a cheaper place to purchase other than Walgreens. Very pleasant taste, I need to define when I am dehydrated vs. no longer dehydrated. The box says an adult can have up to 16 8oz. serving per day that would be a gallon. At what point do you find yourself taking it? And how much do you take over any period of time.

Jim P Definitely will look into upping the magnesium and potassium levels. I have never been a nutrition follower, I just eat. Can I take supplements and have them be just as effective or do I need to get these nutrients from food?

I appreciate all the replies, thanks!

As Jim p said, sounds like an electrolyte imbalance. Your homemade concoction sounds just like real Gatorade....that is a shit product. The sugar in insanely bad and corn syrup? Bro, call Wilford Brimley and get his advice on avoiding die-uh-bet-us!

Magnesium is my go to, when I’m feeling dehydrated and having muscle problems. Potassium is also good.

A ringers lactate IV would contain these

130–131 mEq of sodium ion = 130 mmol L−1
109–111 mEq of chloride ion = 109 mmol L−1
28–29 mEq of lactate ion = 28 mmol L−1
4–5 mEq of potassium ion = 4 mmol L−1
2–3 mEq of calcium ion = 1.5 mmol L−1

You can get most of those as pill form supplements.

You can also add in

Thiamine 100 mg (or just a Vit B complex)
Folic acid 1 mg (also a B vit)
Multivitamin for infusion (MVI), 1 ampule
Magnesium sulfate 3 g

Which is called a “banana bag”

None of these contain sugar. Vascular (IV) dextrose will actually draw water out of your cells, where it is needed and into your vascular spaces.


TL DR

My personal drink when I feel dehydrated is:

Glass with 1 lemon or lime squeezed in, a 1/2 tsp table salt and water to the top. Then I take a magnesium supp and a B complex.

Great reply micro18d! After several heart issues, triple bypass, stents and heat related issues, the sugar and corn syrup play hell with my body and I avoid them in all their forms. I don't know if it helps but I also have about a half cup of prune juice and a teaspoon of molasses per day to replace what I am discharging from drinking water. All natural juice and blackstrap molasses, (no sugar or corn syrup).

Best wishes,

Bob

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I found the best place to get it is on line directly from DD. Aside from the initial discount for opening an account, they have all kinds of incentives including percentages off and free shipping at certain price points. In the summer when exerting myself (doesn't happen often but when it does!) I monitor hydration by frequency and color of urination. I do my best to never get to the headache stage, let alone cramps. Learned that lesson the hard way 40+ years ago in pre-scuba when the only options were salt tabs (BAD idea!) and lots of bananas with breakfast. I agree with the others, you have an electrolyte imbalance; probably not from over-hydrating (hyponatremia). You should probably get it checked out.

And for the rest of us - did a match today and gave one of the guys on my squad a DD to ease his hangover symptoms. He reported significant relief w/i 30 minutes. FWIW - he was already familiar with the product, just didn't have any in his range bag, something he'll probably correct in the near future (because I sincerely doubt he's going to stop partying :rolleyes: ).

Thanks for the advice concerning Gatorade type drinks, no more of those for me. Is the lemon or lime juice just for flavor or is it also beneficial? I have to plead ignorant when it comes to balanced nutrition, I will work on that. The only symptoms of dehydration I ever have are the cramps, no headaches or light headedness . Thank you to all who have added their thoughts.

For magnesium, I use Mag 64. It is available over the counter. I take one in the morning and one in the evening...

The lemon is mostly for flavor but it does have vit C and other micro nutrients.

Also look into Trace minerals to add to your water this product is expensive but it lasts a long time. Probably similar to the “liquid IV” products. We used this bc we use RO water, to clean the tap water. It mimics mineral water. You can get it at Vitacost (it is on sale as of the time of this post)

Pickle Juice is my go to for immediate relief. After bicycle races here in the Florida heat, I've woken up screaming from cramps on the inside of my thighs. My wife know to run for the pickle juice. 2 oz usually does it.

I had never heard that so I read an article about pickle juice for cramps.
My grandfather taught me the lemon juice squirt to the back of the throat to stop hiccups thing, it works every time for me, so I could see how this would do something similar. While it stops the spasm, the underlying problem is dehydration and electrolyte deficiency.

Keep hydrated my friends! :D

Leaning towards the drops, lots of positive reviews out there for them. Great info thanks. BTW I do the pickle juice but do not get immediate effect as some do.

I read this post this morning. Then, this afternoon, we were watching The Last Alaskans S1 E7, and Heimo Korth drank pickle juice just after he got up because of his aching back.

Some excellent advice here, esp. Miclo18D Some simple key indicators to evaluate hydration status:

1. Input = Output monitor urine output every 4 h and adjust intake accordingly.
2. Color- Urine should be straw colored and ~ 1 pint every 4 hours. If dark, drink more water. If clear, drink less water.
3. Take 2 salt tabs, eat 1 bannana and drink 1/2 canteen (1 pint) water every 4 hours.
4. Quit whining, ruck-up and press-on soldier!:p

Cramping update
 

Last two days back outside getting physical, sweating as usual. First day by the end of 6 hours I had had enough, arms and hands were cramping up pretty good. When I got home I had 3 doses of the Drip Drops over a 1.5 hr. period and ate some muskmelon which is a good source of potassium. Cramping finally settled down.

I have been adding Trace Mineral Drops to my water for the past 6 days and trying to up my magnesium intake by eating cashews.

Today I worked 4 hours before calling it quits, in a five hour period I drank 3 qts. of water and never urinated once. Cramping was bad when I got home so I had a dose of Drip Drops and some pickle juice which seemed to help eventually. I did go into my Drs. and got a blood draw when the cramping was going on, hopefully the results will provide some info as to what is going on. I have been a hard worker my whole life and do not wish to change that any time soon. Thank you for all the replies!

I'm really glad to read you went to the doc, I hope they figure this out and you can get back to it! Your work is so important but your heath is paramount. All the best.

Thanks! I am gonna post what the doc said about my results. You know the trouble with youth is that it is wasted on the young. LOL!

Blood work up
 

Potassium 4.8 Magnesium 2.1, Doc was pleased with my Electrolytes but says my kidney function is down. He says drink more water. Kinda frustrating.

If you have the ability to submerge your hands or better arms in cold water every 30-45min for only around 5 min it may help during the day, but won't do any good post work out. It just cools the blood for the rest of the body to help it out.

Different people regulate body temperature differently if yours is getting very high this might also cause some of the cramping and problems with the kidney.

Heat illness and hyperthermia can cause a number of injuries to the kidney including dehydration, low blood flow injury due to low blood pressure, high blood potassium, accumulation of acid in the body and clogging the kidneys with muscle proteins (myoglobin) that can be produced in excess during heat illness. As body temperature increase, a number of bad things happen to circulation and body metabolism that can lead to kidney injury.

Also, what is your age range? And this IS cramping and not arthritis, correct? My father-in-law had rheumatoid arthritis and it was “cramp” like in his hands.

Sometimes we get to the point where our bodies change and we get upset that “we used to do this all the time” (I just found out I can’t even do 1 pull up anymore, I’m working out again, so I know I’ll get there, but boy, what a wake up call!)

:lifter

You may have reached the point where you can’t stay out in the heat, working, for extended periods of time.

I am 64, these are cramps and they are all over the place. I cannot say that I am upset about this, just frustrated. I had a doctor once tell me you know you wake up one day and discover that you have gotten old. I shall pace myself and I appreciate all the replies.

7642U Thanks for weighing in, I have had heat exhaustion once 45 years ago at Ft Campbell I remember getting fatigued and then the next thing I recall getting put on a Huey for a trip to the hospital. I try to remain cognizant of my condition during the day. Time to lighten the load a bit I guess.

My doc likened it to "you don't have a 426 Hemi anymore so stop trying to do the same stuff with a single-carb six." Learning this pacing business is a tough thing.
Best of luck with it. :)

There is a long trail between the early years and the present.
It sneaks up on all of us :D

Stay hydrated & work smart :lifter

From miclo18dThat was my first thought - vagus nerve stimulation. Cattle prod to the solar plexus would probably work too. Bet that'll work for intractable hiccups too. :D
Ya can thank me later.:p

That is a fine looking Panhead there! I had a 62 XLCH in 1974 when I enlisted. I am planning on staying hydrated, gonna have to learn how to work smarter.

Attachment 36733

Working smarter means grandkids!

Waist up, Motrin; waist down, foot powder; cramps, cattle prod to the SP! Roger that, doc!

:D

Maybe for now until temps cool down go with shortened hours, starting early before it gets warmer during the day? I know you love what you do, this must be frustrating for you.

It is frustrating, all of the sudden out of nowhere misery, age does sneak up on you. Cooler today only worked half a day no issues, forecast looks good for the next 7 days almost Fall like. I do love what I do and will do it in a more reasonable manner.

I want to trade myself in for two thirty year olds.

Oh wait, that's not right. LOL :D

:cool: