Muscle Cramp Relief

[MrsLMB]

I have been having a lot of trouble with muscle cramps in my hands and ankles - especially at night.

I've tried adding potassium and magnesium - per my Dr and really have not noticed much change.

I've been drinking more water than the Hoover Dam holds.

Anyway .. I ran across an article the other day and I figured I had nothing to lose so I tried it.

Ivory Soap.

Put a bar under the bottom sheet of your bed near where you are having the troubles - ie ankles, feet, knees etc.

Shave some Ivory soap and put in in socks and wear the socks to bed.

I know .. sounds weird and silly ... BUT ..................... I have done this for 3 nights running and not a single cramp in my ankles or feet.

Nobody seems to know why it works for some people. For some it works immediately and for others it takes a few nights.

It also seems to help people with back pain and RLS.

It apparently will not work with any soap that has deodorant in it.

I figured I had nothing to lose and everything to gain - including a few bars of Ivory soap.

If you have any of these problems give it a try .. it's not proven to do anything but it is proven to help - how's that for a confusing statement !

I do not believe it is simply the power of suggestion .. there really is something to it - oh .. and my feet are nice and clean LOL

 

[GrillingFool]

Cool!
For me, a good slug of pickle juice, if I can hobble to the fridge, releases
a leg cramp almost immediately.

 

[jabbur]

I've heard similar stories MrsL. I've also heard of folks drinking pickle juice for muscle cramps. Glad you found that it works for you. It's relatively cheap and no nasty side effects!

 

[pacanis]

I never heard of either of these before.
Thanks for the tips. Every once in a while I'll get a hammy tighten up, so I'll go right for the jar of pickles.

 

[Hoot]

I have heard of this. Last I heard (and I am uncertain of the reliability of the source) supposedly tests were conducted at NC State and other places. Seems a volatile oil in the soap might be the reason it works. I must admit that it sounds weird, but if it works then why not?

 

[GotGarlic]

There's a doctor who has a syndicated column that runs in our local newspaper who has reported on this. Many people have written to him saying this soap method works. Hoot's idea sounds plausible. And as jabbur said, no side effects! Glad it's working for you.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I use homemade soap at the bottom of my bed and I suggest it to patients. I keep a big brick of the little Ivory bars in my office for those who want to try it.

 

[joesfolk]

My doctor told me to have my husband do this. Dh has not had a cramp since. Dr. thinks it has something to do with positive and negative charges in the sheets and soap. He is planning to study the issue.

 

[Dawgluver]

Interesting. I will give it a try.

Hey Joesfolk, nice to see you!

 

[Aunt Bea]

Do you think switching to Ivory in the shower would help or do you need the bar in the bed, I think that would drive me nuts!

 

[Dawgluver]

Do you think switching to Ivory in the shower would help or do you need the bar in the bed, I think that would drive me nuts!

Hmm. A bar in the bed sounds like a great idea. Nuts would be the topper!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Do you think switching to Ivory in the shower would help or do you need the bar in the bed, I think that would drive me nuts!

Getting the soap wet changes the chemistry. I put the bar under the bottom sheet at the very foot of the bed. I never even notice it.

 

[joesfolk]

Thanks Dawgluver....finally figured out how to do this on my kindle. I rarely use my computer any more.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Well I tried both of these and they did not work for me!

I will give each two more tries and then the soap goes back to the bathroom.

I may still keep drinking the pickle juice, I wonder how a kosher dill version of the dirty martini might work!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Well I tried both of these and they did not work for me!

I will give each two more tries and then the soap goes back to the bathroom.

I may still keep drinking the pickle juice, I wonder how a kosher dill version of the dirty martini might work!

Two dill pickle dirty, martinis and I wouldn't care if I got leg cramps...some people the soap works, some it doesn't. I knew someone who used Irish Spring and that worked for her. Some swear by Dial soap.

 

[Mad Cook]

Well I tried both of these and they did not work for me!

I will give each two more tries and then the soap goes back to the bathroom.

I may still keep drinking the pickle juice, I wonder how a kosher dill version of the dirty martini might work!

Possibly it's the salt in the pickle juice that does the trick. A friend was told (by her Doctor) to take salt (sodium chloride) tablets for her cramp.

 

[shells4]

I have never heard that soap works for cramps, only restless leg syndrome. Haven't heard the pickle juice either. When I start getting leg cramps at night I bump up my calcium intake, has worked every time. I did have a patient once with restless leg syndrome that was sedated. She thrashed around her bed like crazy and I put a bar of soap under her legs without her knowledge. Within 30 min. she stopped thrashing and slept like a baby. Interesting.

 

[MrsLMB]

It's been a couple of weeks now and it's still working for me. I hae the bar of Ivory under the bottom sheet at the end of the bed. Like PF says, you really don't even notice it.

Still don't know why it works and honestly don't even care .. just so happy that it does !

DH has RLS and it has helped him since I put a bar at the end of his side of the bed - shhhhhh .. he doesn't know it's there !

 

[Zhizara]

It was shopping day today and I made sure I got some Ivory soap bars. I hope this helps with the cramping of PAD as well.

I didn't sleep very well last night as my legs were restless. I'm really looking forward to having some help with that.

 

[bakechef]

Last night my legs were worse than they have been in a long time, RLS stinks!

One particularly bad bout was when we were at a film festival, we had been watching films all day when it hit. No amount of waking around would calm down my legs, I ended up missing most of that film.