(no subject)

[badstar]

I had the worst time sleeping last night. I went to bed shortly after 11 and fell asleep pretty quickly. A fairly deep sleep at that. And then around 130 or 2, I was suddenly *almost* awake, and while it hadn't happened yet, I knew that I was about to have a muscle cramp in my leg. I snapped awake and about 5 seconds leter it hit me and for about a minute- but what seemed like hours- I was in agony. Any way I moved, it just seemed to get worse. I didn't know what to do and all I could think was whether I tried to work it out or not, somehow I was going to end up with muscle damage. (Yeah, I was awake but I was in pain and not thinking completely clearly.) I felt the spot of the cramp- it's so weird to feel this one spot on my calf just pulled into a knot. I massaged it a little...no effect. I tried straightening out my leg....that only made it worse. I bent my knee to pull my foot closer to me...that made it worse again. I straightened it out a little....that didn't help but didn't make it worse. Then I bent it again and for a few seconds, it didn't do anything, but I finally felt the cramp releasing...and it took it's sweet time letting go, but it finally did.

It didn't happen again, but I kept waking up on and off all night, every hour or so. I woke up this morning, and my leg still hurts. Not unbearably, but when I walk, it feels like my left calf muscle is...I don't know...shorter? than the right, and it feels like I have a really really really bad bruise, or like I'd just been kicked really hard square in the calf...you know that dull combination of pain and pressure?

I'm trying to stretch it out, just a little here and there hoping that will help. That never happened to me before and damn, I hope it never happens again.

Comments

[taqaisenu.livejournal.com]

Oh, damn, a charley horse! I started getting those at night after I had not been working out for several weeks. Painful, it makes you want to scream! And the next day, my calf feels utterly bruised and I'm walking funny for most of the morning. I haven't been getting them so long as I try to keep active (DDR, fitness center, jogging up/down steps during work breaks).

One way to work out a charley horse (but it is agonizingly painful) is to get up and walk on it. Massage and stretch out the muscle that's cramping. It works itself out right quick, but there is no shortage of pain, let me tell you.

[fuego.livejournal.com]

uhg, yeah, i've never had one before. and I do a decent bit of stretching. I desperately wanted to scream. I know I whimpered a good bit...but my roommates sleep right under me. So...I did my best to not wake them up

[sherarara.livejournal.com]

I get them quite frequently when I'm doing a lot of physical activity, generally after I neglected to stretch after I did said physical activity. Unfortunately, once you get them (for me, almost always in the middle of the night), there really isn't anything you can do except grit it out. Massage does help, but hurts like a bitch.

I'm sorry you had a rough night :(

[shockwave.livejournal.com]

I've had that happen before. Ed gave me the advice of immediately standing up on the leg when it happens, and it works. there's still a little discomfort immediately after but the pain goes away. it may work for you. either way, I know that these kind of cramps are painful and I feel for ya. *hugs* :)

[unprotoize.livejournal.com]

Ay yay yay..poor fuego. :( :( *squeeze*

Try to up your mineral intake over the next few hours - particularly postassium, calcium and magnesium. A supplement might work, but it's better to get it from food. Bananas and other fruits, leafy greens such as kale, collards, arugula, and green herbs are good. Eat them with whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, barley or millet.

I know you're a pretty big fan of coffee; it might be good to lay off it because of its diuretic qualities. Also, the caffiene probably isn't doing ya much good in terms of getting those tight muscles to settle down.

Always ready with unsolicited advice.. :D

[fuego.livejournal.com]

i haven't drank coffee (or consumed anyhting with caffeine, other than a bit of incidental chocolate) in about three days. just a bunch of black cherry tea.

but thanks. i'll definitely keep that in mind, though no such thing is available to me at work.

[spillingvelvet.livejournal.com]

oh god, charlie horses are the WORST. you did the right thing trying to work it out. just keep kneading at it, and eventually it will ease up. i used to get them a lot, in my sleep, and i recommend eating some bananas and drinking water. a lot of times, cramps like that are caused by lack of potassium and water. muscles like a lot of both.