<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

One can also try putting a tiny bit of sea salt under the tongue (not on
top--it will burn) and let it dissolve...it achieves the same result for me.
I spit out the salt; you could swallow it..be sure to drink water before
and/or after.  Salt under the tongue fools the brain into thinking the
electrolytes are balanced.  I read this in the book Cries for Water, written
by an Iranian/American doctor...google the title of the book to get the
author's name.  He says if you get pain, start drinking water, the pain is
probably an indication that you are dehydrated. CC

RE:

SALT, SALT, SALT!  At least that's the solution for me.  I used to get wick=
ed foot & leg cramps at night that were so severe I couldn't walk and the c=
ramps would sometimes cause me injury.  For years, I tried heat, massage, b=
ed time protein snacks, calcium supplements, potassium, juice, magnesium, s=
tretching, yoga, etc.  The cramps continued to get worse & worse.  I began =
to keep a log & noticed that contrary to what my doctor was telling me, hig=
h potassium foods & magnesium supplements made it worse.  Then, I don't rem=
ember what prompted me, but I tried salt as a last resort and found it work=
s like a charm, EVERYTIME.  Now I take two salt tablets at bedtime & voila!=
  No more night time cramps.   There are lots of things that can cause char=
ley-horse cramps -- dehydration; potassium deficiency/overload; calcium def=
iciency/overload; magnesium dificiency/overload; hypoglycemia; laxative use=
; extreme sports; weight training, drug interactions, parathyroid disease, =
Addison's disease, etc. -- salt (sodium) deficiency is only one of many cau=
ses.  If you have muscle cramps, you'll have to experiment to see what work=
s for you. Salt (sodium) is necessary for normal muscle contraction & relax=
ation.  Most Americans get more salt than they actually need in the typical=
 highly processed food diet, so sodium deficiency is rare.  The most common=
 scene for sodium deficiency is in extreme athletics, heat exhaustion & hea=
t stroke, or water intoxication from drinking excessive amounts of water (s=
ometimes seen in mental patients).  But sodium deficiency can become a chro=
nic problem when adrenal glands are damaged (as is more commonly seen in ce=
liac patients).  (It's a good idea for anyone w/ a chronic cramping problem=
, to get a doctor to check them out for various disease conditions.) The re=
ason I personally have this problem is three fold:  (1) I have adrenal insu=
fficiency which causes my body to excrete more sodium than normal (2) I hav=
e colonic inertia so I need to take a laxative every day.  (Laxatives pull =
out salt & other electrolytes thru the bowel.  In fact, that's why potassiu=
m & magnesium make my cramps worse, they are both laxative & pull sodium ou=
t of my blood stream.)(3) I am a "from scratch" cook so my diet is naturall=
y low in sodium.
Between these two incurable conditions & my cooking habits, I need what man=
y would call an excessive amount of salt.  This may not be the case for you=
, but then... it might.  I find certain conditions will trigger cramps if I=
'm not careful -- too many fruits or sweets (which increase potassium in th=
e blood & drive out sodium) and the heat of summer when I'm perspiring heav=
ily. Before I found the convenience of salt tablets, I used to add 1/4 to 1=
/2 teaspoon of salt to a glass of water & drink it down (YUK!).  It was wor=
th the "yuk", because the relief was so blessed!  My muscles would relax w/=
i two minutes, then I could go back to sleep instead of spending the night =
waiting for the next painful cramp episode. =20
=20
(I buy 1 gram salt tablets at my local compounding pharmacy.  There are sal=
t tablets available on line and I'm sure they are all GF, so please don't a=
sk which brands are GF!  ha ha ha!)   Valerie in Tacoma, happily retired RN=
 PS, I am well aware that some of you are salt sensitive & can't tolerate e=
xtra salt.  So please don't send me personal messages about your salt sensi=
tivity.  That's a topic for discussion I don't care to address.=

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