What are Home Remedies for a Charley Horse?

I have always found if you get a charley horse in your calf to put your bare foot on something cold like a tile floor or tub. It works for everyone I've told.

I've gotten relief from a swig of quinine water (tonic water) when the cramp hits or as a preventative. That tends to suffice unless I've really overexerted, gotten too hot or gotten dehydrated. Fruit, vitamins, water and half a potassium supplement tend to keep the cramps at bay, but sometimes activity, cold weather or diuretics will take their toll.

When cramps are hard or frequent even after taking the usual precautions, I combine all the hints given so far (and a megadose of prayer) until the pains subside. I tend to get immediate relief when I take the quinine and walk a bit. The trick is to notice the warning signs (or previous experience), keep electrolytes in proper balance, use massage and stretches and watch your circulation. Check with your doctor about cramps, neuropathy or any pain that affects your quality of life.

This home remedy is not going to sound very logical at first, but I have found that it works at least half the time. Whenever I feel a charley horse coming on, especially in the morning when I wake up, I pinch the area between my nose and upper lip really hard and hold it until the cramp subsides. For some reason, the charley horse spasm doesn't seem to last as long or get as severe if I do this.

I've heard about the potassium level problem that often triggers these things, but I'm more likely to get a bad cramp in my calf muscle whenever cold air gets under my blanket and hits my bare lower leg. One morning, I had four or five charley horses right in a row, and my foot ended up sticking straight out. I thought it would never end, and the pain was unimaginable. I could see the muscle contracting pretty violently under my skin. I'm now a lot more careful about letting cold air get under the blanket in the morning.

I woke up in the middle of the night one time and my leg was in the air. I thought why is my leg in the air? Then when I went to put it back down I got a charley horse. Ii was so bad I almost cried! I got them when I was a kid and I still get them. It's always at night.

It doesn't seem to have to do with anything other than I have heard that I move a lot in my sleep. I've been known to kick and scream and sit up. I even got one in my neck one time. That was the worst. The pain lingered for a week at least. I have really tense dreams most of the time. Not sure why.

Pickle juice is the answer. Football players use pickle juice when they get cramps while playing. It takes the cramps away immediately. It doesn't taste that bad either.

sleep with ivory soap bar in bed.

Hot water soak for 15 20 minutes. dry, put on wool soaks and turn on warming pad. I am able to sleep.

My grandma always recommended a few spoonfuls of pickle juice. I suppose it works the same as the salt water. She drinks Gatorade as a preventative measure. I get them in my calf muscles, the arch of my foot, and in my toes when pregnant. Nothing really helps. I just have to deal.

I have had charley horses for years in the middle of the night. I have tried stretching and everything while I am walking around half asleep.

I have just drunk a glass of salt water and within minutes or seconds, it goes away and i can go back to sleep!

I have problems keeping my potassium levels up even with medication so I have plenty of experience in dealing with these painful leg cramps.

An easy drug free remedy that works nine times out of 10 is the second you feel it coming on is to violently shake your leg from the knee down for 30 seconds or so. My charley horses usually happen when I am in bed and I have learned to recognize the early warning signs that one is about to happen. As I said it doesn't always work, but most of the time it does! Cheers.

An old man told me to drink a glass of salt water when one hits. I've tried it many times since and it relieves the spasm almost instantly!

I have never been officially diagnosed with charlie horse. I wake up in the night with a terrific pain my toe. I simply get out of bed and stand and it goes away almost immediately

I'm wondering if this is in some way seasonal? I take every supplement, vitamin and mineral know to humanity. Last year I was in bed recovering from surgery on my foot for six weeks, and certainly was as far from exercising as possible. I even got it in the leg that had the cast on, which was increasingly weak from the cast.

This year, I confess I have been regularly exercising, but no more than I have for five years. If I don't stretch the opposite way, the pain is unbearable.

I also have double charley horses, in which I get them on opposing sides of the leg - calf, thigh, etc. That makes it impossible to stretch.

I need to get someone to physically massage the muscles to get rid of it. I wonder what the real cause and solution is.

Quick relief with mustard. I get those little packets from burger restaurants and keep next to my bed.

When the pain hits, I open a packet, squeeze it all out into my left hand and slap it on the pain area and rub it in. Relief in seconds! I told my brother about it, he tried it and thanked me the following week. Try it - you'll like it. kShe

"In all cases, the charley horse is typically caused by dehydration and lack of potassium."

Rubbish. I drink plenty of orange juice (cut by half) all day in addition to plain water.

Also, even though it hurts horribly, it helps to grab your toes and pull back. It hurts really badly for a few minutes but then it actually relieves the pain. That's the best remedy I have found, since I can't usually plan for a charley horse, so taking something beforehand doesn't usually work. I always need immediate relief myself!