Painful Cramp After Alcohol

[Booldawg]

After having alcohol I usually wake up in the early hours of the morning with painful cramp in my calf muscles.

My theory is lack of salt through dehydration? I usually have a pint of water after alcohol though. Am I on the right lines with that thinking?

[Old_Geezer]

I'd advise not rubbing any more alcohol into your calf.

[Old_Geezer]

I'm unsure there is a clear understanding of why muscles cramp. Just observations regarding things that seem to help prevent it.

[Booldawg]

Lol, OG. Always though it was down to lack of salt.

[Sqad]

\\\\ Am I on the right lines with that thinking?\\\\

In the absence of any other relevant factors e.g statins, then in my opinion your ARE on the right lines.

[Dee Sa]

try and drink plenty of water before you go to bed, that helps though u will probably want to go to the toilet in the night !
I find I don't get leg cramp at night if I have drunk plenty of water during the day and bedtime.

[grasscarp]

I have heard people say tonic water (which contains quinine) helps prevent leg cramps at night. There is also evidence of this on various websites.

[sandyRoe]

To some this suggestion might seem almost as painful as the cramp. Could you go without the alcohol?

[pastafreak]

Have a hot drink with an oxo cube(or part of one...you don't need that much). The salt will do the trick. I was recommended this to help prevent cramps,and it seems to help.

[Khandro]

When I was in the hot humid climate of Kentucky, beer was bought in 'Pitchers' large glass jugs and was distributed around the drinking gang - mostly students- at the table by the one who bought it (a nice sociable habit).
There was always salt on the table in the summer, and a small amount was put in the jug, not enough that you could taste it, but the theory was that it was to replace the salt lost through sweat which couldn't be avoided.
I don't know if it had any real effect, but everyone believed so.