What mineral deficiency causes nocturnal leg cramps?

Answer 1

From my personal experience, I suspect a deficiency of calcium. About 20 years ago, I started waking up screaming, with severe cramps in my calves and sometimes even reaching up to my thighs. After several 3 am wake-ups like that, I recall reading in some paperback mystery, a character was taking large doses of calcium supplements to balance a chemical deficiency that caused nocturnal leg cramps. Since my wife and I are heavy milk drinkers, I thought nothing of it, at the time. However, since we had calcium supplements in our collection of vitamins etc., I thought I'd give it a try. It took about a week or so, for the calcium boost to work. Cramps eventually disappeared. However, if I neglected to take my daily calcium pill for a few days, cramps would come back. After about a year or so, I lazily stopped taking daily calcium supplements. No problem reappeared, UNTIL RECENTLY. Now I've started again, since I began getting painful toe and calf cramping, and, one time only, the fingers in one hand too. The supplemental calcium is working again, thank God. It's very strange because, between my wife and myself, we still drink about 10 quarts of milk a week. Yet I must have a different metabolism because she has never had this problem. We're both 69 years old. I can't complain because calcium pills are dirt cheap, and I accidentally discovered my own cure. Hope this helps you.