Because cramps are often caused by dehydration, make sure to get enough fluids. But avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, which are dehydrating. Don't mix gin with that tonic! Stretching during the day or before bed may also help prevent them. Once a cramp starts, getting out of bed and standing on the affected leg may abort it. Using ice or heat and gently massaging the affected muscle may provide some relief. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
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Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School. Each night I open a can of tonic water and let it sit because carbonation bothers me. We used to think that the small amount of quinine 20 mg in a glass of tonic water would be inadequate to prevent or treat muscle cramps. Nonetheless, many readers have stories similar to yours.
We now think we have figured out the explanation. Such transient receptor potential TRP channels are found on nerves throughout the body. Activating them through the TRP channels appears to reverse the nerve hyperactivity that causes muscle spasms and results in muscle cramp pain. In addition, other things can trigger TRP channels. They include vinegar, ginger, garlic and chili peppers.
We suspect that tonic water has a more pleasing flavor for managing muscle cramps. You can learn more about TRP channels and how they can be utilized to reverse muscle spasms by listening to our interview with Dr.
Bruce Bean, neuroscientist and co-founder of HotShot. To learn more about the science behind this and many other simple treatments you may also find our eGuide to Favorite Home Remedies of interest.
We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options. The quinine in tonic water can activate TRPM7, a transient receptor potential channel, to ease or eliminate muscle cramp pain.
Terry Graedon. What Does Quinine Do? Rate this article star-full star-empty star-full star-empty star-full star-empty star-full star-empty star-full star-empty star-full star-empty star-full star-empty star-full star-empty star-full star-empty star-full star-empty.
Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Analysis indicate that leg cramps are a common phenomenon associated with many comorbid disorders especially peripheral vascular and neurologic disorders. Thus, evaluation of a patient's complaining of leg cramps appropriately includes vascular, neurologic, and musculoskeletal examinations.
Laboratory investigation of the symptom of leg cramps warrants as a minimum, assessment of thyroid function and determination of platelet counts and serum levels of electrolytes, calcium, and magnesium. A few small studies suggest that quinine is effective in decreasing the frequency of nocturnal leg cramps but not their severity or duration.
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