I could use some help. I am a guest here and this is my first time in this group. I have been on the carnivore diet for a little over 14 months. I am having consistent leg cramps at night. The cramps are usually in my calves and feet but occasionally in the thighs. They usually start around 3:00 to 4:00 am. I know that electrolyte balance can be a problem on the carnivore diet. I am currently drinking 80 oz. of water with 4 scoops of Re-Lyte brand of electrolytes. I drink more water than this per day but the rest of the water doesn't have electrolytes in it. This gives me 240 mg of Magnesium, 6,340 mg of Chloride, 4,000 mg of Sodium, and 2,000 mg of Potassium. I have also recently started taking 480 mg of Calcium Fructoborate in a Boron supplement (because I read that it can help the body absorb and utilize electrolytes). I have also started drinking on can of LMNT electrolytes late in the day to try and keep the cramps from happening at night. In spite of all of these efforts, I am still getting leg cramps every night.

Has anyone else experienced this problem and found a solution? Any recommendations?

Thanks you for your help!

Welcome.

I had sporadic cramping early on, pretty much the same. Later in the night and usually in the calves and feet. I didn't do any research I just dove right in head first.

I tried LMNT in a couple flavors but didn't like the taste. I made my own for a long time from a you tube video.

For me, my cramps eased from doing pretty much the same as you but I did up the fat content of my meals along the same time. I tried going a tad bit leaner on the cuts of meats and found that I did better on a higher fat/moderate protein approach.

Maybe my cramps eased with the combination of the two, electrolytes and fat, but really not sure.

Scott

I find that my cramps occur when my electrolytes are low due to high activity or work when it’s hot out. I drink a lot of water and even salt my water as well as add iodine to it but will still get cramps occasionally.

I have to be careful about taking electrolytes because they can raise my potassium levels too high which is dangerous to the heart so I only take them when I think I’m going to need them.

Now this may sound weird but something I’ve done twice now and it worked was to take a heaping tablespoon of yellow mustard when a cramp comes on and both times the cramps went away within a minute or so. I heard about this a decided to give it a try and so far it’s been working for me. It might be a coincidence but I’ll keep doing it and see.

Mustard works really well.

Pickle juice I am told works even better, or so I am told.

If I can choose between pickle juice and cramps, I will take the cramps.

Scott

Sorry that I am late to the discussion. I just saw this post.

I had a similar problem with insane cramps waking me up several times a night. And the thigh cramps were the worst. Drinking saltwater or an LMNT right before bed would sometimes help.

I eventually narrowed down my issue. It was a prescription drug that I was taking. I ceased taking the drug and I haven't had to take electrolytes nor have I had any cramps in over a year now.