Ask the doctor.
Photo: Carl Rosen Currents/Thinkstock
Question It has been suggested that drinking 2 to three ounces of tonic water before bed can prevent leg cramps at night. Is it true?
Oh Tonic water—and the quinine in it—has been promoted for a long time as a cure for leg pain, although it's effective. Quinine is FDA-approved just for the treatment of malaria and is sold with a warning against using it to treat leg pain or muscle pain, because it could actually cause bleeding and heart rhythm disturbances. The risk increases. Tonic water incorporates not more than 83 milligrams of quinine per liter, much lower than the five hundred to 1,000 milligrams in a therapeutic dose of quinine pills. Drinking a couple of ounces of tonic water shouldn't be harmful, however it's unlikely to stop your leg cramps.
However, there are other things you may do. Since cramps are sometimes brought on by dehydration, be sure you get loads of fluids. But avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, that are dehydrating. (Don't mix gin with this tonic!) Stretching throughout the day or before bed also can help prevent them.
Once the pain starts, getting away from bed and standing on the affected leg could cause a miscarriage. Applying ice or heat and gently massaging the affected muscles may provide some relief.
