# Leg Cramps after Drinking **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-cramps-after-drinking/138344 "2002-11-23T15:06:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-cramps-after-drinking/138344/1 "2002-11-23T15:06:11Z")
After night of drinking hard, I sometimes get leg cramps in the middle of the night. Anyone know what might be causing this? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-cramps-after-drinking/138344/2 "2002-11-23T15:16:15Z")
Do you also get cottonmouth? Muscle cramps can be brought on by dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic, so maybe it’s causing dehydration. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-cramps-after-drinking/138344/3 "2002-11-23T15:51:55Z")
When I was having occasional night-time leg cramps, the research I did said that they are often caused by not having enough magnesium in your body, which can happen due to dehydration, which of course can open happen due to consuming alcohol and not enough water. Sorry, I can’t find a cite other than places that sell calcium/magnesium supplements. As long as I drink enough water and take an occasional supplement, I never get them anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-cramps-after-drinking/138344/4 "2002-11-23T15:55:13Z")
I’ve also been told, by a doctor, that drinking a small bottle of quinine water (a.k.a. tonic water) can help fend off leg cramps. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-cramps-after-drinking/138344/5 "2002-11-23T16:15:55Z")
Would it be the same for arms? I don’t have leg cramps after drinking but sometimes I get excruciating pain in my biceps. (And no, the glasses I drink from aren’t that heavy, ha ha.) I do have magnesium suppliments on hand (for “ladies reasons”) so I’ll try them next time and report back. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-cramps-after-drinking/138344/6 "2002-11-23T18:16:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by voguevixen \* > \*\*Would it be the same for arms? I don’t have leg cramps after drinking but sometimes I get excruciating pain in my biceps. (And no, the glasses I drink from aren’t that heavy, ha ha.) I do have magnesium suppliments on hand (for “ladies reasons”) so I’ll try them next time and report back. \*\* Any muscle could cramp, although the hamstring seems to be the favorite nocturnal cramper in my personal experience. I’m not sure why. The bicep performs the same mechanical function in the arm. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-cramps-after-drinking/138344/7 "2002-11-24T00:19:33Z")
Until a doctor arrives, I’d also suggest that loss of potassium might be the reason. Eat lots of bananas. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-cramps-after-drinking/138344/8 "2002-11-24T01:14:13Z")
Oddly, I find that if I take some extra calsium, the cramps go away.