There is a product that is contains magnesium in a topical foam that you rub on to stop attacks. It has very good reviews online but I have not tried it.
I had a horrible leg cramp after strenuous activity and dehydration (so bad we almost called an ambulance, and there was severe bruising in the leg the day after).
For the year after my heart attack and stent placement I was on a statin (despite excellent lab values). I suffered leg cramps 3-5 nights each week. Since stopping the statin I haven’t had one.
When I used to get these quite often I added a strong footboard to my bed and when a calf started twinging and feeling like it “wanted to cramp” I would slide downward (I’m short) and press my feet hard against the footboard. This worked pretty well, basically same idea as pulling your toes upward or standing up and putting weight on to pull against the cramp.
Doesn’t quite fit what I was saying that I have happen occasionally. I don’t seem to HAVE a cramp to start with it. Simply deciding to stretch my leg because it normally feels good, or extending it for some other reason causes it. And seems very much like the calf muscle decides that it’s not going to stop stretching, and pulls itself extremely tight until it’s very painful. I can believe that it’s associated with dehydration, but stretching seems to be the cause, not the cure.
Night splints. I was wearing one for a while to help with plantar fasciitis. They’re a little better than ski boots, but not much.
??? Motion, even if you call it “stretching”, can induce a cramp. Stretching the opposite way helps relieve it.
When I was getting frequent statin-related leg cramps, waking up became a high risk time. When I wake up, I stretch. That frequently led to an immediate, intense cramp, forcing me to jump out of bed and get weight on the affected leg.
I learned to suppress the “reflexive” stretching and instead would get out of bed and stand up.