Could Low Potassium Be Causing Leg Cramps?

[jackay]

For the past two weeks, I get cramps in my legs soon after I wake up. Usually, the cramps are in the calves but sometimes I get them in the thighs. They aren't severe like Charlie Horses but are still plenty painful.

I asked my fitness instructor for advise and she suggested I may be low on potassium. I did some research and found that the RDA is 4700 mg. for adults. I calculated what I consume and I am not anywhere near that. Currently, I am on a candida diet so am not consuming much fruit and not eating starchy vegetables. Those are the foods that are high in potassium. Before I started this candida diet about 7-8 weeks ago, I was eating tons of fruit and definitely getting my RDA of potassium.

I checked into potassium supplements and what I found provide 3% of the RDA. It seems strange that they come in such a low dose. Should I supplement and if so, how much?

I currently take 3600-4000 IUs Vitamin D3 and 1800 mg. calcium citrate daily. My magnesium supplements consist of 100 mg. bis-glycinate, 125 mg. combined bis-glycinate and citrate , 125 mg. combined oxide and citrate. My doctor told me 200 mg. was plenty as long as I take the bis-glycinate as it is very absorbable. I know if I take any higher dose of the magnesium citrate, I get diarrhea. Do any of the other forms of magnesium cause diarrhea?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

[tarnalberry]

Yes, suddenly upping dosage of magnesium will cause diarrhea, but ideally, you should be taking a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium, so you'd be wanting about 900mg magnesium per day. And yes, low potassium can cause leg (and other muscle) cramps.

[jackay]

Yes, suddenly upping dosage of magnesium will cause diarrhea, but ideally, you should be taking a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium, so you'd be wanting about 900mg magnesium per day. And yes, low potassium can cause leg (and other muscle) cramps.

Both my doctor (osteopathy) and a naturopath that I use to see said that magnesium glycinate is so much more absorbable and that I don't need to take as much as if I were taking magnesium citrate. I'll add another magnesium glycinate per day and see if that helps.

[frieze]

the reason that

the reason that K+ (potassium) supplements are so low is that too much can be deadly.... calculate your Ca++ intake in food, perhaps you can lower your supplement of that.....when i started D3 i started getting cramps, potentially d/t the benificial affect on absorbing Ca++. But do be careful about low K+, because too low is deadly as well....perhaps having your blood levels checked would be a good thing.