Getting nervous at baking soda intake... page

[Knifegill]

Went outside to pull some weeds, was jumping on a bush to crush it down, and *pow*, right vastus lateralis or rectus femoris starts to lock up. Quickly as I can, knowing it's a race against time, I hobble inside trying not to flex the muscle, and dump a couple of teaspoons of baking soda into the first cup I see, fill it with tap because the faucet is closer than the well water tower, and chug it. How long can I play this game? Alkalosis is a reality, the more sensitive I become to cramps. I'm getting afraid to go outside again - I know better than to touch the bicycle today. I just want to know, when this cumulates to the point of body-wide cramping and I've already had too much baking soda, what then? It's only getting worse.

Something in grains fixes this. WHAT IS IT?! Should I start eating bread again? I'm scared and angry about this.

What if I'd decided to go to the beach instead of do yardwork? What if this happens when there is nobody to help me, and my kneecap snaps off?

[Knifegill]

Thread is invisible. *bump* so it appears in forum...

[Knifegill]

Still invisible. Trying again.

[dragonmamma]

Say what? I've never even heard of baking soda for muscle cramps before. If the condition keeps getting worse and worse, I would assume that the baking soda is not working.

Instead, how about some gentle stretching, a hot pack, or a potassium filled sweet potato. Or a banana. (Unless you're one of those bananaphobes.)

[Knifegill]

I already eat too much potassium as it is. Stretching, I can do more of. Heat and cold packs just weird me out - but I'll try anything at this point. Mostly interested in prevention.

The baking soda definitely works as an instant cure, and short-term prevention. Much like mustard, it has an immediate, dynamic impact and defeats the cramp swiftly. But as for long-term use, it is known that alkalosis is a possibility. Not that I use it every day. Mostly on work-out days, or if I know I'll be using my legs for anything but walking.

I did just go and buy "lite salt" which is potassium-based. Perhaps I need to get up near the lethal dosing range for potassium to do anything for me...

[Knifegill]

No, I don't know. I had cramps sometimes before, but after cutting out processed food it's slowly getting worse. Dragonmamma is probably right. Stretching, enough potassium to kill a raccoon and maybe cold/hot packs might be what I need. I just can't understand why I'd need superhuman doses of potassium to survive in the wild. Is my body just destroyed from living on kool-aid and macaroni & cheese all those years?

[SleepingLion]

If you're getting adequate (and / or too much) Potassium and Sodium, most likely the cause of frequent cramp is that you're not getting enough Magnesium.

[Knifegill]

At this point, I'm desperate enough to try anything just to be able to do yardwork. I have magnesium, and I think I'll start taking it again, too. Maybe I should just invest in a high-quality one-a-day for electrolytes instead of all these different sources. Any good brands you know of?

[not on the rug]

this might sound dumb, but have you considered the fact that you might not be drinking enough water? and also, at what point in time would supplementing with teaspoons of baking soda be normal or natural? i mean, the stuff doesn't really exist in food. or am i missing something?

[tplank]

Make sure your magnesium is chelated.