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Advice for muscle tightness

daisybell

Senior Member
Messages
1,613
Location
New Zealand
I am currently going through another phase of muscle tightness... This time it's affecting lots of my larger muscles, particularly my thighs and my abdominals. It feels as though the muscles are over-tight and on the verge of cramping, and any activity makes it worse. If I stretch the affected muscles, they do cramp up badly. I am taking magnesium but don't know if I am taking the right formula or the right amount.

It's not particularly painful at rest, but I am aware of it all the time because it feels so not right. Any advice would be very welcome.
 

Aileen

Senior Member
Messages
615
Location
Canada
I have muscle tightening and spasms that happen frequently. I use the muscle relaxant Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine). It is a prescription med. I take it on an as needed basis. I should warn you that this med can be heavily sedating. If you have sleep problems this may be helpful but if you need to be very alert proceed with caution.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
Flexeril is REALLY sedating. I think Tizanidine and Baclofen are also muscle relaxants. I take Tizandine for sleep, Baclofen was like I was on speed. They both have shorter half lives I think.
 

daisybell

Senior Member
Messages
1,613
Location
New Zealand
Thanks for those suggestions.
I just took a bath, which has eased the muscles a bit but not improved anything else of course. Now I feel flattened but not over-strung!
 

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
Magnesium, bot with topical application for more dosage, alongside potassium in greater amounts. Do you also take methyl b12 or methyl folate? These could be depleting potassium storage if so and causing the cramps and tightness, very common with low magnesium which will not show up on tests and is apparent in many chronic illnesses.
 

daisybell

Senior Member
Messages
1,613
Location
New Zealand
Magnesium, bot with topical application for more dosage, alongside potassium in greater amounts. Do you also take methyl b12 or methyl folate? These could be depleting potassium storage if so and causing the cramps and tightness, very common with low magnesium which will not show up on tests and is apparent in many chronic illnesses.

Hi Martial,
I take capsules which are 75mg magnesium and 25mg potassium - up to 4 a day. B12 has never done anything for me even when I tried the injections.
I think this is a sign of something brewing as I am gradually feeling more unwell as the day goes on. Just hoping its a short-lived cold virus....
 

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
Hi Martial,
I take capsules which are 75mg magnesium and 25mg potassium - up to 4 a day. B12 has never done anything for me even when I tried the injections.
I think this is a sign of something brewing as I am gradually feeling more unwell as the day goes on. Just hoping its a short-lived cold virus....


well your magnesium intake is just hitting the RDV, if you have a deficiency you would need much higher levels to bring it up again, taking high doses of magnesium can lead to a lot of stomach issues so a sub dermal application would help to bring intra cellular levels higher without harm. Potassium is also 4000mg to hit the rdv where you are supplementing like 5% of that, I would try and eat some high potassium foods for now to bring up levels anyways, not saying these are the source of your troubles but worth it to do anyways because there is no harm.


It is anybodies guess what it could be and I think we have a tendency to over think everything here, however I hope these suggestions help just for a general sake of things, whether or not they help specific symptoms it is still important to keep adequate balance because it is a needed nutrient for multiple processes in the body regardless.