What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
often?

Thanks to all contributors, for a lot of useful information. Tomorrow
I'm going to marinate some chicken in the juice and fry it up for
dinner. Tonight I'm going to have a shot of juice before retiring. I
love experimenting. :~)

Carol

"Fancy Pantz" > wrote in message
...
> What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
> This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
> use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
> that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
> often?
>
> Thanks to all contributors, for a lot of useful information. Tomorrow
> I'm going to marinate some chicken in the juice and fry it up for
> dinner. Tonight I'm going to have a shot of juice before retiring. I
> love experimenting. :~)
>
> Carol

I had not heard that before. But as a child I loved to be the one to finish
off the last of the pickles or olives. I would always drink some of the
juice or brine.

On Aug 24, 1:23*am, (Fancy Pantz) wrote:
> What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
> This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
> use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. *How serendipitous is
> that? *My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
> often?
>
> Thanks to all contributors, for a lot of useful information. *Tomorrow
> I'm going to marinate some chicken in the juice and fry it up for
> dinner. *Tonight I'm going to have a shot of juice before retiring. *I
> love experimenting. :~)
>
> Carol

Drink more water and eat bananas.

On 8/23/2012 10:23 PM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
> What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
> This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
> use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
> that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
> often?

Leg cramps are brought about by an imbalance in your electrolytes which
is that part of your blood chemistry which makes muscle movement
possible. Typically it's a lack of potassium and bananas can help. In my
case, bananas do the opposite and give me cramps but bananas might be
helpful to you.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/42...se-leg-cramps/

>
> Thanks to all contributors, for a lot of useful information. Tomorrow
> I'm going to marinate some chicken in the juice and fry it up for
> dinner. Tonight I'm going to have a shot of juice before retiring. I
> love experimenting. :~)
>
> Carol
>

On Fri, 24 Aug 2012 09:00:28 -0700 (PDT), Chemo
> wrote:

>On Aug 24, 1:23*am, (Fancy Pantz) wrote:
>> What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
>> This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
>> use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. *How serendipitous is
>> that? *My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
>> often?

-snip-
>
>Drink more water and eat bananas.

Wish that worked for everybody-- I drink 2-3 quarts of a water a
day and was eating a banana or 2 a day when my cramps were the worst.

I tried K pills, quinine, rub-downs - 2 Drs & a friend who is a
physical therapist. My dad's gone through the same thing-- none
of the professionals have any more ideas. They come when they want
and just as mysteriously go away.

I *do* think that lower temps are one trigger-- but it still isn't
consistent.

They suck!! I hate when one leg cramps up enough that I need to get
up and walk around, and as soon as I put the good leg on the floor-
*it* cramps up too.

I keep some icy-hot next to the bed, but it does little more than
stink up the room and make me feel like I'm doing *something*.

I *haven't* tried pickle juice- so next time they start up, I'll be
trying it, too.

Jim

On 8/24/2012 11:10 AM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Aug 2012 09:00:28 -0700 (PDT), Chemo
> > wrote:
>
>> On Aug 24, 1:23 am, (Fancy Pantz) wrote:
>>> What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
>>> This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
>>> use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
>>> that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
>>> often?
>
> -snip-
>>
>> Drink more water and eat bananas.
>
> Wish that worked for everybody-- I drink 2-3 quarts of a water a
> day and was eating a banana or 2 a day when my cramps were the worst.
>
> I tried K pills, quinine, rub-downs - 2 Drs & a friend who is a
> physical therapist. My dad's gone through the same thing-- none
> of the professionals have any more ideas. They come when they want
> and just as mysteriously go away.
>
> I *do* think that lower temps are one trigger-- but it still isn't
> consistent.
>
> They suck!! I hate when one leg cramps up enough that I need to get
> up and walk around, and as soon as I put the good leg on the floor-
> *it* cramps up too.
>
> I keep some icy-hot next to the bed, but it does little more than
> stink up the room and make me feel like I'm doing *something*.
>
> I *haven't* tried pickle juice- so next time they start up, I'll be
> trying it, too.
>
> Jim
>

Try Smut... er... Tums. That's what I use anyway.

Chemo wrote:
>
> On Aug 24, 1:23 am, (Fancy Pantz) wrote:
> > What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
> > This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
> > use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
> > that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
> > often?
> >
> > Thanks to all contributors, for a lot of useful information. Tomorrow
> > I'm going to marinate some chicken in the juice and fry it up for
> > dinner. Tonight I'm going to have a shot of juice before retiring. I
> > love experimenting. :~)
> >
> > Carol
>
> Drink more water and eat bananas.

And quit being a "low carber" if you are not diabetic. Carbohydrates are
not evil. Eat the good ones, the complex carbs, but don't overdo it. Only
eat as much as your muscles need each day, depending on your lifestyle.

I'm starting to think this ng should be renamed: rec.lowcarb.food.cooking

Christine Dabney wrote:
>
> On Fri, 24 Aug 2012 03:23:11 -0500, (Fancy Pantz)
> wrote:
>
> >What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
> >This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
> >use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
> >that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
> >often?
>
> It doesn't take much. I too, have leg cramps off and on.

And you've been "low carbing" too I'll bet.

You people should treat the problem, not the symptoms.

G.

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>
> Wish that worked for everybody-- I drink 2-3 quarts of a water a
> day and was eating a banana or 2 a day when my cramps were the worst.
>
> I tried K pills, quinine, rub-downs - 2 Drs & a friend who is a
> physical therapist. My dad's gone through the same thing-- none
> of the professionals have any more ideas. They come when they want
> and just as mysteriously go away.

My wife gets leg cramps like that. Likely the result of a bicycle wreck
when she was in high school. large old scar on her one thigh. For her
quinine worked but it kept her awake for days after taking it. The cure
was worse than the disease. One chiropractor did get the cramps to stop
but he's expensive and his treatment only works for about two months.

> I *do* think that lower temps are one trigger-- but it still isn't
> consistent.

She does get cramps from stepping on a cold floor. It's the known
trigger. What trigggers the others we don't know. I suspect it's a
longer term result of poor circulation from the formation of scar tissue
decades ago.

> I *haven't* tried pickle juice- so next time they start up, I'll be
> trying it, too.

I am currently trying to convince her to try it. The look on her face
when she pictures swallowing pickle juice says it will be a tough sell.

On Fri, 24 Aug 2012 09:00:28 -0700 (PDT), Chemo
> wrote:

>On Aug 24, 1:23*am, (Fancy Pantz) wrote:
>> What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
>> This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
>> use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. *How serendipitous is
>> that? *My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
>> often?
>>
>> Thanks to all contributors, for a lot of useful information. *Tomorrow
>> I'm going to marinate some chicken in the juice and fry it up for
>> dinner. *Tonight I'm going to have a shot of juice before retiring. *I
>> love experimenting. :~)
>>
>> Carol
>
>Drink more water and eat bananas.

Which could only help if your cramps are caused by dehydration or a
lack of potassium.

Boron

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management...-charley-horse
What causes muscle cramps?

The cause of muscle cramps isn't always known. Muscle cramps may be
brought on by many conditions or activities, such as:

Exercising, injury, or overuse of muscles.
Pregnancy. Cramps may occur because of decreased amounts of
minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, especially in the later
months of pregnancy.
Exposure to cold temperatures, especially to cold water.
Other medical conditions, such as blood flow problems (peripheral
arterial disease), kidney disease, thyroid disease, and multiple
sclerosis.
Standing on a hard surface for a long time, sitting for a long
time, or putting your legs in awkward positions while you sleep.
Not having enough potassium, calcium, and other minerals in your
blood.
Being dehydrated, which means that your body has lost too much
fluid.
Taking certain medicines, such as antipsychotics, birth control
pills, diuretics, statins, and steroids.

Christine Dabney wrote:
> Gary > wrote:
>
>>You people should treat the problem, not the symptoms.
>
> No, I am not low carbing. There are more reasons for cramping than
> just that.

Electrolyte changes of low carbing last under a month. They stablize
whether you take extra minerals or not. It's just nice to take
supplements in the first month for the convenience.

> Don't jump to conclusions, please.

What's something else that lasts under a month? You know that smell
that can come out of your skin the next day if you eat a lot of garlic?
It lasts *forever*! Same sort of nonsense jumping to conclusions.

"Gary" > wrote in message ...
> Chemo wrote:
>>
>> On Aug 24, 1:23 am, (Fancy Pantz) wrote:
>> > What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
>> > This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
>> > use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
>> > that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
>> > often?
>> >
>> > Thanks to all contributors, for a lot of useful information. Tomorrow
>> > I'm going to marinate some chicken in the juice and fry it up for
>> > dinner. Tonight I'm going to have a shot of juice before retiring. I
>> > love experimenting. :~)
>> >
>> > Carol
>>
>> Drink more water and eat bananas.
>
> And quit being a "low carber" if you are not diabetic. Carbohydrates are
> not evil. Eat the good ones, the complex carbs, but don't overdo it. Only
> eat as much as your muscles need each day, depending on your lifestyle.
>
> I'm starting to think this ng should be renamed: rec.lowcarb.food.cooking

Hey! I am a diabetic and I don't low carb.

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:19:27 -0400, Gary wrote:
>
>> And quit being a "low carber" if you are not diabetic. Carbohydrates are
>> not evil. Eat the good ones, the complex carbs, but don't overdo it.
>> Only
>> eat as much as your muscles need each day, depending on your lifestyle.
>>
>> I'm starting to think this ng should be renamed: rec.lowcarb.food.cooking
>
> Dude, lay off the low-carb bashing. I really don't think you know
> enough about it to be bashing it and calling people out on it -
> especially when they're not even practicing it nor talking about it.

What he said.

"Gary" > wrote in message ...
> Christine Dabney wrote:
>>
>> On Fri, 24 Aug 2012 03:23:11 -0500, (Fancy Pantz)
>> wrote:
>>
>> >What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
>> >This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
>> >use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
>> >that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
>> >often?
>>
>> It doesn't take much. I too, have leg cramps off and on.
>
> And you've been "low carbing" too I'll bet.
>
> You people should treat the problem, not the symptoms.

I get leg cramps. I don't low carb. People get them for various reasons.
Only one of which is lack of something in the diet. I have bad veins in my
legs. That can cause cramping. People with a thyroid problem can get leg
cramps. When I was hyperthyroid I would have to stand in an uncomfortable
position many nights because the cramps would wake me. And when I was
pregnant I could not do the exercises in the birthing class because they
would cause my legs to cramp. I was taking my vitamins then and even extra
calcium. That wasn't the problem. And it's not the problem now. I have
been tested. Anything I was low on is taken in the form of a supplement.

"Doug Freyburger" > wrote in message
...
> Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>>
>> Wish that worked for everybody-- I drink 2-3 quarts of a water a
>> day and was eating a banana or 2 a day when my cramps were the worst.
>>
>> I tried K pills, quinine, rub-downs - 2 Drs & a friend who is a
>> physical therapist. My dad's gone through the same thing-- none
>> of the professionals have any more ideas. They come when they want
>> and just as mysteriously go away.
>
> My wife gets leg cramps like that. Likely the result of a bicycle wreck
> when she was in high school. large old scar on her one thigh. For her
> quinine worked but it kept her awake for days after taking it. The cure
> was worse than the disease. One chiropractor did get the cramps to stop
> but he's expensive and his treatment only works for about two months.
>
>> I *do* think that lower temps are one trigger-- but it still isn't
>> consistent.
>
> She does get cramps from stepping on a cold floor. It's the known
> trigger. What trigggers the others we don't know. I suspect it's a
> longer term result of poor circulation from the formation of scar tissue
> decades ago.
>
>> I *haven't* tried pickle juice- so next time they start up, I'll be
>> trying it, too.
>
> I am currently trying to convince her to try it. The look on her face
> when she pictures swallowing pickle juice says it will be a tough sell.

I have had cramps over the years for a variety of reasons. When I was a
dancer it was overuse. When I worked retail it was often from standing on
my feet for too long. I guess again that would fit into the overuse
category. I would sometimes wear support pantyhose and that helped but they
would get too warm, especially when it was hot.

When I was pregnant? Who knows. Probably the baby pressing on something.
I didn't get them until one night in birthing class. My husband and I were
trying to do some exercise on the floor and I swore in a very loud voice.
Heh. The nurse showed me how to relieve it by pressing my weight back onto
my foot with my leg extended behind me. Unfortunately as soon as I stood
normally the cramp returned. She told me to try taking more calcium. That
didn't help.

I did have low potassium when I was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Oddly, I was not low in magnesium which the Dr. said often went hand in
hand. Rather than having leg cramps then, the muscles just locked up on me.
I couldn't really walk. I couldn't bend my knees. My legs were just rigid.
It was very painful. I had to take prescription potassium. I had very
severe diarrhea prior to being diagnosed and it didn't go away for many
months despite taking every sort of med known to man. I have heard from
other diabetics that they had the same and it was presumed to be from high
blood sugar. But I am not sure about that. Because I have had high blood
sugar plenty of other times and didn't have that problem. But diarrhea can
cause low potassium.

I was kept hyperthyroid by my Dr. because I was overweight. I know that
this isn't the correct treatment but I don't think that Dr. was good.
Anyway... My muscles would lock up and cramp with that.

I have Fibromyalgia. I have to be careful what I do. Stretching is good
for most people. When I try to do it, it causes my muscles to cramp. I can
only do the very lightest of stretching. If I try to do a full on stretch
like I would like to do, it backfires on me.

I also have bad veins in my legs. I think this can cause cramping because
the blood can't get to the muscles like it should.

On 8/24/2012 3:23 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
> What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
> This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
> use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
> that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
> often?

snip...

For several weeks I had leg cramps, and I ate bananas, hoping it would
help. I had blood work and the results said I was low on vitamin D. I
began taking 50K per day, and the leg cramps stopped almost immediately,
I have not had one in about 3 years. I am not sure what is causing
yours, but I hope you find a solution.

Becca

>
All this talk about the 'wonders' of pickle juice sounds like the old 'Jogging in a Jug' hype of the '90's.

On 2012-08-25 19:36:30 +0000, said:

> All this talk about the 'wonders' of pickle juice sounds like the old
> 'Jogging in a Jug' hype of the '90's.

I've noticed an uptick in the volume and display of "drinking vinegars"
at Asian markets. First the Korean, then the Japanese. These are, as
far as I can tell, fruit juice flavored vinegar. One puts some in a
glass with water, or soda water or I suppose you can use it to doctor
drinks like shochu, with oolong tea and who knows what.

My first experience with vinegared cocktails was a Thai joint in
Portland. And then last fall saw something in the NYTimes about
vinegar cocktails.

We got a jug of blackberry a few months ago, as the wife is crazy about
berries (we grow a bunch too), and thought it might be a good
replacement for vimto and other soda beverages that she uses in place
of wine/cocktails due to some medical difficulties. She wasn't so
impressed. But then a month or so later she tried again with less
vinegar and was really delighted.

What's odd is, it tastes fine, but if you smell it, it smells like
vinegar which is a bit off-putting.

Last week I did a *massive* sort-out of accrued papers, bills, letters,
shards of dead manuscripts, invitations, receipts, playbills, etc. In
among all this muck I found a pamphlet called "Vinegar Can do What??"
It's just a 51-page pimp job for a book called "The Kitchen Table Book"
by "the editors of FC&A Medical Publishing".

There is apparently nothing that vinegar can't do: stop war, cure all
diseases, reverse aging, and provide endless erections all for only $30
if I act three months ago.

gtr > wrote:

>On 2012-08-25 19:36:30 +0000, said:
>
>> All this talk about the 'wonders' of pickle juice sounds like the old
>> 'Jogging in a Jug' hype of the '90's.
>
>I've noticed an uptick in the volume and display of "drinking vinegars"

It has been making me think of re-trying Switchel-- More of a
colonial new England drink, I think.
http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m093002.htm#1

HAY TIME SWITCHEL

Ingredients :
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. apple vinegar
1/2 c. light molasses
1 tbsp. ginger
2 qts. cold water

Preparation :
Combine and stir well. This can be refrigerated, but old timers
made it with cool spring water, and drank it while making hay for a
good energy restorer in the hot weather.

[He's got a bunch more variations there - including one with oatmeal
in it]

-snip-
>There is apparently nothing that vinegar can't do: stop war, cure all
>diseases, reverse aging, and provide endless erections all for only $30
>if I act three months ago.

Well, if it can reverse aging, it must be able to reverse time, too---
So send them the $30 and tell them you'll apply the vinegar tot he
space/time continuum to get in under the deadline.

I'll bet they'll cash your check-- and if you can effectively reverse
the time, they should send you the book, too.

Jim

On Friday, August 24, 2012 1:23:11 AM UTC-7, Fancy Pantz wrote:
> What a revelation to read that pickle juice can help relieve cramps!
>
> This solves two of my problems; I have pickle juice waiting for a good
>
> use and I suffer with leg cramps EVERY night. How serendipitous is
>
> that? My question to those of you who do drink it, is how much and how
>
> often?
>
>
>
> Thanks to all contributors, for a lot of useful information. Tomorrow
>
> I'm going to marinate some chicken in the juice and fry it up for
>
> dinner. Tonight I'm going to have a shot of juice before retiring. I
>
> love experimenting. :~)
>
>
>
> Carol

Carol your a life saver! My husband worked too hard the past two days and his muscles were cramping so severely, he couldn't move. I googled fast relief for cramps and here you were. He drank the pickle juice and was relieved instantly. He can't thank you enough he says. We tried bananas, potassium pill and fish. The pickle juice was instant relief. THANK YOU

On 2012-08-24 21:10:32 +0000, Jim Elbrecht said:

> I keep some icy-hot next to the bed, but it does little more than
> stink up the room and make me feel like I'm doing *something*.

I read somewhere that pressing the back of a regular table spoon
against the cramp would resolve it. It seemed to work, but I can't
imagine why. My cramps when away on their own. The spoon remains at
bedside though.

> I *haven't* tried pickle juice- so next time they start up, I'll be
> trying it, too.

I will too, but I have to wonder the timing and amount of the does.

On 2012-08-25 11:26:49 +0000, Jim Elbrecht said:

>> Oh yes, I marinated my chicken (skinless breasts) in the juice, for
>> about 20 minutes, breaded it with panko and regular bread crumbs,
>> spritzed it with oil and ovenfried it for about 25 minutes. It was
>> tender, juicy and very tasty.
>
> I like pickles enough that drinking the juice doesn't bother me----
> but those chicken breasts sound *excellent*. Can't believe I've
> never done that.

What IS pickle juice? I mean every time I make pickles it is vinegar,
water, sugar and salt in some various configuration with seasonings of
dill, garlice, hot pepper, etc.

Not dramatically different from a brining solution for smoked fish.

So wouldn't a tablespoon of vinegar pretty much accomplish the same
goal (cramps reduction)? Or does it need to be salted or sugared for
maximum utility?

On 2012-08-25 13:33:25 +0000, Gary said:

> Anyway, she had never heard of the pickle juice thing but she guessed that
> it's probably the vinegar in it.
>
> If so, I guess pickle juice would be a little easier to drink than plain
> vinegar. I'm not sure I'd want to marinate my chicken in it but I try to
> keep an open mind until I actually try something. ie: whenever I try
> someone's recipe, I'll always make it as stated the first time. After that,
> I often make a few changes.

Backing referencing a recent post, one could use a fruit-vinegar with a
little carbonated water and some vodka and make it an evening's ritual.
I've got the ritual already but haven't added the vinegar yet.

gtr wrote:
>
> On 2012-08-25 13:33:25 +0000, Gary said:
>
> > Anyway, she had never heard of the pickle juice thing but she guessed that
> > it's probably the vinegar in it.
> >
> > If so, I guess pickle juice would be a little easier to drink than plain
> > vinegar. I'm not sure I'd want to marinate my chicken in it but I try to
> > keep an open mind until I actually try something. ie: whenever I try
> > someone's recipe, I'll always make it as stated the first time. After that,
> > I often make a few changes.
>
> Backing referencing a recent post, one could use a fruit-vinegar with a
> little carbonated water and some vodka and make it an evening's ritual.
> I've got the ritual already but haven't added the vinegar yet.

LOL! I'm with you!@ A good stiff shot of vodka would probably do it.