-—about that crampy calf muscle: Do you happen to be a “low salt” person? If you are, you might try licking a few sprinkles of table salt whenever you get the cramp. If you do and the cramp relieves in a few minutes that might point to a way to flex those troublesome joints a little more.
For my own part, I’m a salt baby and won’t make it thru the night without a thigh or calf cramp, at straight up midnight, if I go light on salt during the day. I straightened that whole low salt idea out with my Quack a lot of years ago.
Had similar experiences.
Had that “lower your salt intake” crap when it first started, did that for a few months b/c I had slightly elevated BP. Due to employment(petrochem) I get bloodwork at work every 6 months for “free” and I also get bloodwork at my personal doc every 6 months....so every 3 months I get a snapshot.
SODIUM and CHLORIDE started showing up LOW at work and my doc. My doc said possibly use sports drinks(nope, too many bad items in them). Started ADDING salt to my food, fixed it. I don’t eat any processed food so that may be why I was “low” after reducing my natural salt input. “Lower Your Salt Intake” became another thing they can use as a suppository.
I don’t eat much salt. I’m supposed take magnesium twice a day but I’m lucky to remember to take it once. That might help too.