I'm on week 6 of Atkins. I have experienced leg cramps through out. Although mild, and only at night now, obviously my body is telling me something. This last week I have started taking 1 potassium tablet ~ 50 mgs. I noticed no relief. Yesterday I took 1 in am and 1 at bedtime. Alas! No cramps. The bottle says take 1 daily. Is 2 too many?

If I have to go to the dr for this, I will inevitably have to wait a few weeks or longer! I'm in Canada..lol.

Joy

Hello sheaman: you could need a calcium/magnesium supplement. Go to the top of this page & click on this image: If you do a search for "cramps AND legs" on this site, I think you will find other threads about this. It may not be potassium at all.

I tried that search..All I got was a bunch of peoples journals?!?!

Anyway, I have been taking a calcium/magnesium supplement with vidamin D. It's just that the pharmasist said that potassium was what people take for leg cramps. Maybe I should take 2 per day of each and see what happens.

Thanks for your help,

Joy

I've been on bp meds for a couple years now, so potassium loss is an issue for me. When I fall below about 1000mg of potassium intake a day I get leg cramps, especially at night.

I try to have potassium rich foods throughout the day, rather than take supplements, and it seems to help. If you are on OWL a small glass of V-8 juice has over 400mg. A can of tuna has over 600mg. Four oz. of good steak has over 450mg. A good-sized artichoke has over 500mg. Over the course of a day that can all add up!

I track my intake on FitDay as one of my custom goals. If I don't have at least 1000mg in a day, I'll try taking a supplement at night.

Sorry, that last post messed up. I take calcium with magnesium and potassium (a separate capsule) in the morning, and one more calcium at dinner time. If I start feeling strange in my legs/feet (I have restless leg syndrome) I just take another calcium. Your body sheds excess calcium through your urine.

Good luck and hang in there-

Sheaman, you can take several of those potassium supplements. The good doctor Atkins recommends supplementation of 400g a day during induction. Plus... most pills I've seen have 99g, so 100g of your smaller pills equals one of mine. Take that potassium!

Other good sources include swiss chard, tomatoes, tomato juice & paste, winter squash, nuts, asparagus, brussels sprouts, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mushrooms, pumpkin, spinach, and zucchini.

Mmm....lots of good stuff.

You can also purchase a salt substitute such as No-Salt or Nu-Salt which is made of potassium.

Hope that helps.

P.S. I got those veggies off a list of things to restrict on a "Potassium Restricted Diet." Seems like a sad diet, I love those veggies. But apparently some people have too much potassium in their blood.

Gee,

Thanks for all the info guys..

I will up the natural intake of potassium in my diet & even the supplements.

What a great place to be able to come!

Joy

I sometimes need to take two tablets, with similar results. I don't think it would be too much. If a lack of potassium is causing the cramps, and by taking two tablets you cause a cessation of the cramps, go for it!

Good Luck!