Odd cramps 5 hours after diving

[mikerault]

Started in the second toe of the left foot. I could watch the toe get pulled down.After getting it straight it twitched for about an hour. Then had a cramp in the index finger of left hand that pulled it straight. About 15 minutes later had bilateral cramps in the inner thighs.

The day was hot and muggy, sweated copiously. I fear it was probably dehydration that caused the cramps. Since the dives I have drank several tumblers of water.

Anything else I should be doing? Getting some potassium maybe?

Mike

 

[Splitlip]

ahh...
suggest you consult a professional.

 

[Rob Wilks]

Started in the second toe of the left foot. I could watch the toe get pulled down.After getting it straight it twitched for about an hour. Then had a cramp in the index finger of left hand that pulled it straight. About 15 minutes later had bilateral cramps in the inner thighs.

The day was hot and muggy, sweated copiously. I fear it was probably dehydration that caused the cramps. Since the dives I have drank several tumblers of water.

Anything else I should be doing? Getting some potassium maybe?

Mike

call divers alert network with your question: 800.446.2671 or for emergency, call 1.919.684.4326.
Good luck.
Rob

 

[TSandM]

It's not possible to make a diagnosis over the internet.

But, if people are exposed to very hot conditions and sweat copiously, and replace those losses with water, they can end up with symptomatic hyponatremia (low sodium levels in the blood). Rapid reductions in serum sodium can cause widespread cramping, which can be severe. Replacement of the sodium is the treatment, so eating some salt or drinking some boullion might well have relieved your symptoms.

 

[farsidefan1]

Our football coaches made us drink pickle juice (not kidding) when we went down south in the heat and humidity to play Alabama. They got the idea from some medical folks with the Dallas Cowboys. Supposedly it is one of the best things for averting cramps from humid conditions. But I also agree that you should call DAN. And just think, football season starts in about a month! Thanks be to Odin or Neptune. Only diving is better.

 

[joe8mofo]

Mike,

What ended up happening?

-Josh

 

[cutlass]

Our football coaches made us drink pickle juice (not kidding) when we went down south in the heat and humidity to play Alabama. They got the idea from some medical folks with the Dallas Cowboys. Supposedly it is one of the best things for averting cramps from humid conditions. But I also agree that you should call DAN. And just think, football season starts in about a month! Thanks be to Odin or Neptune. Only diving is better.

If the Cowboys recommended this, it's because they learned it from the spanking they got from the Eagles (41-14) who did drink pickle juice in an opening 2000 game in 100+F heat.

But there may be something to this according to a popular article: NYTimes

This excerpt is noteworthy because it mentions a possible alternative to the customary theories of dehydration and electrolyte losses:

...
Dr. Miller suspects that that mechanism is exhaustion, either directly or through biochemical processes that accompany fatigue. Certain mechanisms within muscles have been found, in animal and limited human studies, he says, to start misfiring when a muscle is extremely tired. Small nerves that should keep the muscle from overcontracting malfunction, and the muscle bunches when it should relax. Pickle juice may work, Dr. Miller says, by countermanding the malfunction. Something in the acidic juice, perhaps even a specific molecule of some kind, may be lighting up specialized nervous-system receptors in the throat or stomach, he says, which, in turn, send out nerve signals that somehow disrupt the reflex melee in the muscles. Dr. Miller suspects that ultimately, it’s the vinegar in the pickle juice that activates the receptors. ...

But as usual with such fads, there must be some caution used according to one's health (e.g. hypertensive) and effects of unknown dosages.

 

[farsidefan1]

You flatter me sir, I was playing college ball loooong before 2000. Cowboys must have had some folks in the know a few decades earlier.

 

[mikerault]

After some salt and other electrolytes everything was fine. Dove the next day with no issues and no cramps!