I am 65 years old and have been getting severe nighttime leg cramps for the past two years. Not mild cramps — the kind that wake you from a dead sleep, screaming, with your calf muscle seized into a rock-hard ball. Happening 3-4 times per week. My doctor suggested quinine but warned about the side effects. I tried stretching, compression socks, extra potassium, tonic water. Nothing worked.
My daughter, who is into supplements, bought me a bottle of magnesium glycinate and told me to take 200mg before bed. I was skeptical. I have been around long enough to not believe in miracle supplements.
Night one: slept through the night without a cramp for the first time in months. Attributed it to coincidence.
Night two: same.
Night three: same. At this point I started paying attention.
It has been two months. I have had exactly two cramps in that entire period, both on nights I forgot to take the magnesium. The difference is so stark that there is no ambiguity about whether it is working. My wife takes it now too for her restless legs.
I specifically want to note that I tried magnesium oxide first (the cheap stuff at the drugstore) and it gave me terrible diarrhea within 30 minutes. The glycinate form has caused zero stomach issues. Not a single episode. My doctor confirmed that the glycinate form is better absorbed and gentler on the gut.
The side benefit I did not expect: I sleep better overall. Not just cramp-free, but deeper, more restful sleep. I wake up feeling like I actually slept, which at my age is not something I take for granted.