19/06/2026
DIABETIC CRAMPS 🦵🦵
When I was 17, diabetic leg cramps were one of those lovely surprise features of Type 1. I’d wake up at 3am with a calf muscle so tight it felt like it was trying to leave my body without me.
Fast forward a couple of decades and... they’re back.
The difference is that teenage me got cramps for seemingly no reason. Thirty-something me gets them because I’ve started doing actual exercise like some sort of responsible adult ...🏃♂️
For people with diabetes, cramps can sometimes be linked to diabetic peripheral neuropathy — nerve damage that can develop after years of blood sugar highs and lows quietly doing their thing. But they can also be a sign that your electrolytes are having a bad day. Blood sugar swings can mess with magnesium and potassium levels, and your muscles need both to contract and relax properly.
When a cramp hits at 3am, there’s no magic fix. You stretch. You massage, blablalb
Diet-wise, I used to be firmly in the eat a banana and hope for the best 🍌
These days I’ve added magnesium as well, and it seems to be helping more than potassium ever did on its own. Early days, but I’ll take any win that doesn’t involve being launched out of bed!
