It may be picking up those irritable agents, he says. These same irritating agents may also be roaming the muscles of some people who are not undergoing dialysis, he adds. While Dr. Whittier s research looked just at people undergoing dialysis, several older studies showed the benefits of vitamin E for people without kidney problems. A daily dose of 300 international units was effective for half of the participants, while the others required 400 international units or more for relief. While not all studies have demonstrated that vitamin E is effective treatment for leg cramps, Dr. Whittier stands behind this remedy.
Vitamin E is just as good a remedy as quinine and probably safer, too.
When using vitamin E as a therapy, doctors frequently prescribe many times the Daily Value of 30 international units. But even these fine sources provide relatively small amounts of the vitamin. Studies have shown that some people can tolerate up to 1,600 international units of vitamin E a day without experiencing side effects, but some experts caution against taking more than 600 international units a day. Making a Case for Magnesium You ve seen those sports drink ads on television, the ones featuring weary, sweat-soaked weekend warriors gulping bottles of fluid filled with electrolytes. Electrolytes magnesium , potassium , calcium and sodium are some of the most important and most well known nutrients in the fight against cramping.