Can vitamin B12 help nighttime leg cramps in the elderly? Some research in Taiwan suggests that a combination of vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and riboflavin does.

Vitamins B Complex

Scientists at the Tapei Medical College recruited 28 elderly patients who had nocturnal leg cramps that sometimes interfered with their sleep. Giving them a vitamin B supplement providing 250 micrograms of B12, 30 mg of B6, 5 mg of riboflavin, and 50 mg of thiamine) for three months, the doctors found that 86 per cent of their patients who took vitamin B enjoyed complete remission for noctural leg cramping. In their view, safe and effective vitamin B should be the treatment of choice for nighttime leg pain in older people.

Vitamins B Complex

One thing you need to know about this combination is that the doses of these particular vitamins are higher than you'd find in a "complete B," "B-50," or "B-100" supplement, so you'd need four separate vitamin B supplements, B6, B12, riboflavin, and thiamine, to get the right amount. Your natural health products store should be able to help you find the right dosage, but be sure to check against the label to get enough vitamin B (and don't buy less just because the clerk wants to sell it to you).

It's also important to remember that leg cramps can have many causes. It's always a good idea to get regular checkups at your doctor's office. If you have daytime leg cramps, if your cramps started when you started a new blood pressure medicine, or if you have pain when you walk, be sure to see your physician to make sure you do not have a more serious condition.

Vitamin B12 and Nocturnal Leg Cramps

Vitamins B Complex