Chronic liver disease, or cirrhosis, is frequently brought on by extreme alcohol misuse and can be fatal.
Additionally, it is rife with severe symptoms that can negatively affect the quality of life for individuals who have it.

“Patients with cirrhosis experience a multitude of challenges, like poor sleep patterns, frailty and muscle cramps,” said Elliot Tapper, M.D., a hepatologist and associate professor of internal medicine at Michigan Medicine. “And even though they are suffering, patients don’t always tell their providers that they’re experiencing muscle cramps.”

Interestingly, regardless of the severity of their disease, two out of every three people with cirrhosis have some form of muscle cramp.

“In previous studies, just one tablespoon of pickle juice has been shown to stop experimentally-induced cramps pretty effectively,” said Tapper. “It’s the acid in the brine that triggers nerves in the back of the throat, which then turns the cramp off. So, it made sense for us to explore this new angle of cirrhotic cramps.”