dead leg in the night ... should I worry?

[imaginaryfriend]

Last night and the night before I woke up at around 3am with my thigh muscle completely numb. When I stood up I got minor pins and needles and then it passed. But in the daytime the muscles are feeling quite sore.

Anyone had this or any ideas what it might be or if I should worry?

[chapsmum]

are you pregnant? (i mean very pregnant!)

[imaginaryfriend]

No, not at all pregnant.

[chapsmum]

old matress back/hip pain?
smoker/ circulatory problems?

[imaginaryfriend]

anyone else?

[imaginaryfriend]

new mattress, quite a lot of shoulder, neck and head aches.

Mild smoker, no circulatory problems that I know of. Although I worry that circulation must have something to do with it ...

[nicnack2]

it could be as simple as how you were lying last night cause a nerve to be trapped.hth

[imaginaryfriend]

Yes, it was odd that it was two nights in a row and my muscles are still feeling tender today? If it was worrying though there'd be other symptoms, no?

[chapsmum]

vascular problems usually come with altered sensation down the leg along with swelling and poor circulation. You would expect to have a dull ach in the back of your muslces ad would also expect the pain to get worse with exercise (like cramp).
A trapped nerve in the hip or trapped sciatic nerve can give finnu sensations down the leg. If you have any problems with loss of sensation in your bottom or you feel that your circulation is not as good as it should be I would see the dr.

[chapsmum]

you could try eating a pkt of salty crisps and a bannana before going to bed. sometimes a bit of salt deficiency can cause cramp.

[jaamy]

Possibly dehydration - especially in this warm weather. Try drinking a glass of water before bed and keep one next to the bed at night incase you wake up with cramp. I often get this and have been recommended a banana before bedtime, too. HTH

[imaginaryfriend]

Do you think it might be cramp then? It's not painful at all, just totally numb. Then mild pins and needles and a very weak feeling when I stand and kind of weakness in the day afterwards.

[imaginaryfriend]

chapsmum, thanks for your replies. How would I suspect circulation problems?

[moondog]

I often have a dead member.
Usually arm,when Ive thrown it over my head as I sleep on my back however.
Then i wake and can't find it which is bloody freaky for a bit.

[imaginaryfriend]

I've had that too moondog, but never my thigh muscle. In fact I've never even had a numb thigh in the daytime, only numb hands or arms or feet. Weird ...

[imaginaryfriend]

bump

[imaginaryfriend]

it happened again last night ... exactly the same ...

[chapsmum]

a pinched nerve or the sciatic nerve can cause symptoms like that.
IF you were having circulatory problems I would be looking for impaire sensation. reduced blood flow, if you press the skin till it turns white it should take less that 2 seconds to pink up. also any swellin size difference between the leg.

[imaginaryfriend]

Actually I do have fairly permanent tingling, mild pins and needles in my feet, especially the left one. I'll try the pinching thing. No swelling at all.

[imaginaryfriend]

Press the skin of the foot or leg?

[Dior]

IF - no offence, but are you overweight? I get this when I need to lose weight. Ironically, it is always in my left leg, and it goes when I am back to my ideal weight. At one point I wanted to lose 3.5 stones, and it was happening every time I went to bed. I lost the weight and it stopped. It's back now, but I'm losing the weight again...

[chapsmum]

press anywhere below the point of numbness, do it in a few places. If you have permennant tingling I would sugggest seeing a dr to make sure that you do not have a pinched nerve in you back or hip.

[UglySister]

I think this is a mineral deficiency, read about it recently, but can´t remember which mineral... will try and think on...

[chapsmum]

you can get cramps and altered sensation from a sodium/potassium/magnesium deficiency. However youwould expect the symptoms to completly resolve during the day and dissapear with eating salty crips bannanas etc before bed.

[imaginaryfriend]

Dior I'm not overweight at all, if anything I'm a little underweight at the moment following a grotty tummy bug a month or so ago.

chapsmum, I can't get my leg to go white when I press it, it doesn't change colour (maybe I'm not pressing for long enough?) but on my foot the pink comes back in about 3 seconds I think. I take a good vitamin / mineral supplement drink every evening and I do eat quite a lot of salty foods although I must admit I loathe bananas!

[Dior]

IF...maybe now is the time to see the gp and rule out any problems? (The weight question wasn't meant to be offensive, as I have never met you, I hope you weren't offended?)