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Original poster

Three year old complaining of tired legs/being tired all the time

70 replies

Reesewithafork · 26/07/2023 10:42

DS is three and has low iron, but takes a supplement (highest dose possible) and has never complained of feeling tired before, he's usually a bundle of energy.

Recently he's been saying his legs are tired and he wants to be carried up the stairs, and wants to make dens and lie down saying he's tired.

He's still pretty active - yesterday he was on his scooter the whole 30 minute walk to town and back, spent an hour running around soft play, played bike races with a friend then went to another friend's house to play and was still scampering about when he got in. He's not falling asleep during the day but it sleeping really well at night (not unusual, we are lucky and he always has) but I'm wondering if this is just because he's been using his scooter and bike a lot more (we have ditched the pushchair more and more recently) or whether something to keep an eye on.

I wondered if it could be a growth spurt as he's under average height at the moment so due to shoot up again. He's still eating well, playing normally, seems full of energy when at soft play etc...

Today for example after yesterday's busy day he's saying he's tired and wants to lie down - he's my first so I;'m not sure how much activity is reasonable for knackering them out!

OP posts:

Lemonademoney · 26/07/2023 18:08

My ds was very anaemic last year and I oiled often complain of tired legs. After a lot of investigating (he’s a brilliant eater so couldn’t make sense of the anaemia at all) we are now on a dairy free plan as dietician suspects Milk protein intolerance that was damaging his bowel and stopping his body absorbing iron. He is like a different child now, lots of energy and colour in his cheeks.

MissSmiley · 26/07/2023 18:09

My daughter was like this and eventually was diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder, she needed the pushchair at 5, wanted to be carried to school, while younger siblings were happily walking, just being hyper mobile can make their legs ache.

Other child was diagnosed with coeliac disease age 6 after his growth lines went flat, never noticed tiredness with him.

Could just be growing. Hope you find some answers

Original poster

Reesewithafork · 26/07/2023 18:13

@DeedlessIndeed thank you for sharing, I’ll definitely keep an eye on him but he’s very specifically saying tired and when I ask if they hurt/are sore (he has excellent understanding) or ache he says no just tired. So I haven’t been worried about that. He’s also not actually falling asleep in the day, just seems a bit sleepy but I will definitely keep an eye and request his bloods early as they do a FBC so hopefully that would flag up anything else. Last checked January so
not too long ago. Thank you for taking the time to post, I hope their DC is doing ok now, that’s every parent’s worst nightmare

OP posts:

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strongcupofTea · 26/07/2023 18:17

He did quite a lot of activity the other day and probably has achy muscles. Other then that maybe he's coming down with a bug.

Icannoteven · 26/07/2023 18:17

My daughter was like this at 3. She was diagnosed with coeliacs and joint hypermobility. They only tested for coeliacs because her iron and vit d were low. She wasn’t absorbing these.

Original poster

Reesewithafork · 26/07/2023 18:21

Interesting points. His height growth has slowed and his weight has aswell (was in 91st now 61st for weight although still on the heavy side and his height is below average) so that’s what was making me think possible surge in growth but if it stays like this and he doesn’t grow much over the next few months I’ll definitely flag this.

can you still have coeliac if you’re gaining weight?

he’s actually dairy free - and we have recently started reintroducing dairy, I’m wondering if this could also be the cause as I think it might have happened around the same time - only reading the post from the poster about dairy free made me think of it.

thanks for all your suggestions all things to keep in mind hopefully it’s just tiredness, growth or lots of activity - he’s a child who rarely sits still - but I will keep a very close eye and request more bloods.

OP posts:

Icannoteven · 26/07/2023 18:21

Despite seeking a medical opinion on this since the age of four my dd wasn’t diagnosed until 9(!) as it was initially thought to be the vit d /low iron causing her issues. I had to fight to see a rheumatologist and for them to look at the underlying causes of her deficiencies. By this point, the coeliacs was so bad that her villi were completely destroyed and she had low bone density.

OLDERME · 26/07/2023 18:25

When my kids were young, it was called growing pains regardless. However, I wouldn't settle for that nowadays. Why would a child on a good diet plus a supplement be low in iron? i would need an explicit answer to that one. I would also watch out if he ever starts to walk on his tiptoes.xxx

Original poster

Reesewithafork · 26/07/2023 18:28

@OLDERME whats the significance of the tiptoes? No that was my thinking but apparently some people just can’t store it that well. I’ve just had a look and his haemoglobin has always been fine so that’s why they weren’t concerned I think. It’s weird because as I say prior to this you would never think he has low anything he’s a bundle of energy. Every time he’s been like this before it’s been growth but I didn’t think they had extreme surges of growth after 3 which is what has made me worry a little.

@Icannoteven oh that’s terrible. Did they give a reason for the low Vit d or iron at the time?

OP posts:

OLDERME · 26/07/2023 18:35

If he is not walking on his tiptoes, it is nothing to worry about. If he does begin to, then go to GP. It's just something from my experience. If it is not there, it is nothing to worry about, xxx

TRexTara · 26/07/2023 18:38

Vitamin D? They don't routinely test for it because the blood test is expensive.

WolfFoxHare · 26/07/2023 18:40

There’s usually less chance of it being anything like cancer if it’s both legs anyway.

WolfFoxHare · 26/07/2023 18:40

Cancer in a hip or leg, I mean.

ghostbusters · 26/07/2023 18:55

can you still have coeliac if you’re gaining weight?

Yes, I believe so. Kids might still gain a little weight but not enough to keep up with their line on the centile chart. They can probably still absorb energy from calories in food but not the vitamins or minerals. Your GP might expect your LO to lose weight or 'fail to thrive' which isn't always the case.

I was diagnosed with coeliac disease as a toddler in the early 80s when there wasn't much awareness about it. I was failing to thrive. It makes me sad that it is still taking a while for it to be tested for these days.

You've had a lot of suggestions/advice, probably over and above what you were looking for from this thread. I would like to add that you're his mum. You know him best. Trust your gut here. Nothing screams out that he needs urgent medical attention, just worth a chat with his health care team next time you're in touch with them (I'm not a medic, just a life long coeliac...).

Changes17 · 26/07/2023 18:59

DD had leg pain and wanted to be carried before being diagnosed with leukaemia aged four. BUT it wasn’t that that led to the diagnosis - it was the repeated infections with high temperatures over a few months.

The first time we took her into A&E (bank holiday) and they gave us a leaflet that advised going to the GP if kids have I think three infections/high temperatures in three months. We did and she had blood tests that found (from memory) a low level of neutrophils/white blood cells and it went from there. (She’s fine now).

Icannoteven · 26/07/2023 20:01

@Reesewithafork they didn’t give a reason at the time - just suggested supplementation, both vit d deficiency and low iron are common.

Original poster

Reesewithafork · 26/07/2023 20:02

@ghostbusters thank you for such a detailed post. I think my gut is saying a mixture of lots of activity and more exercise/potentially growth. And if not growth, which I'll know very soon, I'll take him into our GP. We have an appointment with a paediatrician on 7th August so I will definitely bring it up then, and also see if I can get his bloods moved forwards.
I don't feel like it's a urgent issue as you said, as it could be the perfect storm of factors, but I feel better armed to question things regarding the iron especially due to some really helpful advice and info on this thread. The fact that he was jumping all over Daddy before bed despite saying he was tired when he didn't want to climb down the stairs a few minutes before makes me think it could be tired legs from exercise, or just not wanting to climb the stairs as I won't let him jump from one to the next! I will definitely stay hot on it though, I'm just trying not to let my health anxiety get its claws into it which is why I find it so helpful to post here and get a spectrum of advice and anecdotes. Helps make me see it can be numerous things or absolutely nothing, it doesn't always have to be a Big Bad Thing.

@Changes17 I am so so sorry you all had to go through that and I cannot tell you how pleased I am to read that she's all okay now! Interesting about the infections, I had a similar worry last year as he was unwell so often, but it got better after his first 6-9 months at nursery and now (touch wood) in terms of getting fevers, viruses etc he's much much healthier compared to last year and also seems to have shorter lived fevers that do the job to kill whatever it is off quicker so I've actually been really pleased to see how that situation has got better. Pretty much exactly in the timeframe the GP said it was actually - are you in America or the UK? Just curious as we are in the UK and none of them batted an eye when he was getting 1-2 fevers each month but I think that was down to the fact he was a covid baby - two months old when it hit so a heavily sanitised existence for a long time - and it was his first term at nursery.

Thank you to everyone who has posted, really helpful and useful. And none of you have made me feel like I'm being slapdash or missing something huge/obvious so thank you for that too.

OP posts:

Original poster

Reesewithafork · 26/07/2023 20:08

thank you @OLDERME
and thank you @WolfFoxHare that's reassuring it's definitely both and not one in particular.

OP posts:

WolfFoxHare · 26/07/2023 20:39

My son still says he’s tired when he doesn’t want to do something (and that can range from doing his homework to going to his swimming lesson to going upstairs to bed in the evening). But he’s perfectly capable of running upstairs if you stand at the top and wave a sweetie, or chase him up as part of a game…

Original poster

Reesewithafork · 26/07/2023 20:41

A good test @WolfFoxHare I'll try it tomorrow. The simple ones are always the best.

Again, thanks to everyone who took the time to post. I love Mumsnet when it's like this.

OP posts:

Hihihihihihihihihi · 26/07/2023 20:46

DD has (and at 4 continues to) complain in a similar manner every time she is having a growth spurt

Original poster

Reesewithafork · 26/07/2023 20:48

This is probably a stupid question as it's probably different for all kids, but how long do the growth spurts usually last @Hihihihihihihihihi

OP posts:

Changes17 · 26/07/2023 21:50

We’re in the UK, @Reesewithafork - this was about 8 years ago though.

Hotpinkangel19 · 26/07/2023 22:05

Another one for checking Coeliac. My Daughter was diagnosed after being constantly tired, her iron and folic acid are so low.

Original poster

Reesewithafork · 26/07/2023 22:36

@Hotpinkangel19 did she have an iron supplement at all and did it still not improve

OP posts:

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