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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Struggling- please read.

30 replies

Symmetricalsquares · 25/04/2023 14:19

My young adult daughter has been suffering with horrendous leg cramps recently. To the extent she is left screaming in pain. She said the pain is behind her calves and it comes and goes. She’s also been getting weakness and tingles in her legs and feet too.

does anyone know what could be causing this? GP wasn’t concerned and said likely stress. It started 3 months ago in one leg but now she said it happens in both

OP posts:
angiec89 · 25/04/2023 14:20

Not sure op, try going back to GP. Is she on pain killers?

WakeMeUpInspring · 25/04/2023 14:21

I used to get leg cramps and started taking magnesium which helped.

WakeMeUpInspring · 25/04/2023 14:21

Oh just spotted weakness. She needs to see GP again

Hotfootgoose · 25/04/2023 14:22

I would go to A&E .

Mabelface · 25/04/2023 14:23

I'd see a different gp. Would she let you go with her to make sure she's not just fobbed off again?

Aquamarine1029 · 25/04/2023 14:24

While you wait to see the GP, I would get her magnesium oil spray for her legs and magnesium glycinate oral supplement immediately. Have her apply the spray to her legs twice a day. The spray may make her skin itch and burn slightly, but this is completely normal and will cease to happen after using the spray several times.

Orangesandlemons77 · 25/04/2023 14:30

Is she taking the pill? I would be concerned about a DVT. Maybe ring 111 and see what they say?

Walkacrossthesand · 25/04/2023 14:41

Does the pain come on when she's walking, @Symmetricalsquares ?

Original poster
Symmetricalsquares · 25/04/2023 19:21

Walkacrossthesand · 25/04/2023 14:41

Does the pain come on when she's walking, @Symmetricalsquares ?

its difficult to say for sure- sometimes the cramping will come on when she's walking and other times it comes on at rest. Ditto with the weakness and tingling, it sometimes seems to come on when she is doing everyday things (walking, standing) and other times comes on when she moves.

OP posts:
FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 25/04/2023 19:34

Is she deficient in any vitamins/minerals? Does she have a generally good diet?

As someone said above magnesium deficiency can cause leg cramps and can be as easy to solve as eating a banana every day.

Everley · 25/04/2023 19:40

My mum had similar when her vitamin D levels were drastically low.

Wishitsnows · 25/04/2023 19:42

That’s terrible that the gp fobbed her off like that. Did the dr even bother with blood tests?

aintnothinbutagstring · 25/04/2023 19:43

Calf cramp can be absolutely excruciating - tell her when she feels a twinge of cramp coming on - to immediately point toes upwards (if lying down) and keep leg dead straight until feeling passes. That should avoid the severe pain. It sounds like there could be an underlying issue with the tingling/weakness though severe cramp can cause a couple of hours of soreness/weakness afterwards.

TomatoSandwiches · 25/04/2023 19:49

Sounds similar to my peripheral neuropathy which is agonising.
I would take her back and request a full panel blood test to check for deficiencies, HbA1c for Blood sugar levels and possibly a neuro referral/ IPASS clinic.

ittakes2 · 25/04/2023 19:51

I put salt on my tongue when I get leg cramps and they go immediately

Scarfweather · 25/04/2023 20:02

Have you considered Sever’s disease? ‘Disease’ makes it sound awful, but to memory (my DD had this a few years ago) I think it’s actually to do with uneven growth and while it’s more about the Achilles/heel, it can cause significant calf pain.
Just a thought, anyway, as it hasn’t been mentioned.

Scarfweather · 25/04/2023 20:03

Sorry - just saw you said adult DD - prob not Sever’s in that case!

existentialpain · 25/04/2023 20:06

Unbelievable that her gp fobbed her off!

Tell her to see another one and ask for a full blood panel including vit d, b12 and magnesium. She shouldn't be suffering like this!

Helenahandkart · 25/04/2023 20:10

Leg cramps sometimes occur on a low carb diet. Is she dieting atm?

HappyMe6 · 25/04/2023 20:16

Is she a diabetic

Moving92 · 25/04/2023 20:41

Have they tried quinine tablets?
I had horrendous nights cramps for months as a teen and had a couple of weeks of these tablets and never had it so bad again.
If you can't get these tablets, try giving her tonic water (make sure the ingredients include quinine) it may help

Cheapcookies · 25/04/2023 21:10

I used to have this as a young adult. How old is she?

Taking supplements (magnesium, iron, vit d) helped as well as massively increasing fluid intake. Also regular calf massages (at home with a massive ball or roller) to release lactic acid.

Is she active in her job or quite sedentary?

Murdoch1949 · 25/04/2023 23:29

Footballers drink pickle juice for cramp.

L1ttledrummergirl · 25/04/2023 23:39

My legs used to cramp up when I hadn't had enough salt, I'd pretty much stopped having it at all. They got better when I reintroduced the recommended amount (whatever that was at the time). Obviously too much is also bad for you...Confused

NeatCompactSleeper · 25/04/2023 23:41

Has she had blood tests OP?

I had exactly the same as your DD and it turned out I had a very underactive thyroid.

I had no other symptoms though, not even weight gain.