Painful calf - worried

[treeposer2]

For several weeks I’ve had a dull, heavy ache in my left calf. At times both legs have ached but the niggle in my calf is the most noticeable. It’s worse in a morning then kind of comes and goes.

The pain isn’t severe and there is no redness or swelling but due to the location I’m worried about DVT. ChatGPT tells me this is very unlikely in the absence of swelling/redness and that symptoms would have probably progressed by now if it were that.

Im just not sure what could be causing it. I do walk a lot and have recently started the gym using the leg and calf press but I usually only go about once a week. I would have thought any muscle strain would from this wouldn’t have lasted this long.

Have you spoken to a Dr? It's been causing you anxiety for weeks. DVT can be present without symptoms and to investigate you would have a blood test and an ultrasound at a DVT clinic. Just go and speak to someone.

To be honest I have had a least two d-dimer tests in the past due to calf pain. Both negative and I’m a bit worried I’ll look neurotic at this point! GP obviously shut over bank holiday but I will try and see someone next week. It really is a mild ache, it’s not affecting my walking or daily life but I suppose I’m just a bit concerned about the cause.

My guess would be calf strain or maybe tendonitis.

Can you do single leg calf raises? (You will find benchmarks for your age online). If you can't do them, look for calf strengthening exercices on YouTube.
Also look at Magnesium

Does it feel tight? While you wait for a doctor’s appointment I would try some simple physio calf stretches to see if you get any relief. You say you walk a lot and you’ve started the gym - I had something very similar to this and it was basically tight calves from walking and exercising! If it turns out to be this I’d also highly recommend getting a foam roller

I'm 31, slim and healthy and had a 'silent' DVT last year. It was a calf niggle almost like growing pains as a kid or a mild dead leg. Something in my head told me to get it checked and I was put straight on apixaban after a positive d-dimer. I had no swelling, no redness and no heat.

Not to worry you but please get it checked. I know it's a ballache but better to be safe than sorry.

edited to say, the pain kept coming and going and weirdly was almost better with movement and worse at rest / at night.

Not particularly tight, more like a dull heavy ache. It feels particularly noticeable when I first get up in a morning.

How long did this last for before you got checked if you don’t mind me asking?

I remember having an uncomfortable feeling for a couple of weeks but I'm a busy single mum and just get on with things so it could have been more. I only got it checked as it wasn't going away.

Thanks for that. This has been lingering quite a number of weeks now, maybe months. But as it’s mild and not stopping me walking or getting on with things I’ve just left it. I’ll try and get seen next week but I feel that if it were DVT even a silent one the symptoms would have progressed beyond a mild niggle by now.

trapped nerve / slipped disk in your lower back!? Any kind of back issues can show up as leg pains. If always the same calf and always after sleeping then think about your sleeping position, mattress support and generally if your core and hips are suffering a bit. Anterior pelvis exercises could help x

I came on to say try Magnesium too.

I don't mean to scare you but mine never progressed past a minor niggle / minor growing pains sensation. It's never ever worth it at all. I went to the GP beforehand and they wrote it off. It wasn't until I want to an urgent care centre where I had the bloods and it was found. I don't know your age but the doctor who put me on the meds did say there's a pattern in younger less susceptible women where they don't get the traditional symptoms. It also didn't stop me walking, in fact walking and movement seemed to aid it a bit.

I really would go to the GP. Better to be safe than sorry.