Can growing pains really be this bad?

[frugalfuzzpig]

DD (6.7) is in agony. Often complains of leg/foot pain at night but it's been really awful these last couple of days, she got sent home from school today and is in floods of tears, felt a bit better in a warm bath but as soon as she got out it was back to screaming and she couldn't really put weight on them. She's now on the sofa with a hot water bottle on her knees and is sleeping but restlessly IYSWIM.

Apart from nurofen/calpol type stuff what else can we do? We will hopefully get a dr appt tomorrow.

Her big (half) brother has a very very rare condition where he has cysts in his knees - this was misdiagnosed as juvenile arthritis until he was mid teens. He had similar episodes as a child according to DH. But then it could just be growing pains, or a virus.

Any ideas? :(

My friend's DD suffers from hypermobility and that can be painful. Have a read up on that and see if it sounds familiar. There was a thread about it yesterday too.

Is she wearing good, supportive shoes? My boys and I are all hypermobile and we all suffer if our footwear isn't up to the job. The first we suspected of DS1's difficulties was at the same age, when he wore wellies on a school trip.

My eldest son has had regular growing pains for years - we think he had them before he could explain what they were. He usually has a couple of episodes a week but it has been as frequent as nightly. He only has episodes at night and he often wakes crying hysterically but it's all over after 20 mins or so. We have worked out that if he has a day of lots of activity (say a long walk, sports day etc) then if we pre-empt with a dose of calpol before bed then no episode. We do forget! He is 7.9 now and he was worse at 5/6. My sister (31) regularly gets them still - at night.

I would be inclined to get her checked out and press for thorough investigation as it doesn't sound like the pains I, my son and sisters suffered/suffer - and we only had them at night... Good luck

Mine were quite bad, mainly through the night. I grew so quickly.

But you might want to get her checked over as the symptoms are similar to oesteomylitis.

my DS had leg ache at night when he was around 5-6 he'd be in agony and I'd have to rub his legs for hours is give calpol before bed if I knew he'd had a busy active day. I also suffered as a child he's now nearly 9 and not so much nowadays

I used to have screaming fits with mine but not in my feet and I could weight bear - I'm also hypermobile. I'd get her to the Dr.

Thanks all.

Hypermobility - that did cross my mind. It's not something I know much about - but DSD was told she was hypermobile around this age I think. She was getting some pain but not extreme or long lasting, it was mentioned briefly by a doctor but that was it I think - no problems since. But I hadn't realised until googling just how variable the problems can be, so that's definitely worth looking into. I found this (sorry it's DM).

Also a couple of years ago DH took her to the GP because of sore feet - she was referred to a paediatrician who said that her feet just turn in too much because the muscles are immature. She was discharged and given exercises to do at home (stuff like walking an imaginary tightrope), and we were told she would outgrow it as the muscles grew properly. Maybe that's related although I don't know if it could cause pain higher up the leg.

Yep I had this as a teenager. Especially in the knees.

Google Osgood–Schlatter as well. It mainly occurs in teenagers so it might be something to look out for in the future.

I had this horrendously as a child. I remember the pain clearly now. I was sent for physio by my doctor, they thought my ham strings were very tight & showed me exercises to do to stretch the hamstrings, similar to those when you're warming up/ cooling down at the gym.

When my DD (3) had been crying of poorly leg I try to do some touching of the toes, stretching exercises. Etc. it has seemed to help.

She did love yoga club so could reintroduce that thanks.

Got to phone up tomorrow for a same day appt, will do that first thing although she will struggle getting there I think even on the bus.

She's in our bed with the electric blanket on in the hope it'll help :( poor baby.

DH took her to the doctor today, they did a thorough examination and said she's got a virus that is likely to get a bit worse so she's got to stay home for the rest of the week at least.

But we have to go back again if the leg pain persists

Update... DD had the rest of last week off school as the doctor had said. She was fine by the weekend apart from a persistent cough and mild headache.

Back at school since Monday, all been fine until tonight, screaming in pain again :( not sure how quickly to take her back - it could be a post viral thing (I get that too, but I have CFS/ME so not exactly normal responses to normal illnesses) where she's not quite over it yet.

Maybe go back to GP and ask to be referred to some sort of specialist or at least a paediatrician? Screaming in pain sounds extreme, could that really just be just post viral response???

Thanks sewing I think we will have to go back soon and yes, ask for some kind of specialist to ask the right questions. If we can make an advance appt (which for some reason the surgery seems to have stopped doing - they change their system every month it seems! ) it'll be better as there's one fantastic doctor there who I prefer as I know she will take our concerns seriously.

Post viral fatigue can be disabling (it can present like M.E.) so not impossible. Might just be that she's overdone things the last couple of days when she's not truly over her virus - she is naturally very excitable and active so is never still when she can help it.

I remember my DS1 having this quite badly at around that age. I used to give him calpol and it worried me quite a bit. GP said it was normal.
He's now a strapping 6'3" 17 year old so I guess he was right!