DD's nocturnal leg pains

[eenymeenyminyme]

DD16 has suffered from what we've always called growing pains for years. When she was small I had to give her calpol and rub her legs until it worked but she was inconsolable for a good 20 mins when it happened. She was always fine in the morning.

She's still getting them, I would say around every 6 weeks (although we're starting to keep a record now) and has to take paracetamol for the pain. She says it's deep in the bone and is incredibly painful but she's always fine (if a bit tired) in the morning.

Does anyone have experience of this? As it's always at night I'm not sure whether it's worth taking her to the doctor as there's nothing to see during the day?

You really need to make her doctor aware of it.
Has she tried taking a daily multi-vitamin that contains magnesium?

Although much younger, my son had the same aged 2-6. He had blood tests (vit D & "general check") and also Xrays of knees & hips. We were under the paediatric orthopaedic team but no cause was ever found. Assumed to be "growing pains" although this is a diagnosis by excluding everything else
We would give calpol every night to prevent him waking up crying with pain. Now, aged 7 it is very infrequent & much less severe
Sorry, not much help really but I would advise you to get it checked by a Dr

Has she tried taking a daily multi-vitamin that contains magnesium

Thanks cakeandchampagne I'll give that a go

I don;t want to alarm you but my DD's orthopedic consultant says there is no such thing as growing paints, just undiagnosed issues, some of which require further monitoring and treatment, some of which do not. What you describe seems like considerable pain, which has been going on for a very long time.

Of course you should take her to the doctor, she may need blood tests, x-rays or other exams to figure out what is going on.

My son gets this from time to time and magnesium helps (I also got leg pains at night when I was pregnant and magnesium was the only thing that helped then too) I get it in spray form and spray on the back of the knees and massage in.

DS has this. We have (and continue to try) a vitamin tablet; eating a banana near bedtime - both help with magnesium levels. Tonic water - the quinine helps some people.

Some consultants do recognise 'growing pains' although others say they don't exist.

We haven't really investigated it further.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause bone pain

I've had these. Magnesium has helped me. I'm also hypermobile and it can be as aspect of that - is she very flexible?

My now 6yo has this and always has. Hot water bottle helps sometimes, although we have had periods of giving her calpol every night before bed.

She is also a bit hypermobile and gets over tired, has tummy aches and painful feet.

We had her tested for celiac as she is also small and was so very tired for a period but that was ruled out. We just treat as hypermobile at home these days.

My DD 8 has this. She had late diagnosis Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (at aged 2) and had to undergo several operations and had pins in her femur for a while. Now she has occasions of leg pain at night and I've found calpol, hot water bottles and a leg rub settles her. She is under a paediatric orthopaedic consultant and had regular X-rays. Nothing else found.

It doesn’t sound like it is, but if the pain is in a joint or joints, it could be Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. This is often mistaken for growing pains.

In my DDs case, it was missed by the orthopaedic and paediatric team but immediately diagnosed by rheumatologist. In her case though, she had very obvious swelling in a joint.

Thanks all - I'll try the magnesium first then if that doesn't help I'll speak to the doctor.
It happens so rarely and she's fine the rest of the time so I'm assuming it's nothing too awful, but it would be nice for her not to have to put up with it!

Has she had her vitamin d tested?

Has she had her vitamin d tested?

No, I've not taken her to the doctor at all about it as it happens so rarely and she's fine the rest of the time. If the magnesium doesn't stop it then is that something I should ask for do you think?

You should. I had these symptoms as a child (on off bone pains) and was diagnosed with adult rickets when I was older but by then the damage was done. There may be things that can still be done to fix her issues as she’s still so young

I had this growing up (27 now) and it was really quite painful.
Thick knee high socks, electric blanket or hot water bottle and some stretches/rubbing use to help.

I've always had this!!! Although now thinking about it I don't think I've had it in the last couple of years. And I'm 26. Asked the doctors about it they said to exercise more.. Even though I was an athlete lol. I would take ibuprofen and have a bad. And also make sure I don't put any weight on the leg!

My DS had this growing up. It used to be very distressing to find him in so much pain.
It eased as he got older and he's now at uni with no long term negative effects.
I think it's just something they grow out of.
Good luck

I was fobbed off by gp with 'growing pains' for a while.
it turned out to be an inflammation of the bone (crmo).
very painful and takes ages to heal and a year of adult dose of naproxen and lots of blood tests...

there is always a reason for pain, if there is no obvious reason (accident, sprain, unusual amount of exercise) then the pain should always be investigated.

if it turns out to be cramps (shoes too small?) then a handful of epsom salt in the bath works wonders.

good luck

Even if she gets better with magnesium wouldn’t you want to know why she is magnesium deficient?

There are plenty of conditions that present with intermittent pain and yet it would not be wise to leave them undiagnosed and untreated. I really can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t take her to a doctor. At worse you waste a couple of hours to be told it’s nothing.

Are here's restless or just sore?

*her legs

I can't really comment on your dd but I absolutely had growing pains as a child and young adolescent, exactly as you describe. Lasted a short time. I used to imagine the pain moving down my legs and out of my toes!