Leg cramps AGAIN but DD can hardly walk - doc will tell me it's growing pains won't he?

[KBear]

whadya think? She had bad leg cramps for about a week and I've massaged them to help it but today she couldn't put her foot flat on the floor when we got up. She had intermittent cramps on the walk to school. I called the doc (of course can't get an appointment today anyway) but I have a feeling he'll say growing pains.

She's a very active child, we walk 20 mins to school, she does ballet and swims once a week so I don't understand why she's getting them.

I read somewhere about electrolytes and cramps and I think that is salts and fluid balances in the body. She is drinking plenty, loves water thankfully and has a healthy diet. Maybe it is normal and my GP has a way of making you feel like you're wasting his time (which I ignore and go with my intuition!) but when she cries out in pain when she walks and can't get up the stairs to brush her teeth I figure there's maybe a problem.

I've got an appointment at 12 tomorrow and luckily DH is off as I'm at work so he can take her.

Is potassium linked with cramps? A friend had terrible leg cramps when pregnant and was advised to eat lots of bananas presumably because they are rich in potassium.

KBear,

I've seen this. My doc was frankly hopeless.

Would suggest you get the leg and foot x-rayed at A & E to ensure there are no underlying problems like fractures.

It may actually be tendon related; if these have been pulled or bruised this can cause cramps and difficulties with walking. The hospital should be able to tell you further from the x-rays.

My ds2 has had this problem intermittently. On more than one occasion he's had trouble walking and has reverted to crawling but found that painful too.

On another occasion he was crying with the pain and actually asked to have a bath to try to ease the pain. Not sure if it was connected but he then vomited but was unable to stand or kneel by the toilet - too painful. Had to try to lift him to take the weight. DH had a cracked rib and I was on my way out, left both of them wailing with pain in the bathroom. [guilty feeling emoticon]

Never took ds to the docs He has flat feet so thought it was prob. related to that. Docs always seem to dismiss probs as growing pains imo.

There was another thread hovering around today about growing pains - apparently they are caused by the bone growing quicker than the tendons, therefore the tendons are stretched painfully until they catch up. I remember getting growing pains as a child, and remember being about 12 or 13 and getting them so badly I couldn't walk without crying - seemed to come and go though.

Yes they could well be growing pains, and it's horrible to watch your child in pain, but very common for them to be that painful IME and O. Advice is to give panadol (I think - I will check that), a warm bath and massage (although I think that's just so you feel like you are doing something!)

I'll just link in the other thread...

Hehe, Hausfrau has linked it to this one!!

here it is

Thanks all for posting.

She's had the usual (what I call) "niggly" legs in the past and has woken in the night before saying her legs hurt. I just massage them with some baby oil and that's usually it.

This past week though she has been actually crying out in pain, it's that severe. On and off though, not a constant thing which to my mind rules out an injury as such although what do I know?!

I'm going to see how she's been today at school. My mum is going to collect her for me in the car so she doesn't have the long walk home.

DH took DD to the doc today cos I'm working.

She's got to have a blood test - he said it isn't normal to be experiencing such severe cramps at her age. Not a mention of growing pains so I did him an injustice!

Taking her for the blood test tomorrow (gulp). Filled up with the tears at the very thought but I know I'm being silly!

kbear, make sure they don't forget the magic cream

What's the magic cream?

I remember vividly my first blood test aged 8 - screamed the house down but I think she was a vampire. Think they're kinder these days! She's not worried in the least but I'm in pieces.

Doc did ask whether she had enough salt in her diet which could cause electrolyte imbalance which can cause cramps. I don't add salt to anything, she has one bag of crisps at the weekend if she's lucky {horrible mama aren't I!), and I do watch her salt intake but she must get enough from bread etc.

Anyway, thanks for posting. I'll let you know the upshot for reference.

the 'magic' cream is a local anaesthetic, there are 2 types, ametop and emla, ametop takes 30mins to work, and emla takes an hour, its best to use emla if your daughter has any allergies, as its less likely to make her skin red and sore, if its her 1st blood test, try and take a book or favourite toy with you to distract her, you should sit her on your lap facing you, and get her to hold her arm out to the side, that way she wont see much of whats going on, but depending on her, she may want to watch!!

Dd2 had a blood test a few mths ago and with the magic cream applied she never even flinched when it was done.

She's not worried - she is concerned that she won't be allowed breakfast before she has the bloodtest though and is already planning what the have afterwards! She's a toughy, when we talked about it tonight she said "but I've had needles before Mum" meaning immunisations. So I think she'll be okay.

I'm a mess though, ridiculous isn't it. I just remember my first of many hundreds of blood tests I had since I was a child (I was diagnaosed with over-active thyroid aged 9 and heart murmur) and pray there's nothing wrong. I'm being stupid, ignore me.

Thanks for your posts though everyone.

i am glad I am not the only one struggling with knee pains. My Ds 4.5 yrs has had terrible knee pains ever since he came out of the pushchair and had to walk We have had it checked by the medical proffession they do not know what is wrong, 'He will grew out of it they tell me just give him paracetomol' Usually he has them in the evenings but at this time of year they happen as he comes out of school, We then have a 25 minute walk home as he struggles to walk home. Dd 6yrs has them very occasionally. He has grown very quickly over the last 4 years and is a head taller than most of his class mates in reception.

All we can do for him is give him paracelomol and wheat germ bags at night time. For the school run I now carry capol sachet to give him when he comes out of school.

Bananas are very good to prevent cramp according to my brother who dives a lot is it is well know amongst the diving set.

dd1 (6) gets terrible knee pains, she has shot up and has long legs so I think prob growing pains. I rub them after a hot bath and she likes that and it seems to help. Will be interested to see what the verdict is kbear and glad you are being taken seriously!

Thanks Enid. Blood test today - bless her she didn't even flinch and I screamed the house down when I was her age!

Will let you know the results.

Well the blood test results show all is well so the doc is stumped really. She hasn't had any cramps for a few days so I'm hoping it was just "one of those things" and it's now stopped.