Restless painful legs in a 3 yr old.

[nutcracker]

Ds has been awake all night complaining that his legs and feet hurt, and also his arm at one point.

This has happened before but not to this extent. I went into him several times and rubbed his legs/feet for a bit until he dropped back off but 5 minutes later he'd be crying again.

I gave him calpol but that didn't seem to help so I put him in with me and the poor thing was rolling round the bed half asleep and half awake for the rest of the night, mumbling that his feet hurt.

This morning he seems fine. He has mentioned that his one foot still hurts a couple of times but he is alot better than he was.

I'm a bit worried it might happen again, does anyone know what causes it or what the best thing to do is ??

Thinking about it it reminded me alot of me. From the age of about 8 i think I would get very painful legs and would have to wrap my leg up tightly in my dressing gown and shove my leg down the side of my bed to get rid of the pain and keep my leg still.

Wonder if it is the same thing and what exactly it is.

Blimey, just been reading a bit about restless legs in kids and a study has shown that there can be a large genetic link with the mother usually being the one who has also had restless legs.

It can also be due to low iron reserves so i'll have to try bumping his intake up.

Can't offer any advice, but didn't like to see you talking to yourself there

ROFL I know, it did feel a bit lonely

it is most likely growing pains (as oppossed to the restless leg syndrome that adults get)

the cure is the same though....a calcium and magnesium supplement. Higher Nature do one called Calma-C which is in a tasteless powder containing the correct ratio of calcium and magnesium. you get it in a health shop, or online.
DS has just turned 4 and we having been giving him this now and again over the last year.

even if he has lots of dairy/milk in his diet it is still worth giving it to him, our son has loads of milk/cheese/yoghurt.

it has made a big difference.

I own a health shop if you want any more info on it

Can 3 yr olds get growing pains ?? I mean he has had this since he was about 1 because I clearly remember rubbing his feet for him when he was still in a cot.

The more I think about it the more I think it is just like what I had.

nutcraker, I used to get similar symptoms to that when I had a UTI when I was wee. Might not nessesarily be that bu underlying infection can cause strange sensitivity. Woth keeping an eye on and perhaps sending off a urine specimin at the gp.

Oh thats handy to know Chapsmum, i'll definatly keep an eye out for that.

He has a cold that is dragging on at the mo, so if he is not better this week I will take him the docs and mention it then.

i assume the growing pains happen during a growrh spurt, at least that seemed to be the case with ds at that age.

My son is 7 and has had this since he started walking. He can't pin point exaclty where the pain is - but he can't walk when he gets an attack and he sobs his heart out - so obviously really painful. I assumed it was cramp. I have kept a diary of when he had an attack and realised it was after a lot of running around. Took him to the doctors - got reffered to a specialist - who recomended we give him a drink of milk before bed - as this will boost his calcium level before he goes to sleep. I also rub his legs with baby lotion - it is cold and that plus the rubbing - massaging of the calf muscle does the trick. Doesn't stop it happening - but helps the systems. My friends son had it too - grew out of it at 8 yrs. My DD is 2.5 - she had it last night for the first time - here we go again!!!

jay, have you thought about a calcium supplement? it honestly makes such a big difference. ds has milk every night but it doesnt stop these cramps, the calcium definately does