Nocturnal leg pain (not spasms) - General Health Message Board

Uff-Da! · 02-11-2005, 08:05 AM

I frequently get nocturnal leg cramps or spasms, maybe once a month to several times a week, but this is different. I get these mild leg pains often, too, but I just had one that didn't want to go away. Often they are so mild that I'm more inclined to call it just a sensation of annoyance, rather than pain. But today I awoke at 5 am with my leg with a more severe one. It seemed to be in the muscle. It just ached. Usually I can get up and run in place or lay in bed and wiggle my legs, and I'll get rid of the sensation. None of that seemed to help this morning. I finally got up, came down to the computer and sipped a big mug of grape juice. It took between 60-90 minutes for it to go away.

I wouldn't think the juice (and change in blood sugar level) had anything to do with it going away, as I didn't eat dinner until 12:30 am. I do, however, often wake up in the night after 3-5 hours of sleep and am unable to get back to sleep until I eat something, so maybe there is something about my blood sugar that isn't quite right. I don't think I've ever checked my blood sugar in the night when I have problems. (No, I'm not a diabetic, but I do have the BS testing equipment at home.)

I'm very sedentary, so I suspect my solution to preventing these might be to get more exercise. But I'd like to have some explanation of what is going on in the leg to cause them. I find all kinds of references on the web about leg pain caused by too much exercise and the solution is temporary rest. But so far I've been unable to find any reference to leg pain caused by inactivity which can (often) be relieved by exercise.

If anyone can throw some light on this, I would appreciate it.

twokatss · 02-11-2005, 08:23 AM

I am taking a drug called QUININE for the leg pain I suffer. In Canada you can buy it from the pharmasist or it is also available by prescription. It helps alot but does make you dream.

If the leg pain is "charlie horse type" if you can get to the bath tub and put your foot on the cold bottom of it , that will help too.

GOOD LUCK

twokatss · 02-11-2005, 08:26 AM

Another trick I forget to post is to drink a glass of warm milk before going to bed. Are you sure you are getting enough calcium too----you may need to supplement if not. That could be a trigger also, if you are not.

Uff-Da! · 02-11-2005, 09:35 AM

Yes, I get those spasms (charlie horse cramps), too, and I often have to soak in a warm tub to solve that, when I can't walk it out. But that is an entirely different sensation than this mild pain or aching feeling. Hmmm, I assumed that they probably had a different cause, since they feel so different. But maybe they are related. Maybe the aching feeling is just a mild case of whatever the problem is, and it if it get sufficiently worse, it will go into a spasm. I'll have to try soaking in the tub if I get another one of those that just doesn't want to go away.

I do take a calcium supplement of 500 mg. daily, 1000 mg. if I don't eat many dairy products that day, so I would think I'm all right on that score. I also take a magnesium supplement, upon my doctor's suggestion, for the nocturnal leg cramps. I've never talked to her about these mild aching pains, though.