My son Michael is almost 7 years old. Diagnosed at age 4 and ever since then he gets pain in one of his legs (switches legs also) at least once a month. The pain is so bad he cannot walk or put any pressure on the leg for about 2 or 3 days. Doctors are saying growing pains and that its probably not related to the diabetes, but I just have a feeling it might be. The pain started literally 2 weeks after diagnosis. They've checked him for a few types of arthritis, but he was negative for them. Has anyone ever experienced this or know someone who has?
[quote user="Patti Custer"]
Doctors are saying growing pains and that its probably not related to the diabetes, [/quote]
growing pains? holy cow.
It would be really hard to comment on what kind of pain he's having because there just isn't enough information in your post. the thing that struck me was "growing pains" as being a really "bad" diagnosis, and that diabetes is famous for washing out potassium. if your son's pain is the result of "cramping" then I would suggest it is both directly related to diabetes and treatable. but really, your son's leg pain could be the result of any number of problems. don't give up, and try to get other opinions from doctors. cheers.
I get really bad cramps in my foot, not so bad that I cant walk for 2 to 3 days, but like Joe said it has to do with a lack of potassium. Before I knew I had diabetes I used to be awaken in the middle of the night because my leg would cramp so bad that even my dreams were affected by the pain. Is the pain your son feeling cramps? I know he is young, does he understand what cramps are?
Thanks, never knew diabetes affects potassium levels. He had some blood work done yesterday, not sure if they checked his potassium levels, but I will definetly suggest it. Maybe he just needs a potassium supplement daily....they do make those right? It is very hard to understand whats wrong with him when Im not feeling it myself. I wouldnt think a muscle cramp would last that long, but it could be a series of cramps weakening that muscle. Insurance got him some crutches yesterday, he likes them. Thanks for the help again!
I would assume they have potassium supplements at CVS or Walgreens, but I have never checked. I know bananas have plenty of potassium, so I started eating them on a regular basis, especially when I go jogging.
[quote user="Patti Custer"]
Thanks, never knew diabetes affects potassium levels. He had some blood work done yesterday, not sure if they checked his potassium levels, but I will definetly suggest it. Maybe he just needs a potassium supplement daily....they do make those right? It is very hard to understand whats wrong with him when Im not feeling it myself. I wouldnt think a muscle cramp would last that long, but it could be a series of cramps weakening that muscle. Insurance got him some crutches yesterday, he likes them. Thanks for the help again!
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I could definitely see cramping as being part of the problem. When I was younger, I would get such bad leg cramps that I would wake up screaming at the top of my lungs and sobbing in the middle of the night until I was about 16. It usually took over 30minutes of my mom massaging my calf while I screamed and sobbed for the pain to die down enough that I could handle it and put pressure on it to help it go away but I usually couldn't walk on whichever leg it was for an hour or so afterwards. If it happened during the day, I usually had to wait a couple hours before walking cuz it would hurt too much. My mom always told me they were just growing pains, and I remember my older brother getting them a few times, but definitely less frequent and less painful than mine haha.
I still get them, but thankfully very rarely now. I've always had really thick, strong calves(haha) and I find after I start walking they tense up still and hurt so much I have to stop moving for a bit or they are burning with pain. I don't think I get enough potassium in my diet which doesn't help, so I would ask the doctor about it and add some more to his diet and see if that helps.
When I was his age before I was diagnosed I had "growing pains" like that. When I was 8 I used to just fall over when I tried to stand up in the morning they hurts so bad. I used to cry at night trying to get over the pain. But again I had immune problems all along including a debilitating milk allergy that I found out about not long ago. If I drink milk or eat cheese still to this day I break down in bodily pain. my legs will get cramps and my hands and back will start to feel painful and I will no longer be able to move freely. There is a pretty good chance that if you just try cutting out the milk that it will help with pain. If not then just keep looking.
Thanks again for all the help. His blood work came back today and everything was fine including his potassium, which I realy thought was the answer! Also his leg pain is always in his upper leg and sometimes the groin and hip area. Im wondering if it has anything to do with the blood flow in his legs. Its weird, now tonight he is about back to normal. Maybe he just has a low pain tolerance...ha ha!
Last fall, my son Quinton was constantly complaining about leg cramps. He said the pain was so bad it would wake him up in the middle of the night and he'd just cry because they hurt so bad. I figured it was just growing pains. Then he started drinking EVERYTHING in sight and said that he was ALWAYS thirsty. I took him to his pediatrician and they diagnosed him with type 1.
When I asked about the leg issue, they said that when you have diabetes and don't know it, your body becomes extremely dehydrated. This dehydration can lead to muscle cramping. That's was the Doc's explanation for the leg cramps. Ever since he's been on insulin and his BG levels have been good, he's not had anymore leg cramps.
I had the same thing everyone seems to be talking about long before I was even diagnosed with diabetes. I would wake up in the middle of the night, jump out of bed and just stand there crying. My doctor told me to do certain stretches. I think it was kind of like a lunge type stretch, stretching the calf that hurts behind you. When it would happen I didn't even want to move it but it did work sometimes. If it was a bad enough episode it would hurt for the next few days. If I could tell it was going to happen, and after it did happen, I would eat a banana. My doctor never said anything about potassium but somehow I thought it had to do with potassium. Still don't know for sure... But now that I have diabetes, I haven't had that pain anymore for some reason.
I had an elderly aunt that almost died from potassium deficiency caused by a drug interaction. It took 3 different emergency rooms to figure out
why she couldn't lift her head up so her chin didn't rest on her chest. I remember the doctor said it would take a mountain of bananas to correct this.
I don't remember if he gave her pills or an injection but the next morning she could lift her head and was back to normaL. Another day or two and she would have died for heart failure.
[quote user="Patti Custer"]
Also his leg pain is always in his upper leg and sometimes the groin and hip area. Im wondering if it has anything to do with the blood flow in his legs.
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To me, that doesn't sound like leg cramping because I get those severe cramps every few years (or every few hours when I was pregnant, lol) and it's always in the calf.
Maybe get a second opinion if it continues to bother him?