Leg Pain

[airwolf]

Hi to all!!

My 7 year old son has been on the combination of Dexedrine, Clonidine, and Zyprexa for the last 2 1/2 years. For about a year now, at nighttime he complains that his legs hurt. Sometimes he just lays in bed and cries because his legs hurt so bad. We have taken him to the Dr. a couple of times about this, but he says it is just "growing pains". Has anyone else had any experience with this. Could it be somehow related to his medicine combo?

Thanks!!

[sportsmom]

First of all welcome!! Second, you need to have your son have a sleep study done. My son had a sleep study done last april and he has what is call Periodic Limb Movement (aka restless leg syndrome). Ask your son if at night when he is ready to go to bed (when his legs really start to hurt) if he feels like something is crawling in his legs. Watch him while he is sleeping~~does he kick alot and move from one end of the bed to the other? These are just a few symptoms. Also have your sons ferritain level checked (fancy word for iron). My ds level was very low and he has to take iron tablets everyday. In fact he goes today to check his level (and I am also having his liver checked because he is on strattera). When we did the sleep study I had no idea about this disorder. The main reason we had it done was because Levi was/is not sleeping very well at night and the dr didn't want to just give him a sleeping pill. Looking back when I was telling the dr and the sleep specialist his symptoms it was the classic case of RLS but I didn't even know it. We have not went on any of the meds for this~~we are still doing iron therapy. The bad outweight the good for us and if there are some nights that Levi just can't sleep I can always give him a shot of benadryl (haven't done that yet but better then the prescription drugs for this). Sounds like your son might have a more severe case then my son but I would definitely have it checked out. I am not a dr or anything just a mom with a son with the same symptoms. Good luck!

[sportsmom]

Check out this website...

restlesslegs.com/di1.html

[Linda]

Hi airwolf...If I am not mistaken you were a member from the old site? If not welcome anyway

sportsmom has said it all....thanks Cheryl

Keep us updated.

[kstquilter]

my non-adhd son had such bad growing pains in his legs and ankles that he would cry and wake up in the middle of the night.
he takes no medication so know it truly was growing pains and it came and went as he grew and at 16 hasn't had them in awhile.
i think he wishes he would since he isn't even 6' tall yet!
he'd probably be willing to take the pain in order to grow a few more inches!
my brother used to have growing pains as well and he's over 6' tall.
karen

[SasyMomaCat]

My niece suffers from leg pain as well - also bad enough to make her cry (and always at night). This has been going on for at least two years. She is 6.

Doctors have suggested it is anything from growing pains to allergies to rheumetoid arthritis (sp?). She also has been sick a lot her whole life, so they are now waiting to get in with an immunologist, hoping for some answers - one doctor suggested an autoimmune disorder (thus the specialist), but that is taking the whole picture into consideration (repeated illness, etc.).

Hope you find out what it is soon - it's so hard to watch your little one in pain and be helpless to do anything about it. I would rather have it put on me than to see Josh suffer (he's 5).

Hugs and Best wishes ...

smc

[sportsmom]

Karen
My older son also had the pain in his legs and his was the "growing pains" because he is 6ft. tall .

[airwolf]

Linda,

Good Memory!!! Yes, I was a member of the old site, signed up in 2001 when my son was diagnosed ADHD / ODD / OCD.

Was offline for awhile, and then when I got back online, the old website was gone. Took me awhile to find this board, but I am so glad to be back in touch with people who really know what it is like to deal with this disorder.

Thanks for everyones advice! I will look into a sleep study for him. We are in the process of trying to get a second opinion on his medication regimine, but the Dr. who we have been referred to, who we are told is one of the absolute best in the midwest, has a waiting list that is 10 months long. Our initial appointment isn't until October.

Thanks Again!!

airwolf

[Linda]

WELCOME BACK

[mothercat]

Alot of kids today have growing pains..Its not like it used to be as alot of kids are growing to fast for their bones to keep up..That is Buds prob...he had leg and knee pains for a long time and we finally took him to Dr. Who after not finding the prob sent him to a specialist
(bone surgeon) . He found that the leg pain was caused by the hip as his growth plate in his hip had slipped. His growth rate was not keeping up as I said . It was touch and go as to whether he had to have pins or possibly a fake hip. Had it slipped any farther it would have meant a fake hip. He cant have lower body excersice of any kind till he is full grown. All this started as leg pains and growing pains . A full body bone scan will tell how the growth is progressing. The bone doc told me what is going on wwith Bud is getting very common these days as kids are progressing in growth differently.

[vickilyn32]

I still have "growing pains". The doctor told my mother I would outgrow them eventually, well I am still waiting. Both my kids get them some, but not near as bad as I did. They have eased up, and not as often as when I was younger, but I still get them. What did help me, was going to a chiropractor. I noticed thru the years that when I would go, I would not get as many leg aches.