Leg Pains?

[aprilleigh1624]

I was wondering if anyone else has delt with severe leg pains with the Celiac? My daughter (2.5) has been have leg cramps for about a year. she will twist her hip and lock her legs and stay that way for up to 30 mintues. her doctors first thought just growing pains for a while, but when she saw her normal doctor she asked right away why she was walking funny. She has had xrays of the leg, normal, and bone denitsy test that showed that she is in the 25% of density. She complains all the time that her legs hurt, walking funny (almost like she doesnt bend her knees), and hates walking up and down stairs, and does not bend her knee all the time when she jumps. i feel so stressed out trying to find out whats wrong. she is on the low end on all her nutrional values too!! just trying to find a answer. we have a meeting in Chicago (we live in Columbus OH) on Monday with a new GI Celiac disease specialist, so hopefully we can get some answers. i hope i am not just being overbarring of my daughters help. any suggestions would help. Thank you so much, i love this celiac blog, it is so helpfull!!

April

Rachels mom, dx 04-08

[flourgirl]

I remember being told as a child that my pains and cramps were "just" growing pains. I think they tell you that when they just don't know! Anyway....if nutritional values are on the low end that could be your answer. The B group is needed. I used to take additonal B vitamins to curtail muscle cramps long before I knew about Celiac. My husband now takes extra B's for the same reason. Does she take supplements at all? You may want to try liquid sublingual B vitamins and see if that may help. Good luck to you.

[CeliacMom2008]

Our son was diagnosed at 8 1/2. Leg pains were a huge symptom that we had no idea was related to his stomach issues. When he was a toddler he started having bad leg pain. Over the course of 6 years he was checked for arthritis, told he had growing pains, told his arches weren't formed yet and causing trouble, told to make sure he always wore shoes, told he was just complaining for attention. I would give him Motrin several times a week/month to help him sleep through the night.

Once on the gluten free diet the leg pains became more infrequent and now he only has them occasionally - typically if he's done something extra strenuous (long bike ride, hard soccer game, etc.).

Everyone is different, but for us I am completely convinced his leg pains had to do with his undiagnosed Celiac.

[mef]

Yes. My pain looked like shin splints and then exploded into evil. I lost feeling in my feet and lower part of the legs. As the year or two prior to being diagnosed went on, I started having hip/back pain. As the pain moved up my body, I continued to lose feeling. It didn't progress into my upper body as much, but my shins were constantly on fire. I couldn't stand to be touched on my legs.

Almost a year gluten-free and the pain is signficantly better. I repeatedly mention to check the vitamin D level because low levels have been shown to cause bone pain. Good luck at your doctor's appointment! I hope your daughter can find relief!

[Amyleigh0007]

YES! One of my 8-year-old son's main symptoms were leg cramps, especially at night. He would cry and cry. He slept with a heating pad every night. Now that he is gluten free the leg cramps are gone.

I also experienced RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) when I was pregnant and I get leg cramps when I have accidentally ingested gluten.

[mama2two]

I was wondering if anyone else has delt with severe leg pains with the Celiac? My daughter (2.5) has been have leg cramps for about a year. she will twist her hip and lock her legs and stay that way for up to 30 mintues. her doctors first thought just growing pains for a while, but when she saw her normal doctor she asked right away why she was walking funny. She has had xrays of the leg, normal, and bone denitsy test that showed that she is in the 25% of density. She complains all the time that her legs hurt, walking funny (almost like she doesnt bend her knees), and hates walking up and down stairs, and does not bend her knee all the time when she jumps. i feel so stressed out trying to find out whats wrong. she is on the low end on all her nutrional values too!! just trying to find a answer. we have a meeting in Chicago (we live in Columbus OH) on Monday with a new GI Celiac disease specialist, so hopefully we can get some answers. i hope i am not just being overbarring of my daughters help. any suggestions would help. Thank you so much, i love this celiac blog, it is so helpfull!!

April

Rachels mom, dx 04-08

My son is 3.5 yrs and has been complaining of leg pains for over a year, at first my dr blew this off and did not think it was anything, she said to keep a journal to see what time of day he complained and if it was one or both legs, etc. Well, when he started complaining again we did blood work and x rays etc, and everything came out OK, so we never really did get an answer, but he doesn't really complain anymore, just once in a blue moon, and I still don't know what's causing it. But he does not have an altered gait or anything. Good Luck getting your answers, I hope your dr will be find something more definitive, we just ruled out a few bad things, but never got to the root cause of it. It seems like that happens alot.

[Country Girl]

Potentially the cramping could be caused by a lack of Calcium. I believe you said she is nutrionally defecit. Calcium is not only important for strong bones, but is needed for muscles to contract. A calcium defeciency can cause muscle cramping. Many celiacs' can not consume dairy and many Americans' have a Vitamin D defeciency, both needed for your body to absorbe Calcium.

When I stopped taking my calcium supplement I began to get muscle cramps.