are growing pains real? - help with jakob

boyohboyohboy wrote: Jakob as you know has hardly ever slept his entire life. He still at age 2 1/2 wakes up 3-4 times a night.
Now above and beyond his eating issues, and sensory issues...
he has been telling me now since he can talk more clearly, that his feet hurt him. he rarely wears socks or shoes...but he will be sound asleep and then wakes screaming in tears and finally you get out of him that his feet hurt. I mentioned this to the ped. and his 2 yr check and she said that growing pains are real, that its a lack of (something I cant remember) and active kids get it and a burst of sugar in the night will help. well i cant get jake to eat anything with sugar in it to test this idea....
but he is complaining of it more and more now, during the day also. i rub his feet, we try tylenol..
I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this with kids? is it just growing pains..he has no deformities or open areas, nothing that i can see that should be causing feet pain, and he points to the instep...

Teesa®© replied: Our DS has been complaining of this for a bout a year now [he'll be 7 in July]. Sometimes it's his feet, sometimes ankles and a couple of times his knees. My oldest had the same thing [always his joints], but I'd rub his legs - sometimes for hours - and it helped him. It doesn't help for DS, though. I tried once and he cried quietly the whole time, I didn't even realize he was because it was dark and he was so quiet about it. Nothing we've done would help, but I have Fix It Bear - a two foot tall stuffed bear that DH had bought for me for V-day years ago. Fix It Bear is for when they're sick, can't sleep, had a nightmare or growing pains. He sleep with a child those nights that they don't want to crawl in with us to sleep.

Two days ago, I was having bad stomach pains and told the children I needed to lay down for a little while. DD tucked me into bed and DS tucked in Fix It Bear beside me. I chuckled and asked if he'd be able to help me and both children simultaneously replied, "He helps us!" So I guess he totally works with my children.

Oh, sometimes when DS's feet hurt, it's because he had his foot tucked under instead of straight. I don't know how to put it into words. When you sleep normally, your whole side of your foot is touching the bed, but he'd sometimes have just his toes touching or the top of his foot. Does that make any sense??? I guess you'll have to try it yourself to understand what I'm saying

I probably wasn't much help at all, but at least you'll know that you're not the only one who goes through this. And I don't know about the whole sugar thing. Childrens' cereal is full of it, their juice is [unless you get unsweetened] and fruits and veggies are naturally sweet, too. So I don't see how a child isn't getting enough sugar.

boyohboyohboy replied: i dont think it was that they arent getting enough sugar it was that a burst of sugar was to take away the pain. i wish i could remember exactly what she called it...

I do rub his feet but it seems to make it worse and he just screams.
i have heard that it seems to be boys more so then girls that go thru this..

TheOaf66 replied: you better believe they are real. I had them when I was younger and went through a massive growth spurt...tylenol will not do anything. He will just have to suffer through it

boyohboyohboy replied:
do your boys have them?

TheOaf66 replied: tanner has had some, but if it is like me he will get his later in life

boyohboyohboy replied: jakob is tiny and has very petite feature. i guess he could be growing..
its just hard to hear him go thru such pain and not be able to comfort him. i seriously thought we were going to have to ask the dr for xrays...

PrairieMom replied: I read somewhere that 1/3 of people get them. I got them growing up, mainly in my legs, my Mom used to get them so bad she wasn't able to walk. Ben has gotten some too. I usually rub his legs for him and it helps, Tylenol doesn't do anything. Maybe a hot bath?

Boo&BugsMom replied: I had them. Troy did too. Tanner complains about his feet hurting every once in awhile too and Troy's mom said that was the age where he started to complain about it as well when he was younger. You can try putting an ice pack on the areas where they hurt to try and relax the muscles. That's about all I can think of.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Oh yeah...I used to get them SO bad. I worry about my kids getting them. I can't even begin to tell you how painful it is. It's a dull ache and nothing helps. You're sweet for rubbing his legs though. I bet that takes his mind off of it.

kimberley replied:
me too my legs ached so bad and nothing took the pain away. and now Jacob (11yo) is going thru the same.

hugs to ur son

DVFlyer replied: I had them in my ankles as a child.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: Poor Jakob! I used to get them too - I don't know about when I was his age but when I was older I definitely got them, mostly in my legs. I hope they go away soon.

redchief replied: Growing pains are real, as the others before me have attested, but I'm not so sure that's what Jakob's problems are. I would seek a second opinion on this, maybe with a pediatric neurologist. He could have a nervous disorder of some kind. I'm not saying growing pains isn't the problem. It's just the waking up screaming thing that has a warning signal going off in my head.

A&A'smommy replied: I had MAJOR issues with growing pains when I was little until I was about 16 years old but mine was in my legs it would hurt me so bad I couldn't sleep and I would cry and cry it was awful!!!!! I have never heard of the sugar idea but if you can get him to eat some I would DEFINITELY try it... that is so miserable!!! Poor guy!!