Leg pain - only at night

[Jamie126]

I've been having left leg pain - only at night.  The pain is dull, nagging pain throughout my entire leg that doesn't go away with a massage or moving around.  This pain has been bothering me after I had a baby.  However, before I was pregnant, my legs falls asleep while I'm asleep.  When I get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, I would fall flat on my face.  

I'm not sure if these two correlated, but thought I should mention it.

Any info would be appreciated!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
Leg pain that occurs at night, leg falling asleep at night is generally due to atherosclerosis of the leg blood vessels.
“As atherosclerosis progresses and blockage becomes more severe, a burning/aching pain in the feet and toes will occur particularly at night time while lying flat. This pain, known as rest pain, occurs because the arteries of the leg can no longer deliver adequate blood flow to the feet, even at rest. Rest pain generally worsens when the legs are elevated, such as when lying in bed at night. Relief from this pain may occur only when the feet are dangled.” (I have taken these lines from http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com/leg-pain-lying-night.html because this is what I basically want to tell you)
Consult a vascular surgeon. You may need dopplar studies or leg artery angiogram to diagnose this.
Hope this helps. I think you should discuss this possibility with your doctor. It is difficult to comment beyond this without examining. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[Jamie126]

Thank you so much for responding.

Quick question:  I also have onycholysis of the fingernails for about 10 years now.  It started with one finger, but all are infected except for two.  Can this be related to atherosclerosis?

My family doctor has done blood work and said I'm healthy, ruling out anemia and thyroid problems.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
If the oncholysis is due to fungal infection, contact dermatitis or psoriasis then it is possible to have associated arthritis. Was the cause identified? Usually several nails are affected. Bacterial infection causing oncholysis can cause reactive arthritis.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[rockholds]

My leg pain is at night in my right leg. No major health problems.  It is worse when i lay on my right side but also hurts when i lay on my left side. When I lay on my back or stomach is stops/ I have a curved spine and have been told not to lay on my back or stomach. I have had test for nerve damage and that looks good. My doctor just put me on Keppra. Any comments

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
There appears to be some pressure on the lumbo sacral nerves. The nerve conduction studies may be ok. You may need a MRI to diagnose this. If there is a pressure on the nerve, then either a chiropractor can help you out or you may need surgery.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[Deepu83]

Hi my left leg pains while at sleep, not sure why no major health problems, not pregnant as well. The pain starts off from the upper part of my thigh (where the leg begins)  and it seems to be within and not outside. Massage or moving around does not help but it goes away in the morning, not sure why, could you please help.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
The most likely cause can be a sleep disorder called restless leg syndrome. The pain is uncontrollable and nothing a patient does cures it. You would need to consult a sleep specialist regarding this. The other possibility is compression of a spinal nerve in the lumbo-sacral area. Deep vein thrombosis or low sodium/potassium/calcium/magnesium in blood can also be a possibility. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do discuss this with your doctor and get yourself examined. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[cazzb]

hi there can you have progressive hardening of the atreries without ever having pain whislt walking exercising..ive been having all over leg pain for about 7 months now before it was random pain all over body now just seems to be in the legs they also tingle and have a buzzing feeling under the skin every time i google leg pain at night it tells me hardening of the arteries iam freakin out help...iam 35 female 5ft7 about 11 stones non smoker.

[miah2010]

Hi I am having really bad pains in both of my legs and I just had a baby in November and now on the depo shot is there anyone who can tell me what is happing to me scared and don't know what to do

[dtaran]

Hi,
I have leg pain behind my knees, down into my shins and calves at night. I am busy and active during the day and have not noticed the pain being severe then. Teaching first grade leaves little time to think about pain, but  I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia  and so I live with a certain degree of pain all the time.  My main concern  is the pain in my legs during the night. It is relieved by "icy hot" or even "mentholatum"  I hate to appear like a hypochondriac. I have been told, my pain tolerance is high, but this pain wakes me up at night and goes away once I apply icy hot. I take a magnesium complex, along with a calcium complex chelate, and a slew of other trace minerals, enzymes and vitamins as I am trying to give my body what it needs to heal itself. If I put icy hot before bed, I can sleep without pain. Should I be concerned that this is more? I had a physical therapist tell me that if pain was eased by heat rubs, then it was probably "nerve related." Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

[MGY]

Hi,

About four days ago, right before going to bed, a sudden, moderate pain started in my left thigh. It was like pulsating pain. There were no signs of swelling, redness, or tenderness. Three ays later, again, right before going to bed, I got this sudden pain, but this time right below my left knee. It was very uncomfortable and didn't go away with a massage or Bengay. What can that be? Why is it always at night?

[CMV1987]

Hello,

Sometimes when I go to sleep, I wake up with my whole right or left leg numb. (usually it's one or the other, but mostly the right) Soemtimes I wake up with a numb hand or arm and this doesnt worry me because I assume I was laying on it in my sleep and a few shakes wake it up. But when its my leg, the wake up of it is extremely painful. It doesnt last more than a minute, but it brings me to tears. I dont otherwise have pain, only when I am asleep does it go numb like this and have this pain. I try to lay flat on my back to sleep but I haven't found this to competely prevent these episodes. It happens a few times a month at most, but recently, I noticed that as it wakes up, the pain starts at my foot and radiates up, and is followed by a weird burning/cold pain.... what could all this be????

[needdrhouse]

Woke up suddenly at 1 am with severe pain in both legs that felt mostly like joint pain but the whole leg hurt and both legs. Screaming in pain for over an hour and could not walk. No swelling, warmth or redness. Blood work done at ER revealed nothing remarkable. I have a history of weird unexplained symptoms...sudden respiratory issues (including an arrest), sudden onset of 2nd degree av block that led to pacemaker, etc. Last couple of weeks extreme, extreme fatigue and more than usual laryngospasms which I have had for about 4 yrs after my respiratory arrest.

[minna258]

Hi, I know someone who is getting the exact same pain with the exact same symptoms...are you feeing fine now with your doctors medicine? Please let me know if you know the exact reason why it happened.

[Alicia610]

Hi! I am 16 but I always having right leg pain during at night. It occurs once a month or even more. Why? Ps reply thank you!

[Kmn1115801]

My pain is actually inside thigh (where leg begins), to left hip then outside of left knee to outside of left calf. It wakes me up every night.  I have had PT, chiropractor, tons of blood work, vitamins, heat, cold, MRIs of spine and leg, CT scans X-rays, etc. sometimes my foot also aches and I feel like I have to twist it around. I am exhausted. I have been committed to not using meds but nothing seems to stop this pain at night.

[Spectrum123456]

any updates for you?  I have the exact same issue.  I think it is some type of bacterial infection in my one leg

[Franzua]

Wow, this is the same pain that have been getting me. Does it get you suddenly. What happens during the day, does it go away? Have you found out what is the reason?

[Franzua]

Wow, this is the same pain that have been getting me. Does it get you suddenly. What happens during the day, does it go away? Have you found out what is the reason?

[Kidzrgrat]

Every night when I lay in bed I have a deep cramping in the back of my calf. It is so uncomfortable that I can't ignore it and ask my husband to rub it. It does not provide lasting comfort and the pain persists until I finally doze off. Every morning I wake without it and have no pain all day until I lay in bed again and the cycle repeats.

[Lazio1982]

I have been waking up from PAIN and numbness in my left thigh. I take Xanax to sleep and the pain is so had , that I am jolted out of a deep sleep bc of it. Both thighs down to above the knee are somewhat numb throughout the day, but only some tolerable shooting pains occur. But, at night is when I will wake up to pain (9-10) mainly in my left thigh. Feels like needles, burning, and numbness to a Max degree of severity. I was in car accidents and had recent MRI, they say I have 2 bulges, 2 tears, and a protrusion that's pushing on a nerve. That's what the Docs contribute this pain to. But, the accidents were 5+ years ago, and this new condition of awaking at night to this severe thigh pain  started about 3 months ago. It's more frequent now, and had now happened. 4 nights in a row this week :( please help me and offer some insight to this debilitating problem.

                                      Thank you very much,
                                           Matt S

[Potsandpans]

've been having pains in my upper right leg for quite a while now. It's on the right side of my right leg close to my knee. It hurts only at night, and only when I lay down. Can anyone help?

[GUGO]

Thats exactly where my pain is! It's  dull and aches badly only at night.  I have no idea what it is. Only on the right leg behind the knee and slightly above it.

[jtolson]

I have the same pain and gone through every test imaginable.  I've been taking gabapentin which has helped minimize the pain and acupuncture on my spleen channel also provides some relief.  Recommend both as temporary solutions.  

[Kmn111]

It's now August of 2014 and the same pain wakes me nightly. I have been going twice a month for thereputic massage and most of all that has helped me MANAGE the anxiety that comes with the pain. I would imagine what horrible things must be wrong with me and am so much better at at least now being able to somehow fall back into sleep, even if it is only for a short time. I am still committed to no medications but do fear this will be my life forever. The therapist feels there is good reason to believe it will stop at some point, but for now the calmer me still wishes it would just GO AWAY.

[lcarroll]

I have had my right Calf aching for 15 years and have had Nerve Blocks and Cortisone Injections in my spine with no result and am at my wits end with this pain that is only when I am sitting or lying down I can't sleep of a night and have spent so much money on test and procedures. Please if anyone can help me I would be so thankful. Help needed !

[anotherutahmom]

I take fish oil capsules, evening primrose oil capsule and vitamin e. The fish oil works better than a pain pill, if I remember to take it every day it will usually keep the pain at bay. It will take about 2 weeks to get it built up- and works so very well good luck to you!

[hllwngrl]

I have the exact same thing. Finally going to see a doctor next week. I can never get a good nights sleep because I'm not a back sleeper, so trying to sleep on my back is horribly uncomfortable. I end up going on my side all night long only to wake up with extreme pain until I end up sleeping on my back again. The pain is gone as soon as I get up and walk around. So weird.

[alwhurst]

I have the exact same problem. When side sleeping, I wake with a wicked hip-to-knee ache that disappears within minutes of standing or lying on my back with my knees bent and elevated. I cannot sleep well on my back, so I'm totally miserable. Is your problem better? If so, what did you do to get it to improve?