My 4 year old son having extreme hand and foot pain every night

Posted by jsmith1006 @jsmith1006, Jul 21 3:12am

Every night before bed my 4 year old son experiences extreme pain in his hands and feet. It hurts so bad he screams himself to sleep. However, it's only at night before bed. During the day, he doesn't complain about them and he plays and acts like just like a normal four year old boy would. He takes Ibuprofen but it doesn't help him at all. It has been going on for over a year. It started last year and went on for 6 months. In that time frame, I took him to his pediatrician. She ordered blood work and x rays. His tests came back fine. She was stumped so she referred him to a pediatric rheumatologist. He examined him and looked at all the tests and agreed he had no idea what it could be. I asked if it could be auto immune but he seemed certain it wasn't. He explained some kids get unexplained pediatric pain which he'd eventually grow out of.

Not long after the specialist appointment, his hands and feet stopped hurting. We made it through 5 months with no pain then it came back. It's been 3 months since it returned and we're at our whits end. I can't watch my baby suffer every night. Has anyone else dealt with this before. I need to find a way to help him.

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John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Jul 21 8:33am

Welcome @jsmith1006, I know it is extremely difficult to watch your child in pain and not knowing how to help them. It sounds like his pediatrician thought it might be related to growing pains and referred him to a pediatric rheumatologist. Then your son's pain went away and came back after 5 months. I'm hoping members with similar experience will be able to respond with what they found out. I did find some information on growing pains but not sure how helpful it is.

"Why is my 4 year old in pain at night?
Growing pains often strike in late afternoon or early evening before bed but pain can sometimes wake a sleeping child. Most kids are pain-free and active as usual during the day. Growing pains may last for months or years, but they don't happen every day. There might be days, weeks, or months between pain episodes."
-- Growing Pains (for Parents) | Nemours KidsHealth: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/growing-pains.html

Mayo Clinic has a symptom checker that might be worth trying - Joint pain or muscle pain in children: https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptom-checker/joint-pain-or-muscle-pain-in-children-child/related-factors/itt-20009075. Mayo Clinic also has a Children's Center if that is an option - https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/childrens-center.

Have you contacted your son's pediatric rheumatologist to see if they might have some suggestions for a follow up appointment?

Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Jul 21 7:50pm

@jsmith1006
Any severe pain in a young child is frightening for both child and parents- you feel helpless.
Growing pains sounds like a possible diagnosis. Pain is not present during the day, it comes and goes and testing for serious disorders come back negative.
@johnbishop gave you some excellent links.
In addition to ibuprofen or acetaminophen heating pads often give some relief as well as gentle massage. Ice might also help.
You can check with the pediatrician if any supplements such as Vitamin D and magnesium would help. Warm bath with Epsom salt may also give relief. Please check with the pediatrician before trying any of these treatments.
Keep in mind that he is pain free during the day which would not be the case if he had a serious illness.

jsmith1006 | @jsmith1006 | Jul 22 12:36am

In reply to @johnbishop "Welcome @jsmith1006, I know it is extremely difficult to watch your child in pain and not..." + (show)

@johnbishop thank you for the feed back and the links. I will check them out. He will have a follow up appointment coming up soon with the rheumatologist. At first I thought growing pains too but his DR told me growing pains are in the legs not in the feet or hands. When she told me that it started to worry me this could be something else. Here's to hoping he's the exception and it is just growing pains that he will eventually grow out of. It's hard on all of us to watch him scream himself to sleep every night. I would take his pain in a heartbeat.

Nichole Dailey | @nicholedailey | Jul 22 2:13pm

I remember having growing pains in my hands and legs growing up and they only bothered me at night from time to time. I would be up crying in the middle of the night and Dad would always come to my rescue and rub his hand over them to create heat and it always helped so much that I would then fall asleep for the rest of the night. He had to do this for years. Hope this helps.