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Why do legs hurt if a person sits for a long time?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 20-year-old female, and I live a healthy lifestyle. However, my legs and back are always aching. It has gotten progressively worse over the last few years, and it is beginning to affect my quality of life. When the pain is intense, I get nauseous and throw up from the pressure it puts on my abdomen. I have found sitting for extended periods aggravates it. For example, this past weekend, I went on a trip with friends that required sitting for a long car drive. I was throwing up for 30 minutes of the ride and felt sick for the remaining trip. In addition to this, I have been experiencing chronic fatigue, muscle spasms, and urgency in bowel movements, and I get severe hunger pangs even shortly after I eat. I do not know if any of these things are correlated or not. My stress is managed; I get eight hours of sleep each night, go on daily walks, and eat a healthy diet. I had an ultrasound of my gallbladder and kidneys, and no significant findings were found. I am at university, and now that school has started, it is hard to sit in a chair for extended periods to work on homework or attend class when my body is aching. I am constantly nauseous, hungry, and fatigued. I take the tablet Tylenol almost daily to relieve the pain, but with no relief. I thought I would reach out and see if anybody might know what I am experiencing or if there is anything I can do to help it.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

It sounds like you are experiencing several symptoms impacting your quality of life. The aches and pains in your legs and back, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, muscle spasms, and bowel urgency could be symptoms of various conditions. It is also possible that it is related to chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. This chronic condition can cause widespread pain and tenderness, along with many other symptoms you have described. Nausea and vomiting you experienced during travel could be due to motion sickness syndrome. It is treated by Hyoscine (Scopolamine). The back and leg pain might be due to long hours of sitting. You are on the proper treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome, the tablet Fluoxetine, and you can take the Naproxen tablet for your pain. Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with them, and take medications with their consent. Also, you must do some lower back muscle strengthening and stretching exercises.

Thank you.

The Probable causes

Prolonged sitting.

Probable diagnosis

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Treatment plan

Tablet Naproxen 500 mg, tablet Domperidone 10 mg twice a day for three days, and tablet Fluoxetine 20 mg once a day for 15 days.

Preventive measures

Lower back muscle strengthening and stretching exercises.

Medically reviewed byiCliniq medical review team

Published At January 14, 2023
Reviewed AtJune 24, 2024

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