I have thigh pain at night. Why?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 60-year-old female. I am not overweight. I exercise daily. I have episodes of enormous pain in my left thigh under the muscle. It does not look like muscle spasms. It seems to happen when I try to move my knee. It occurs mostly at night time when I am lying down or when I am sleeping. I have the pain for about 10 minutes. During these episodes, the pain starts within a minute and subsides within five seconds. The pain is severe. I am feeling exhausted. Sometimes it happens for a couple of times in a week, and it occurs in between the months too. It seems to get worse when I try to move.

I have gone to many doctors and had done three MRI on my back. I have done X-rays, nerve tests, and ultrasound on both the legs. The results came negative. I do not have these episodes when I am at the doctor's office. What could be the reason for having this pain? What is the cause? Please suggest.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have reviewed your query. You can consider doing an epidural steroid injection for controlling the painful episodes. You should discuss the option with your physician for doing it. You can also have a hip joint issues. You can also consult an orthopedist for knowing the cause. I would recommend visiting a gynecologist for proper evaluation and try to have a second opinion on this issue. She would be in a better position to investigate you. There can be an infection or inflammation such as PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) or any other malformations related to female organs. It may also be a cause.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I can understand the pain. There are set criteria and protocol for diagnosing every disease. No one can be left alone in a severe medical situation like this. Consult your primary care physician for taking an epidural steroid injection. It helps you to get some relief. You can also consult an orthopedist for knowing the cause. You can also consult a gynecologist for identifying the cause. It can be a gynecological issue too. As it is not a muscle spasm, it can also be a referred neural pain originating from the spinal nerves, and it can also be felt in the thigh. MS (multiple sclerosis) can be ruled out, and this kind of symptoms are not seen in Lyme disease.