ask: What might these pains in my legs be?

Have you ruled out shin splints? That was my first educated-guess, when you said the stabbing pain in your shin happens after a "lot of exercise", and that you are "very active". I'm not sure how old you are (in case that matters).

My younger sister had extremely painful shin splints as she was going through puberty (and growing 3 inches taller than me!), which was the probable explanation of her literal "growing pains". She was also very active (played soccer), so the pounding on her legs probably didn't help.

It would be a good idea to become established with a doctor, and this would be an excellent reason to do so. They can rule out anything major, or let you know if there are any fractures or inflammation that need to be taken care of.

You can read up on shin splints at the Mayo Clinic site:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shin-splints/DS00271/DSECTION=symptoms

"Most cases of shin splints can be treated with rest, ice and other self-care measures — and wearing proper footwear and modifying your exercise routine can help prevent shin splints from recurring."

"Consult your doctor if rest, ice and over-the-counter pain relievers don't ease your shin pain. Seek prompt medical care if:

* Severe pain in your shin follows a fall or accident
* Your shin is hot and inflamed
* Swelling in your shin seems to be getting worse
* Shin pain persists during rest"

Thanks Alison. I never thought of shin splints.
I just turned thirty eight by the way, so I don't think I'm still growing...ha ha...
I do a lot of hiking over very hilly terrain and often after a long hike, it happens.
I'm glad to hear that you don't think it's varicose veins.

"Shin splints" are the result of injury to the muscle along the inner front of your leg, often from either overuse, over-training or over-stride. When the muscle becomes inflamed, you feel anything from an annoying ache during or after exercise to a sharp pain that might bring you to a halt - like that little leprachaun stabbing your leg sort of pain that you described.

As a marathoner/coach, I see this type of injury more often among new runners, although even "veteran" runners can develop shin splints by running on uneven terrain or in worn or improperly-fitted shoes, biomechanical issues, or simply by doing too much when resuming training after a long break during the off-season. Shin splints can occur among more than just runners, and I concur with Alison that what you describe sure sounds like this type of injury.

Treatment begins by icing the inflamed muscle, cutting back on the activity, taking an anti-inflammatory drug (like ibuprofen) and allowing the muscle to heal. Properly loosening up before your workouts and gentle stretching afterward will keep the muscle flexible and less prone to injury.

Like Alison suggested, consultation with your doctor to determine if you might have fractures would be warranted. It sounds like you do need to cut back on your activity until you have your injury checked. Definitely ice and rest.

I hope you get help and heal soon.

Rlyons, since you're concerned about varicose veins, here's some information about them. The Mayo Clinic defines varicose veins as "gnarled, enlarged veins."

Arteries take blood from our heart to the rest of our body; veins return that blood to the heart. This means that the veins in our feet and legs have to work against gravity. Muscle contractions move the blood, and tiny valves control the flow. Here's what happens with varicose veins:

"As you get older your veins can lose elasticity, causing them to stretch. The valves in your veins may become weak, allowing blood that should be moving toward your heart to flow backward. Blood pools in your veins, and your veins enlarge and become varicose. The veins appear blue because they contain deoxygenated blood, which is in the process of being recirculated."

Here are the symptoms of varicose veins. They don't really match the pains you describe:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/varicose-veins/DS00256/DSECTION=symptoms

And here's an article on identifying varicose veins:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2329723_identify-symptoms-varicose-veins.html

I hope this puts your mind at ease about this part of it.

Thanks for the info, Diane....this doesn't sound familiar.
Sounds like shin splints alright.
Also, thanks Alysia, I am resting as I write!

Something similar is happening to me too.....but for me its been more than 2 months. I hardly get sharp pains but the pain is always there. 2 months back I was admitted to the hospital for severe abdominal pain,vomiting, and diarrhea. The docs suspected appendicitis but dint operate as my white blood count and pain went down.

I have exactly the same symptoms as rlyons and I'd waved it off as shin splints until it started happening when I was in bed at night. Nothing aleviates the sharp pain but nothing makes it worse or seems to bring it on. I don't have any other shin pain and it doesn't happen when I'm running on the treadmill. It knocks me sideways everytime - it's such an intense pain. I think it might be a trapped spinal nerve and it's time to visit the doctor.

I've got the same pain. leprechans dagger...brilliant. i thought it was more like a bee sting but in the same spot more than once was too much of a coincidence. Now i'd say it's like electric shock...tiny little shocks that send me through the roof or onto the floor trying to keep my composure. FLIP FLOPS ANYONE!! just read that too many days with flip flops can in fact cause shin splints... who knew! off to the doctor to find out for sure but i'm pretty confident my flip flops are the culprit

Anonymous, your symptoms sound a lot like those of MS (multiple sclerosis). I could be way off base, as I am not a doctor, but the pain accompanied by digestive issues is a common symptom of MS. Best that you consult a professional. My best to you all.

P.s. rlyons - I'm having same sharp pain on the bone area of my shin. I've gotten it before and it's gone away...not sure if it's shin splints, but does occur during a heavy week of running. I read that shin splints are common amongst novice runners, which I am not. Did you finally find out what the pain actually was ?