17 month old waking at night in extreme distress

[Corky]

My ds has been waking at night almost every night for the last month or so. It is generally the earlier half of the night and he is in so much distress that he throws himself around the cot in tears. I pick him up and he back arches so that I almost drop him. He writhes around lashing out at me and I just can't console him. He won't take any medicine in this state and putting him back in his cot like this makes him even worse. Eventually after 10mins or so he snuggles in to me and sucks him thumb and slowly calms down.
I have been putting this behaviour down to his eye teeth that are coming through (1 has cut and 1 is quite close to cutting), but am starting to doubt it when it seems to be every night for so long. You wonder if its a bad habit he's now got into.
He is normally a good sleeper and has woken on occassion before but just needs a cuddle, sometimes some nurofen and will be put down again with no further problems through the night. There were never this many frequent screaming fits like he is doing now.
Has anyone else come across this type of behaviour, it just seems he is really suffering with something and I can't help him which is upsetting.

[angela17]

Hi I am new to this but wanted to say that my son used to do exactly the same thing. His behaviour in his cot got so bad that I phoned my HV (got an answer machine) but wanted to tell her about it as I was so worried that he would hurt himself and someone would think that i or DH had done it. He would often end up with a bloody nost or lip because he had thrashed about so much. He is 2 next month and thankfully doesn't do it anymore although he is in a bed now (but that is a whole different story about keeping him there!!!) i was so worried about his behaviour but it does seem to have been a phase. Sorry no advice but hope yours grows out of it soon.

[aideesmum]

My ds has been doing almost the same thing last week and his eye teeth have just come through as well, maybe this is the reason. It has stopped now (the teeth came through really quick) and he is back to normal with his sleeping.

[MollyMooMin]

So glad we,re not alone. I did a thread on this a short while back, called strange waking at night. We go to pick her up and she pushes us away, yet when we go to walk away, she screams louder... no answers yet, sorry. Could you just tell me which their "eye teeth" are?

[alexh]

This is happening to 14 month old DS too here. And the eye teeth are coming through. Sounds lime this is what is causing it. Driving me insane and I hate to see him so unhappy.....

[Sandcastles]

eye teeth are the 3rd teeth in, (either side) from the mid line. Called canines, because they look like dogs teeth as in they are pointed (less so on adults due to wear & tear).

Also called eye teeth as their roots are the longest and the ips are closest to the eye. (I know, i don't make the rules)