This is going to be short, as I have a pretty basic question to ask.

When I stood up this morning, I felt pain in my calves, and I still feel it when I stretch my legs and walk. Has this happened to anyone before? If so, what does it mean, and will it go away by itself, or do I need to consult a doctor?

Thank you in advance for your responses, everyone. NintendoFanKimmy, out.

I've encountered this problem too many time to count. Sometimes the pain was dull and weak, other times strong and burning. Every single time the problem went away on its own; the time it took to go away depended on the degree of pain. For example, dull pain was gone in a few hours, but the sharp pain took about two days to fade away. I haven't suffered any long term side effects from those pains.

So, it'll most likely just fade away. However, if you're really hurting you can always take some pain meds, I found those to be fairly effective.

tornadocam : Thank you for asking. No, I did not. Perhaps I just sat wrong a day ago.

It might be like a Charley horse, or basically a muscle spasm. You can get them for a variety of reasons but usually from over using the muscle or a lack of potassium. Try stretching your leg and keeping your foot at a 90 degree angle. Also, eat some banana's or avocados, something high in potassium and protein.
They aren't fun at all to have so I wish you a quick recovery!

I second what stryrofoamboots said.

Try untucking the bed sheets at the foot of the bed. Also how do you sleep, on your back, stomach, or side? Try a calf stretch before bed:

Light Knight : Are the exercises supposed to be different depending on how one sleeps? Thanks in advance for the answer.~

Also, I sleep on my stomach.

NintendoFanKimmy : The stretch shown in that picture does not change based on how you sleep. It is just an all around general calf muscle stretch. But if you are sleeping on your stomach, then your feet are pointed downward (in perspective to your body). That means that your calf muscles are in the contracted state. If you shift any extra weight on that foot while sleeping, it will push the calf into a tighter contraction. It results in cramping when done for extended time. If you actually point your toes down (not while standing) as hard as you can, you will actually make that happen in a matter of seconds. You can try doing that to compare that feeling to the one you woke up with. If they are the same general feeling, that is likely what happened. But I also don't recommend forcing your calf into a cramp like that. Though it only lasts for about a minute, it hurts like crazy.

I work in a gym and I see a lot of what these folks are talking about.  Most likely, if you have some serious pain and cramping in the morning in your calf or both of them, you're dehydrated.  You just slept a lot, you didn't take water, and your muscles are going to seize up.  You lose fluid and the body gets really tight.

Try this:  Eat a banana, skip salty foods the second half of the day, and drink more water throughout the day.  That should be enough to get you going in the right direction.  If things continue and still hurt, try rolling a tennis ball with your foot as soon as you wake up each morning.

I can only talk about what I have experienced since I am no doctor. I run on average at least 4 miles per treadmill session and I also who have an athletic buddy who is super fit but skinny and he gets these in the calves and foot. My girlfriend gets these once in a while too but she is not active but she is of average weight and not overweight (yet...damnit). And yes, I get this in the morning usually.

Basically the pain we get are all very similar. It is almost as if the muscle knots up and if you don't relax it fast enough it can last anywhere from 15 seconds to a few minutes. Sometimes it is dull for me but most of the time it is pretty intense. I can't compare the pain to say for example when you pick this mad pimple and it hurts like you just got stung by 10 wasps on the same spot. The pain is not like that but it is painful in its own way. The way I alleviate this pain is basically moving my legs and kind of stretching it. There are no quick fixes unless I move my leg the split second the pain starts.

I can blame potassium or dehydration but I also do not think those are the case because I always keep myself hydrated and I am sure I have enough potassium. The one thing that is different now is that I get these rarely now as apposed to at least once a month before a few years back. Since they go away rather quick, I never cared much, I believe it has something to do with my muscle getting leaner because this happened back when I started to learn how to run properly. 

Possible contributing factors for me:
1. I smoke
2. I eat healthy as well as crap
3. I am active

Good luck, I don't think I truly offered a solution but I hope this help.

As Always,
TitaniumOxide

Local Mods : I'm feeling better now, so this thread can be closed now.~

Thank you for your replies, everyone!~

Glad to see that you're feeling better.

Closed by request of OP.