# Feet And Ankle Swelling Problems



## EDDIE BUCK

About two weeks ago, I started having problems with my feet and ankle swelling toward the end of the day.Right foot much worse than left,and after I have slept all night,the swelling is much less.

I would have seen the Dr the next day,but she was on vac.I don't much like seeing other Dr's that don't know my history,but if it seemed life threatening to me, I would have.

Anyway, this past Monday I finally saw her.She said if it was not a blood clot in my leg,chances are its my BP med she has me on.She changed my BP med, and said once i'm home,try to keep my legs elevated as much as possible to lessen the swelling.

Then she sent me straight to an xray or imaging place for a sonogram to check legs for clots.No clots thank the Lord.

What I am questioning is,the BP med I was on,I have been taking it for over two years with no problems, and now all of a sudden its swelling my feet and ankles?

OK,its been a whole week on my new BP meds.My feet and ankle are still swelling and hurting, and making me have even more doubt that its my old BP med being the problem anyway,plus its three more weeks before I can see the Dr again.Week after next she will be back on vacation again..Takes more vacations than Michelle Obama, And I'm paying for both of them...

I don't want to go three more weeks with hurting and swollen feet and ankles,then hear the Dr say,well,,we can rule out your old BP med ,that won't it.Lets try this, There goes another possible four weeks of agony if it ain't this one.:flame:

All this(seemingly )unnecessary waiting is giving me to much time to search the internet. I happened to read online that "heart failure" can also cause fluid to swell feet.That sounds kinda serious to me.Recon will I even be around three weeks from now?







If I am,that danged Dr better not say its too late to save me i waited to long. Her hiney might be joining me seeing those pearly gates for the first time.

I know trial and error used by Dr's, is sometimes the only way to narrow down the possibilities, in order to determine the best diagnosis.

The problem is,when it comes to being pessimistic,I'm the white Fred Sanford,you know,"I GOT IT.. Elizabeth,I'm coming to Join You Honey". In other words,if it sounds serious and I have one or two symptoms,might as well start planning my funeral,cause I'm a goner..

Also need to start canvassing for paul bearers that promise to stop drinking beer for that one day at least.OH OK just that morning....LOL.Just kidding,I'm not really that pessimistic. Guess I'm just to anxious for the correct solution..

*SERIOUS* 

However,have any of you folks ever had this problem and found it hard to get the right diagnosis ?

Also is there a medicated foot soak that will bring down swelling?


----------



## lenii

and they put her on duretics and blood test said she was low on potassium.


----------



## acde

cayenne pepper on tongue has been known to stop a heart attack.


----------



## chickenista

It is not just a fluid problem or a circulation problem, it is also a collagen problem.

Collagen is what makes the connective tissues elastic. As we age the body slows in making collagen. The blood vessels lose some of their stretch which allows for larger openings for the fluid to leak from the vessels and pool in the legs and feet. (and the skin to sag along the eyes and neck and arms and everywhere else)

There are herbs that you can take for collagen and leg veins elasticity etc.. that are very helpful as well as some diuretic herbs called 'Water Factors" that really help. My dad takes them with great results.


Or go out into the yard and make a big ol dandelion salad with a little chickweed thrown in. That would do it too.
He has no heart problems or BP troubles or anything, just a collagen breakdown.


----------



## JIL

I was having same probs with swelling and Dr (regular practioner) just wanted to give me duirectics to see if it helped, well that didn't tell me what was wrong. Then on my next visit to Chriopractor I mentioned about this and he said let me see then he adjusted my hips knees and ankles and there has not been any swelling or pain since then. he said my knee cap was twisted and putting pressure on my veins causing the swelling and pain so maybe check with a chiropractor, it helped me


----------



## Ardie/WI

I've been dealing with that for a jillion years!

I take a diuretic almost every day (not when I'm going to leave the house)! :shocked:

I also sleep with my legs elevated with two hard pillows! It's not pretty, but I've dealt with awful cellulitis a few times and it's awful..

I would seriously question your doctors advice! You are dealing with something that potentially can be very dangerous. 

A neighbor was having similar symptoms and his doc didn't take serious. After a few days, he went to ER for the pain. He had a blood clot traveling up his leg!


----------



## EDDIE BUCK

Thanks everybody.The Dr did mention she might put me on diuretics my next visit.
This morning after resting all night,,my feet were normal, not hurting or swollen.I walked to my garden and come back and they are swelling again.:grit:
Thanks again.


----------



## mekasmom

EDDIE BUCK said:


> However,have any of you folks ever had this problem and found it hard to get the right diagnosis ?
> 
> Also is there a medicated foot soak that will bring down swelling?


Venous insufficiency is often a part of aging. You just don't have a good fluid return from the legs. Many things cause this, the scariest of these being kidney failure and/or heart failure. There are other things that can cause it too like aging vessels which just clog with cholesterol, a weakening of the lymph return system, even a side effect of aspartame consumption (dilute or die syndrome), even anorexia can cause edema. Even having a "belly" weight hanging on the main return vein in your body can cause edema. Are you a bit overweight?

Did she do a blood test called BMP to check your kidneys? I would ask for that. If you are really, really scared you could even ask for an echo to check for the ejection rate too. It should be above 50, the higher the better. Chances are it is fine though because she would have found indications of heart failure in her examination.

But honestly, it is called venous insufficiency or lower limb edema. It is common as people age. As long as your skin color in legs and feet is good, and it self resolves with a little time of leg elevation, you aren't at death's door. Let's face it, even something as simple as varicose veins hinders venous return.

Blood pressure medications, especially beta blockers do slow the ejection rate of the heart, and can cause edema. So her idea of it being the medication is valid. 

I personally wouldn't let her give me lasix (furosemide) as a first choice diuretic, but another diuretic like maxide or something would be ok. Lasix isn't a good first choice diuretic because long term use of the drug causes kidney failure. But that takes 15+ yrs to develop, and if the edema is severe lasix is a good choice for the heart. So it is a balancing act. But that is just my personal opinion, everybody has one.

As far as herbal diuretics, dandelion is a simple one. Other than that you might research rebounding to get your lymph draining better or even lymphatic massage. Also loosing a little weight will help with venous return, and also simply elevating your legs a bit each day. 

I wouldn't worry too much right now. If you aren't coughing, are peeing enough, aren't swollen all over, etc, you aren't dying from this problem in the near future. And there are many options to help resolve it.

Just for future reference, a blood clot in the lower legs, calves, causes redness, swelling, pain, heat in the leg. Also when you flex your foot there would be severe pain in the calf. If you don't have those symptoms then you don't have to become overly fearful of a clot at that moment. I do realize that edema is scary, but I just wanted to let you know that you don't need to be super fearful at the moment you have some swelling. There are numerous causes that aren't deadly.
I hope you feel better soon.


----------



## EDDIE BUCK

Maybe when I get more active in the garden and yard,I'll will get things back circulating like they should.If it goes away B4 I see the dr in three weeks I'll cancel that appointment.Don't care to take fluid pill unless its a got to.
Thanks mekasmom and everybody else:cowboy:


----------



## ELOCN

I've had a problem with my ankles and feet swelling (especially the left) for something like 30 years. The doctors told me over and over "elevate your legs" but I always resister. Finally, 12 years ago, I took that advice to heart and I elevate my legs every day. You have to get your feet higher than your heart! (So just sitting in a chair and propping up your feet on a hassock is not good enough). The head of my bed is against a wall. I get into bed with my feet facing the headboard, and scoot up as close as I can to the headboard, and put both feet on the wall. I get ready first: I go to the bathroom first, get a hanky, get a book or newspaper to read, and try to elevate for one hour at a time. I write down how many minutes I did -- I keep an engagement calendar for this purpose. If my legs and really aching and aching and feeling heavy, all I have to do is look back in the engagement calendar and I'll see that I only elevated 20 minutes this day, 30 minutes that day. I have elevated for five hours in one day (not all at one time, but in 5 or 6 different times). The other thing that causes my feet and ankles to swell is excess salt.


----------

