Swollen Legs

[Eve]

I've had swelling in my feet and ankles for quite a while but both my legs have swollen and feel heavy, tight and a bit odd and when you poke them it leaves a dent (pitting oedema?). I mentioned it to podiatry while they were checking my toes after I had nail surgery and they did a Doppler scan down by my ankle on each leg and said that sounded fine which is good.

Could this be caused by oral steroids? I had a 5 day course of prednisolone last week to settle an arthritis flare but only 6 a day then put on Naproxen after being in a crash which aggravated things.

Does anyone know if this could this be the easy answer? If so, could getting some of those support stockings or something like flight socks help to ease it (as well as regularly moving and keeping them up etc...) to see if I can settle it before bothering my GP?

[pixie373]

Are you taking water tablets already? I would start by elevating as much as possible. Not aware of it being a side effect of those medications (obviously, sqad will know). Have you been less active because of the problems?

[Eve]

Hi Pixie. No water tablets. I am less active/mobile though I use a walking stick to get about outside and have to get four buses a day to and from work. I have a desk job, not sat down all day as I try to move regularly to avoid stiffening up and need to get stuff from around the office, bits of printing, copying etc... so I can't go any great distances or anywhere very fast but I'm not as immobile as, say, being bedbound.

I tend to have my legs up of an evening anyway on the sofa and use a large firm pillow to keep my feet up when I go to bed. It's usually down the bottom of the bed somewhere by morning though.

[Eve]

Quickly before I lose it again, my internet connection keeps disappearing and is driving me mad so I'm heading to bed and may not get to reply until the morning.

[pixie373]

Mine is too. Sky? I'm sure sqad will give you some advice soon xx

[Buenchico]

It might be nothing much but I strongly urge you to see a GP as soon as possible.

My father told me that he was experiencing problems with swollen ankles and I suggested that he see his GP as soon as possible, as it was possibly a heart problem. He did so and the GP referred him to a cardiac specialist who saw him on the same day. He was told that, unless he immediately gave up alcohol and started taking the medications prescribed by the specialist, he probably had less than two weeks left to live. (He took the advice and lived for quite a few years from then). Your situation is probably nowhere near as serious as that but it would be silly not to get it checked out quickly!

[237SJ]

My Mum got swollen ankles and lower legs after taking a short course of Dexomethasone. She was alright when she was taking it but the swelling happened a week or so afterwards. Steroids can upset the electolyte balance and can result in fluid loss but I would image it could go both ways. The GP prescribed some socks (like flight socks). Needless to say, my mother being my mother, she didn`t use them. The swelling went down on it`s own about a week later.

[Sqad]

Eve

You have such a complex medical history and a multitude of pharmacologist agents to combat your medical history that one could pick any one or any combination to account for your leg swelling (oedema). You have had recently multiple investigations which would have highlighted any renal or cardiovascular cause and i must say that i agree with the posts of pixie and 237SJ that it is a combination of steroids and/or venous stasis (immobility) that is the cause.

Monitor the situation for the next week, as diuretics may well be indicated if the swelling does not subside.

[RATTER15]

It may well be worth putting a couple of bricks or thick books under the end of your bed to keep your legs elevated, they won't get kicked out in the night. Hope it is soon sorted.

[Eve]

Thanks all.

It was worse and really uncomfortable this morning and swollen first thing so mentioned it in a phone call with my GP surgery and they called me in to have a look. She did a urine test and it showed up a bit of protein so I'm having some bloods done tomorrow to check kidneys, liver etc... As you say Sqad, I've had plenty of blood tests done not that long ago (few weeks, been taken off methotrexate again!) She said to stop anti-inflammatories (argh!) to see if that helps and warning signs to look out for.

Had physio too and I asked them to check the difference in my lower leg measurements as they had measured them previously - they are 2.5cm and 3cm bigger at the point they measured them.

I've got my feet up on a few pillows while lying on the sofa (she said try to get them above heart level). I don't know if I can get anything under my bed, it's a big heavy bed with a big wooden frame all the way round it like a little shelf. When I tried to move it last time I ended up with an infected leg wound (me and DIY kinda stuff don't really mix!), it wasn't a good idea! Will see if I can get anyone to look at it/help. I'm struggling to even get socks on at the moment so probably safer! :)

It seems to be worse down the front of the legs pain wise, feels a bit like I've got bars strapped down my shins at the moment. Hopefully a feet up long weekend will settle it down, fingers crossed!

My internet is AOL (TalkTalk now I think), was going on and off a lot last night and it wouldn't let me post on here for a while, the submit box blanked out as soon as I typed anything. Was a few hours before it let me post again, was worried I'd been suspended or something at first but not.