pitting edema

[kate87124]

i am a 50 yr old pre-menopausal woman with non-tender pitting edema in both shins (not feet, ankles, or legs) worse on the left, very very slight on the rt.. it goes away at night or with elevation. i have had an ekg, liver and kidney function tests and seen 2 md's all negative and unremarkable. i have alos seen a massage therapist the specializes in lymphatic issues and she is perplexed as well since she feels that my lymphatic system is very clear and uncongested. it seems to come and go but has no particular method of exacerbation. i can walk 8 miles with no noticable pitting, then days later i see it again. i exercise moderately, eat very well and am on no presc meds for anything, this is my only issue. one md put me on hawthorn but it doesen't seem to help. it doesn't hurt or bother me, i just am concerned as to the cause.

[grubmuncher]

Hi, i have pitting edema on my lower shins, ive had it for about 2 years on my right shin, and its now developed on my left now, the dents go to about 8mm deep and take a few mins to work themselves out. Im 100kg and have a little spare tire on my stomache, but ive done weights and cycled for 26 years( hard out body building late 80's to mid 90's) im 44 now. I have had lots of tests, lymph,heart, scan on my arteries and veins supplying my legs and nothing is wrong, im in good health, diabetes etc( glucose levels are way up after over night fasting) but no diabetes. I have no idea why i have pitting edema, thats what my doctor called it, yet the docter is stumped to whi I have this condition. you guys have any idea? I have no faith in my doctor anymore. my email is ***@**** thanks Steven.

[alsoworried2]

I recently developed pitting edema on the inner lateral side of my shin after consuming xylitol in my coffee creamed with powdered milk. I was also taking sugar free (aspartame) psyllium husk to aid digestion. The fiber product by itself never bothered me. Once I started taking the xylitol to sweeten my coffee, it was causing a lot of bloating gastric disturbances in my abdomen. All the information on xylitol said it was safe and natural and that some people have this problem, but the body would adjust. I did this for about two months on and off. Something bit me on the leg one day, and as I was checking it out, I was surprised to see that my skin dented in and took some time to fill in again. I have been doing detox like dandelion tea, and most recently I've started drinking a combination of cilantro and chlorella to clean out metals and other toxins in my body. I think their may be some improvement, but I can't be sure since it varies slightly each day. Maybe I'm forgetting what normal looks like. Tomorrow I will be going to the doctor. All the information on the internet alludes to the worst prognosis. I am trying not to be anxious.

[alsoworried2]

I recently developed pitting edema on the inner lateral side of my shin after consuming xylitol in my coffee creamed with powdered milk. I was also taking sugar free (aspartame) psyllium husk to aid digestion. The fiber product by itself never bothered me. Once I started taking the xylitol to sweeten my coffee, it was causing a lot of bloating gastric disturbances in my abdomen. All the information on xylitol said it was safe and natural and that some people have this problem, but the body would adjust. I did this for about two months on and off. Something bit me on the leg one day, and as I was checking it out, I was surprised to see that my skin dented in and took some time to fill in again. I have been doing detox like dandelion tea, and most recently I've started drinking a combination of cilantro and chlorella to clean out metals and other toxins in my body. I think their may be some improvement, but I can't be sure since it varies slightly each day. Maybe I'm forgetting what normal looks like. Tomorrow I will be going to the doctor. All the information on the internet alludes to the worst prognosis. I am trying not to be anxious.

[alsoworried2]

Grubmuncher, I had the exact same thing as you. I went to the doctor, and they ran the usual tests and confirmed nothing. Says it was nothing to worry about and if it got worse, come back in. They dismissed my mention about the xylitol causing digestive/gastric disturbances that flushed my system. I tried all sorts of things on my own to resolve this not normal condition. I finally resolved it by taking a potassium supplement. I took four pills of 550mg spread out across a day, and the results in reversing the condition was dramatically positive before the day was over. It has almost disappeared. I expect it to be gone in the next day. Hope this helped.

[FurballsMom]

I had this for years.  When I finally figured out that I had loads of food sensitivities and started eating better, I lost a significant amount of weight.  Interestingly, I no longer have this edema problem you're talking about.  All my medical tests used to come back negative and unremarkable, too, except for my blood sugar and my cholesterol and weight issue.  

I could still stand to lose a bit more weight, but after losing a significant amount of weight and still obviously dealing with other health issues, my doctor isn't too worried about emphasizing the weight loss.

I'm no longer pre-diabetic and my total cholesterol is down to normal.  I still have to watch my BP.

I don't know if I'll develop this issue again in the future or not, but I had edema even as a teenager when I didn't have a weight issue.