Swelling of the Feet, Ankles, and Lower Legs...

[CRyoul]

I also have a question about swollen feet, ankles, and legs. For the past few weeks I have been experiencing swollen feet ankles and now it's even moving up my legs from my calves to just above my knees even. the feet are so bad recently that it feels like the skin on them is going to burst open. Especially in the morning when I first wake up and get out of bed because they have been not used all night and when I first step out of bed the skin is pulled so tightly do to the swelling it is very painful. I also drink quite a bit. I drink vodka pretty much daily and about 2 pints a day of it. I thought perhaps this was the cause so I cut way back for a week but that seemed to do nothing to help it really. it seems to be getting worse week after week. I am really beginning to grow concerned as to why this is getting worse not better. I have been monitoring my temperature several times a day and it has always been normal. So I seriously doubt it is an infection because I have no signs that go along with infection such as, fever, cold sweets, shaking, feeling sick, etc. a few days ago my right foot was itching quite a bit so I was scratching it, the next day where I was scratching turned into open wounds, so I have been putting rubbing alcohol on those wounds several times a day and then Neosporin on , to ensure that I do not get an infection. I've been looking online and there are quite a few things it could be. As I said I've pretty much ruled out infection, I don't think it is my salt intake because I don't really use it, it's not caused from being on my feet all day because I am not. I was beginning to be concerned when I read an article about heart failure, because I already have issues with my heart (an artificial Tricuspid valve and pace maker). I called my cardiologist and told him of the swelling issues I was having with my feet and ankles 2 weeks ago and told him I was concerned about heart failure. He told me not to worry about it because and I quote, " I see swollen feet everyday, I'm pretty sure you don't have heart failure because you do not have the other symptoms that go along with it, chest pain, excessive shortness or breath, etc." Well that was a relief , so I'm thinking perhaps it could be liver failure? I have Hep-C and have had it for about 10 years now. As I said I drink quite a bit daily, so perhaps my liver is shutting down? What do you think and what do you think I can do to try and get this swelling to go down and hopefully away for good? Please E-mail me your answer or copy and paste what you write here into an E-mail and send it to my e-mail account on this site my username is "CRyoul". Because I've never been to this site before and doubt I will be able to find it again =). Thank you for your help with this matter. btw I am 36 years old. White Male. if that matters at all when it comes to this issue. Thanks again. Chris

-  OK I just Uploaded the pictures of the swollen feet, Ankles, and Lower Legs to my profile.  To get a better idea of what I'm talking about please view my Profile "CRyoul" and click on my photos, and then select the album titled "Swollen Feet, Ankles, and Lower Legs 2-1-2012".  Thank you very much for your help with this matter, I welcome any and all feedback, suggestions, advice, or opinions on this matter.  - Chris =)

[orphanedhawk]

You sir are in denial if you think alcohol consumption can not damage your liver. It has nothing to do with how drunk you feel you are.

Take hep C, add alcohol and the virus reacts in orgy mode.
I had cirrhosis. One symptom was swelling of my legs known as endema.

You need to see a liver doctor. And you need to be honest with the doctor.
None of us are medical professionals.

Your life may be at stake and if you need  a liver transplant you can not be drinking alcohol.

[Arissaroberts]

My mom suffers from hep c with cirrhosis and she's on fursomide and lactulouse but her ankles are swollen and now turning red..she says they hurt and feel they are going to burst...I'm curious if this is something to worry about

[Imamartian]

I know this post is old but Man I wish u would log back in because EVERYTHING you mentioned as far as symptoms down to the itching of the foot leading to open sores and semi liquid oozing out is exactly what I've had for the past 4 months. My calves are so swollen most the time I cannot pull my pant legs down over them. I don't feel sick or like I have a temperature I don't have hep c & I don't drink I just happened to stumble upon this post looking into what could be causing this. I have gained 60 lbs in the past 6 months & due to a complicated terrible set of circumstances my eating habits have drastically changed to where all I've been able to eat is microwaveable sausage egg mcmuffins , large amounts of cheddar cheese by itself or microwaveable fettuccini Alfredo for every meal literally nothing else has entered my mouth for a year. I also live in a house filled with all kinds of mold from it flooding & not being able to afford the repairs. And because I'm permanently disabled from the army I have been on 6 10/325 norco opiates a day since 2005 along with Valium occasionally. The only Time the swelling has gone down is waking up after the 5 times in the past 6 months I was able to sleep a good period of time laying down on my back. Because of the circumstances the little I do sleep I sleep sitting up in a rocking chair which do jogging to help the swelling. All I drink is purified water plain or most of the time with Hawaiian Punch drink mix in it. No alcohol no carbonated drinks. No coffee however for about 10 years I had a addiction to energy drinks and that's pretty much all I drank along with redline energy supplement a couple times a day before they banned it but none of either of those for years.? I'm a 36 year old white Male with very high blood pressure for years now (very high according to the dr's) . I'm 5'10 220 ( I usually am 165-170 but since everything happened to where the circumstances a once had become my life I shot up to 220.  If anybody happens to stumble across this and may have some insight I would appreciate it I don't want to post my own question because I don't have HEP C I wouldn't feel right doing thatvsincecrdchbucakky I shouldn't even be in here'

[musicloverhoney]

Hello. I am not in the medical field, but have done a lot of research on many subjects due to my own disabling health issues. At the very least, I suggest you find a clinic to get into ASAP. Swelling like that can be a result of heart disease or other severe organ malfunction.

Also, if you are living with black mold (or many other kinds I'm sure) you are slowly being poisoned and such conditions can be a death sentence. I had a friend who was exposed to black mold for an extended period and she ended up so sick! She was disabled for the rest of her life due to that one situation and it inevitably killed her in her 50s.

It is possible that there is some kind of program, where you live, to assist individuals who cannot afford to have something done themselves. Perhaps you could contact your local HUD office or the ADA. As a disabled individual you are entitled to certain forms of assistance. Please seek medical attention. If you're not on Medicare, there may be a county clinic for low income individuals. Good luck.

[flyinlynn]

Dude

3 year old post the OP has not posted since Feb 2012.

If you would like to post a new question please select the green post a new question link at the top right of the page.

Also the new meds are more effective that that depending on individual circumstances some have had results of 100%

Good luck
Lynn

[levi52]

dude, the alcohol/hep c combo will kill you, Your foot problem is just the beginning. Your liver creates a substance that helps maintain the integrity of your blood vessels and this is allowing fluids to leak from all over your body & it's collecting in your feet. You've got to quit drinking like right now and get treatment for the hep c. If your lucky and enough of your liver isn't gone to cirrosus it will regenerate if you give it a chance. The treatments out now are almost side effect free and 80% - 90% effective. Death by liver failure is nor easy, pretty, or fast. ditch the vodka my friend

[hepcandme]

Can't add much to the thoughtful comments already posted here except to say that even a little bit of alcohol - a few glasses of wine with dinner or a couple of beers at the pub with your friends, is only going to exacerbate the damage to your already suffering liver.

Hep C is the fiend just waiting to be fed and drinking gives your struggling liver another gut punch to help the virus do its nasty job

I have advanced liver disease and edema but even on my worse days, my ankles and feet have never looked as bad as yours.

How do you even put your shoes on?

Quit drinking and see a liver specialist. Your life depends on it

[hepc4Sandi]

After reading all these posts and seeing your photos, I can see where your symptoms could be any number of things. The first thing my liver doctor does every time I see him, is he checks out my feet, ankles, and lower legs, though I have never had any swelling there. So obviously there is a symptom he is looking for there. I can also see where it could be congestive heart failure, or diabetes. All these diseases are made so much worse by drinking. Have you gotten any help and how are you doing now?

[truredhead]

I seen your pics and you my friend are in bad shape. What is going on with you now? Did you see the doctor? I am 60 yrs old and would give anything to be your age again, I would do everything in my power to keep from killing myself like you are doing. I am a addict and have been clean for 20 years. It took a program like methadone to accomplish that but I did it. You seem to not even realize the damage you are doing to yourself. We have such a short time here on earth, when it is over, it is over, you are not coming back to repair the damage.

[pablodeablo123]

Stop it before it stops you, your not in controll now the bottle is smash the bottle today!

[pablodeablo123]

Stop it before it stops you, your not in controll now the bottle is smash the bottle today and live tomorrow!

[beverlydean]

Hello my friend, I'm gonna be blunt, you are an alcoholic.  You drink large amounts of alcohol & don't get a buzz, that is because your liver is not able to process that large amount, your liver is shutting down, I beg you to go to the E.R. ASAP!!  I know all about being an alcoholic because I am one. I was drinking a 5 liter box of wine in a day & a half, I got to the point that there never was enough. I would wake up after passing out & I would shake uncontrollably. I would slam down about 4 glasses just to stop the withdrawals. Well 20 days ago I had 2 glasses soon as I woke, it wasn't enough & 2 hours I went into serious DTs & ended up in the hospital, I almost died!! when I was released they gave me 7 days of Librium, I was so freaking sick that the first few days I could not walk so I crawled. I got a walker after that. Let me tell u about the hallucinations, AWFUL!! I am sober now & working the program, My body is so messed up because of the years  of drinking, Drs have told me I will die soon if I didn't stop!  Please I beg u get help immediately!! I will be praying for u, You wont be able to do yourself because your disease has reached the YOUR GONNA DIE SOON STAGE. .You can get help & there is still hope. GOD bless you!!

[staroflife]

You are going to give yourself cirrhosis of the liver n die a young tragic death...it can also gift you kidney failure and land you on dialysis and dont forget the best one...esophageal varices...i imagine its tough living with hep. C and having so much heart work done at such a young young age...you have to realize your quality of life could be so much better..., jen

[cinnyoak]

Hi,I have had hep c for 23 years and I really am not doing too bad. Recently I startedswelind ,first in my ankles,then my feet,now my legs. When the swelling goes down.. they are painful to the touch. I am very scared about this and have made an appt.with my. Gastroenterologist,he will tell me up front! I am on methadone maintenance and have been for two years and I am a sociable drinker,to be social able with others, I can say no tho! I just am 58 and don't want to die! I just lost my other half for severe medical a year and half ago.sometimes I think I its payback for all the drugs I did???

[mishal713]

mr CRyoul i think its all due to hepatitis c as it is included in its symptoms.secondly smoking,drinking and drugs enhance liver damage. Might be possible it is due to kidney damage.high conc. of phosphorous can cause electrolyte disturbance swelling, vomit and itching.

[suezeeque]

Honestly, nobody cares how you got HCV.  Nobody cares by which method you quit drinking.

My vocation is working  with people with drug and alcohol issues (among other things).  12 step programs are NOT for everyone.  I know this for sure.  Whatever works for you is the right way to go.  That may not be a 12 step program.  And again, honestly, I don't have a whole lot of faith in those programs either.  But for reasons other than those you have cited.

The MAIN issue at hand is to stop.  Whatever works for you, man.  But I can tell you this for sure, too...  What you are doing NOW is NOT working.

Get yourself into that ER now.

You really, really may not be able to wait for a more convenient time to do so.

[crigger]

I find it very sad that a man your age has already given up on life.  

[willbb]

  I don't buy into all fo the 12 step non-sense because form my personal experience all I have come across in those circles are people to get high and drunk with and then of course there are the perverts who are trying to hit on the younger members of the groups.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You really aren't serious are you??Just because you don't want to take advantage of the great support groups that are offered out there that have saved hundreds of thousands of lives if not millions why would you come to this particular support group .saying something as contentious  and glaringly incorrect as this.

If you choose to ignore your health issues by continuing to drink or drug. that is entirely your business ,however slagging the groups that have helped many others is really uncalled for.

Will

[1oftheclub222]

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/End-Stage-Liver-Failure---Cirrhosis/show/1677928

Your very near future?

[1oftheclub222]

you don't seem to take this a serious as some of the others who are actually 'in the know' here...Not that I am an expert, but there are many here who know alot...

it doesn't seem to be critical to you, if you think waitng in an ER for a few hrs is not worth your time, or quiting drinking is not really that big of a deal...very sad to watch such self distructive behavior, but it is your choice...hope you don't have any kids or anything...it would be horrible to make them watch something like this...best of luck...

[fretboard]

"I think some of you may have misunderstood me when I was talking about my tolerance to alcohol and how I rarly feel "drunk" no matter how much I drink."

I don't think anybody cares why you drink, to continue drinking with your feet as big as shoe boxes is suicide.  Nobody cares whether you like 12step or not and that's not even the point.  That point is you're killing yourself with alcohol and you need to stop.  Your 5150 attitude and your failure to stop drinking is what's gonna kill you.  Time to stop drinking!!  good luck

[Willy50]

I think that you have read the comments and have remained somewhat objective in light of some of what may feel to you like critical comments, but understand, these people are more concerned with your health than your feelings.  I also think that they are trying to shock you into taking some corrective actions.  Even if the comments are tough, they are intended to be helpful.

You have tested the hypothesis; you could see improvement in days/hours.  

Now.....somehow you need to be able to stop drinking long enough to heal yourself.  Basically, after a certain point, no medical interventions will help untreated medical issues. You seem to have some symptoms associated with cirrhosis, or advanced cirrhosis.

It's a stretch...... but if you cannot stop drinking, what if you switched to pot?  You may be able to save yourself from losing a foot or your legs.  
Obviously, no internet guy can safely diagnose you and so that is why you need medical evaluation.  
Since you almost seem to be avoiding that......(I'm inferring that stopping drinking alcohol will be part of the RX.)..... your situation looks pretty precarious.  For me, it looks as though you could be at a tipping point, and your body is telling you that.

willy

[nygirl7]

if you dont quit drinking it is very possible that you will die shortly.

Cirrhosis and end stage liver disease can be a life ending condition.....I'm not sure what your cardiologist can do about this it's not the appropriate doctor for the situation.

And no, you will not get approved for an organ donation because you are actively killing off your own liver now.

Good luck, I really hope you see the light but other than that there isn't much any of us can do or so that we have not said before.

[CRyoul]

Well first off I'd like to thank everyone for there input and opinions.  I think some of you may have misunderstood me when I was talking about my tolerance to alcohol and how I rarly feel "drunk" no matter how much I drink.  Obviously I realize that this is not normal behavior or "social" drinking.  I know I have a problem and I've had one since about 14.  I've ping ponged back and forth from drugs to booze to booze and drugs to brief stints of sobriety.  How do you think I got Hep-C to begin with, I assure you it wasn't from good and healthy living.  I'm pretty sure that the vodka does have something to do with the swelling because I decided to perform a little experiment, I didn't drink all of Feb. 4th & 5th and my swelling actually went down quite a bit, today (starting around 12 midnight) I began drinking again and I have already noticed an slight increase in the swelling of my feet and lower legs.  Unfortunetly I have yet to make it in to see a doctor.  I attempted to go over to my local ER but the place was swamped on Saturday so I turned arond and walked out.  perhaps today I will pop in and see how busy they are, usually during the week  they aren't as busy.  I must say though that I have been tending to the open wounds on my right foot with rubbing alcohol and I noticed that a clear, thin liquid oozes out from time to time , much like the consistancy and color of water.  So I'm pretty certain the all of the swelling is due to fluid retention and not any type of infection or puss.  So that is a relief.  Give my artificial heart valve and pace maker, infections can kill me a lot easier than yoru average joe.  I appreciate the advice regarding rehabs and detoxes but that just isn't for me, I'm been down those roads before and I perfer to detox in my own home and in my own bed.  I don't buy into all fo the 12 step non-sense because form my personal experience all I have come across in those circles are people to get high and drunk with and then of course there are the perverts who are trying to hit on the younger members of the groups.  The whole experience just left a bad experience in my mind and I'd rather not return to that.  I am currently awaiting my medicaid approval and once I get that I can go and see my cardiologist, so perhaps he can give me some input regarding my swelling.  Well again thank you all for the advice and input.  I will keep you posted as to what the doctors say once I get to see one.  If I am undergoing liver failure and need a transplant, I'm finished , with my other medical conditions, I have no chance in hell of getting approved for a donor organ.  I'm just hoping it isn't that serious yet.  

[Advocate1955]

This sounds like edema that can be a complication of cirrhosis and/or liver disease.  As others have said, you need to be under a doctor's care to diagnose the cause of the swelling and if due to cirrhosis or liver disease, determine the extent of your liver damage.  We need our livers.
Advocate1955