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 =)

[1oftheclub222]

Yeah....that looks pretty bad....your doc may not understand how swollen they are unless he has seen them...do you ahve a Hep doc?  Either way, I would make an appt with some doc and have them look at that...definitly not normal!

[1oftheclub222]

Oh, and pretty sure you know this, but quit the drinking, it really speeds up the damage to your liver...alcohol is not your friend....

[mikesimon]

Your doctor can not possibly comprehend the extent of your swelling.
Considering that you are infected with hepatitis c and are drinking excessively I assume that your swollen feet and ankles are liver related.
You have to see your doctor. You must also tell him about your alcohol use.

Good luck,
Mike

[nygirl7]

Oh my God you absolutely have to get in to see your doctor or go to an ER and get the process started. Drinking excessively with HepC can have caused you severe liver damage - you HAVE to get to someone and tell them the TRUTH before you just drop dead. It is serious and deadly this game you are playing. I doubt it has anything to with your heart and a cardiologist would not know much about liver issues.

I'm sorry I dont understand what you mean about copying your user name so I certainly hope you can find this site again.

[pooh55811]

First, I am very sorry to hear how ill you are and that you have Hep C.

Second, I don't think your e-mail address is public information so I don't think anyone can e-mail you.

Third, we are not doctors, just people who happen to have Hep C and post to get information or to answer questions.Therefore, we cannot give any medical diagnoses and you need a doctor for the medical diagnoses and treatment.

Fourth, you do appear to have a serious problem. The photos of your legs and feet attest to that.

Fifth, you really must stop drinking. This I am sure you have heard many times before, but it is probably one of the first things you should do. I am not being judgemental or preaching, but it is highly likely (I would say probably definitely) that drinking a quart of Vodka a day is going to eventually kill you in one way or another. You are only 36 years old. That is very young to be as sick as you seem to be. You already have several medical problems and a quart of Vodka a day is probably going to exacerbate all of them as well as probably add some new problems. I would seriously and strongly suggest you contact AA and any alcohol detox. group/clinic/counseling in your area. You may need medical detox from the alcohol because detoxing from a quart of Vodka a day for ? number of years could very well send you into physical alcohol withdrawal which in itself can be medically dangerous if you are not monitored and treated while detoxing from the alcohol.

Sixth, you need medical help. I know you said you have a cardiologist, but you need someone who is going to investigate your symptoms taking into account all of your diagnoses in order to determine what is going on medically. If you need to see more specialists, then you should. Once you are diagnosed a treatment plan needs to be set up.

Keep in mind that many doctors are not particularly fond of treating actively drinking alcoholics for several reasons. For one thing, if you are drinking a quart of Vodka a day, that alcohol is having somem effect on your body. Therefore, as long as you are actively drinking, it is difficult for the docs to determine which problems are due to the alcohol and which are due to something else. Compliance to the medical treatment is often a problem when one is drinking. Plus the drinking itself is most probably (again, I would say definitely) exacerbating your physical medical symptoms.

Others may be able to tell you more about liver disease and its symptoms. No one can actually give you a diagnoses except a qualified doctor who has examined you and run tests to determine what is causing your symptoms.

The bottom line is, you must stop drinking. It will kill you. (By the way, cutting down for a week is not long enough or sufficient enough to have your symptoms improve). You must also find a doctor who will thoroughly examine you and determine a diagnoses and a treatment plan.

I sincerely wish you the best and I hope you can solve your medical problems before it is too late. You are only 36 years old, way too young to do nothing about your medical problems.

[pooh55811]

PS: Just in case I did not make it clear in my last post, your medical condition is very serious and you do need to be seen by someone very soon, like today. If your doctor cannot see you today, then you should go to the Emergency Room.

[Willy50]

If you happen to find the site again just click on the little box beneath where you post;

[ X ] Add to watch list.

When you get a reply, you'll get a notice; maybe one per day.  Follow the link in your e-mail back to this thread

I think I would consider going to the ER or going to the doctors and showing him, or sending pics by email.  Phone them and send them pics saying you think it's serious and people have urged a trip to the ER.

You may also need a hepatologist.  You might ask either at the ER or your doctor for a fibrosure test; a blood test which approximates liver damage; results in 3-5 days and a relative low cost.

I think you may have more serious issues than you think/ your doctor thinks.  A guy your age on all these drugs w/ all these issues?  Something ain't right.

Yeah, it is vital whoever sees you knows you are HCV positive and the staging of your liver, what drugs you are on and whatever co-morbidies/health issues you have.

Also.... in all likelihood, no one is going to e-mail you.  
If you are savvy enough to find this site, join and add pictures you can probably find and read this thread.

willy

[nygirl7]

I PM'd him the responses so far.

[mikesimon]

"....If you are savvy enough to find this site, join and add pictures you can probably find and read this thread...."

That's an astute observation Willy. It raises some questions in my mind.

Mike

[nygirl7]

I think the problem is that he posted on a lot of forums all at once from what I can tell on the profile.....probably can't check them all often enough or something. Either that or the vodka.

GO TO THE ER or a DOCTOR NOW.

[CRyoul]

First off it's def. not the vodka... second I wrote that in my first post when I just came upon this site and wanted to post my question.  after I checked it out more thoroughly and found it to be a half way decent site, I joined and opened a username here.  I then figured out a few of the features on here and saw that you could check off "follow this post" which is somewhat helpful.  now that I am back home i just logged back onto this site with my new username and clicked on "posts" under my profile HOME and it listed all the messages I posted earlier, now I am just clicking on each one of the messages I posted earlier and seeing if there are any "comments" listed under my post if there are then I simply scroll down untill I get to the comments and read them, then I post a comment myself under that to EVERYONE to answer any comments that I have received from my initial post.  And yes I did post the same message on a few different topic boards, because I do not know exactly what is causing this issue so I tried to post it under any of the topics that I found listed that have something to doo with my medical problem, or what it may possibly have to do with (Hep-C, Heart conditions, General medical, undiagnosed, etc."  It has been roughly 7 hours since I posted these messages and i have already received quite a few very interesting and helpful responses that I thoroughly appreciate.  Just because I drink a decent amount, pretty much daily doesn't mean I'm out of my mind drunk all the time, on the contrary, you probably wouldn't even be able to tell that I was drinking if you saw me in person and we had a conversation.  That's what happens when you drink a lot on a daily basis, it stops effecting you as it used to and you build up a high tolerance for it.  Unfortunetly that is where I find myself these days.  Unless I drink a ridiculously large amount of hard liquor in a relatively short period of time, I will not become drunk , infact I would probably become sick before I became drunk to the point of being out of control.  either that or I would go into a black out and not rememebr most of what I did or said the next day when I came to.  But anyways, here is a brief description of what happened today after I left here at about 1:30pm to head over to the hospital....

I haven't seen a doctor yet.  I did show my cardiologist my feet about 2-3 weeks ago when I last saw him but they were only slightly swollen then, nothing like they are now.  I plan on going over to the ER tomorrow if I wake up and they are still looking similar to the picture.  Today I spent 5 hours waiting at the hospital to see the charity care woman and fill out that paperwork because I have to health insurance to pay for a ER or doc visit right now.  so after I finished that I was too tired to go sit in the ER for the rest of the night, so I will go back over there tomorrow morning and sit there all day tomorrow.  I will post what the ER doc tells me tomorrow.  I'm relaly curious as to see exactly what it is, what is causing it and how I can fix it.  hopefully I will get some kind of decent diagnosis tom. in the ER..
Thanks for all the input and please, anymore comments, advice, suggestions, opinions, etc. are more than welcomed .  
Thnk-you   - Chris =) .

[1oftheclub222]

Any alcohol is bad for your liver and affects it, it doesn't matter that you don't feel that drunk, that has nothing to do with it...it is sheer volumn of alcohol going through your liver...your liver does not like alcohol at all and if you have Hep C it likes it even less...it has nothing to do with how the alcohol makes you feel...

Hep C doesn't feel like it is damaging your liver until it is too late, same with the alcohol...but I understand how one could justify that it is not so bad for you...

Hope they fix your feet quickly, that's looks so painful...

[1oftheclub222]

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-3/232-239.htm

this article talks about alcohol and HCV...they consider heavy drinking to be 4.2 drinks a day or more.  it also talks about moderate drinking.

[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.

[pooh55811]

Hi Chris,

It's great that you went to the hospital and filled out all of your paperwork for financial assistance for your medical care. Hopefully when you go to the hospital ER tomorrow the docs there will be able to examine you, do some testing, and address your medical problems.

I also understand what you are saying about your drinking. I know that when one drinks a lot one builds up a tolerance and drinks to maintain the "norm." I used to live with an alcoholic and she never appeared drunk. She functioned quite well, worked, socialized, and no one thought she was drunk. However, she did develop medical problems from the drinking and she eventually quit. I don't think anyone is saying all of your medical problems are due to the vodka. However, that does not mean the vodka is not exacerbating an underlying medical condition.

You are still very young, way too young to be this ill, and I surely hope you get the medical help you need tomorrow and in the furure. I wish you the very best. Please let us know what the doctors find and also how you are doing.

[copyman]

Plain and simple, if your ankles and legs are retaining fluid then you most likely have serious liver damage. You can feel fine and still have cirrhosis. It will creep up on you then bite you in the @ss. Many times after you already have serious damage.

See a hepatologist (liver specialist) right away. If you don't stop drinking ALL alcohol immediately don't expect to live much longer. Try to avoid dying by liver disease, it is the worst way to go. I have seen two people die from it and it was horrible.

[printze]

Listent to the advice , make an appointment with a liver specialist to have your liver amd hepc assessed. Good luck.

[jules2551]

"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. "

       ************************************************************************

CR...those are classic tell-tale signs of liver disease amongst alcoholics.



"First off it's def. not the vodka"

      *************************************************************************

CR...not to be so blunt but you can't BS a BSer!  Babe you are definitely in denial.  You are an alcoholic at such a young age.....and it's only going to get worse.  2 pints will turn into 3 pints, 4 pints, etc.  And then before you know it you will drink the first pint and start to black out, throw up, pass out.  

     You need to tell your Dr that you are having problems with alcohol and have them check you into detox.  Most detox facilities will actually pick you up from home, stop at the liquor store for your last drink, and drop you off at rehab.  There are physicians there who will carefully monitor your condition and medicate you appropriately.  

      This has got to be your FIRST step...or else you are gonna die.  Maybe not be tomorrow or the next day...but it's gonna happen sooner than you think if you don't stop drinking.

       I am not feeding you a line of BS....I am telling you this because I too am a drunk and has been sober since last June 2011.  Many of us have gone through the same as you...I've been there, done that, and hated it.  But I got through it.  Do I still think about alcohol?  Yes.  Have I taken a drink?  No.  Believe me, if I can do it...so can YOU!!!!!!

      I truly hope you get the help you need.  CR this is serious and I hope you take the next step forward.

      Take care of yourself and I wish you the best!

Jules

[fretboard]

I swell practically every day but never like that.  Just as a side note my brother died in June of last year from alcoholism and his feet used to get like that.  It's time to get really serious about stopping your drinking once and for all.  Time to get real with a real doctor and real thoughts if you want to live!!
Good Luck!!

[suezeeque]

You don't have to believe anyone here about your swollen feet being caused by liver disease.  Simply google cirrhosis+swollen feet.  You'll have plenty of reading.

If you go back to the ER, perhaps you could bring a little drink with you.  That way you won't have to leave before you're seen again and the hospital staff will have a much better idea of what's causing your problems.

I will reiterate what has been said above:  It doesn't matter how drunk you feel after how many drinks or whether or not you are able to 'fool' people into believing you are sober.  The alcohol is still passing through your liver.  And, as stated above, with HCV infection, it's an orgy in there right now.

If you really want help for your swollen feet (and the cause) you will go back to the ER and tell them *exactly* how much you drink everyday and that you are infected with HCV.

[printze]

I lost my brother in law 2 yrs ago, he had the same thing it is horrible an dif he would have stopped drinking he would be here today. Get help, please.

[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

[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.  

[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.