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Extreme swelling from ankles to toes! I have M S also
I've had Progressive M S for over 4 years now. I seriously thougth I had dealt with all those issues faily well till WAM! In Feb this year I began having seizures! Big ones, little ones, jelly bean jumping full seziures.
Treatment was MASSIVE intravenous bags of Steriods.? By May they had all stopped thank you God! But the results from the steriods was extreme! I had gained over 25 lbs! In less than 4 months!
In the past week my insurance had changed manufacturers and my medication for Hypertension, TrianterenW/hctz 37.5/25 "CAPSULE", was replaced with a "TABLET"! On them for about 12 days and I noticed my feet are swelling more and more and more and still swelling! From both legs starting at the kneecap-all the way down to the almost hidden toes. And walking is excruciating! I elevate, drink lots of water (admittedly not every day prior to this time)-cause I am a Diet-Pepsi 'aholic..lol
Of course I called the mail order company and they said-sorry your insurance changed in june and now we use Mfg. Sandoz. No replacement possible. I tried using my mom's (i know I know-but it was my old kind), just until I can see my Dr. Nothing!...I even drank water like crazy! My daughter is a Paramedic so when i told her of the problem she asked me to push down on the ankle area and tell her what I saw. I said the dent is still there! It won't re-inflate, so to speak. What does that mean? She said are you having trouble breathing? I said no. She said Physicians diagnose patients by a level of this method, and call the Dr. asap for a visit.
Thats 2 days away and now I am a little freightened. I have tried ice, elevation, water and nothing makes it go down. I even wake to the swelling! She asked if I had injured my leg or back at some point recently? The only thing that comes to mind is last week my knee tried to keep giving out on me and had a hard throb to it. I put ice on kept it up and went on with my life. Nothing is changing it.
Any ideas about this and has anyone else been through this? Is it M S related? Neurological Dr. changed my injections from Avonex to Copaxone in January...??? I know it could be anything but anyone been through this?
I need your help again friends.....
Thanks from my fat little feet....>>>>>
Spukkie (Spuk)
Treatment was MASSIVE intravenous bags of Steriods.? By May they had all stopped thank you God! But the results from the steriods was extreme! I had gained over 25 lbs! In less than 4 months!
In the past week my insurance had changed manufacturers and my medication for Hypertension, TrianterenW/hctz 37.5/25 "CAPSULE", was replaced with a "TABLET"! On them for about 12 days and I noticed my feet are swelling more and more and more and still swelling! From both legs starting at the kneecap-all the way down to the almost hidden toes. And walking is excruciating! I elevate, drink lots of water (admittedly not every day prior to this time)-cause I am a Diet-Pepsi 'aholic..lol
Of course I called the mail order company and they said-sorry your insurance changed in june and now we use Mfg. Sandoz. No replacement possible. I tried using my mom's (i know I know-but it was my old kind), just until I can see my Dr. Nothing!...I even drank water like crazy! My daughter is a Paramedic so when i told her of the problem she asked me to push down on the ankle area and tell her what I saw. I said the dent is still there! It won't re-inflate, so to speak. What does that mean? She said are you having trouble breathing? I said no. She said Physicians diagnose patients by a level of this method, and call the Dr. asap for a visit.
Thats 2 days away and now I am a little freightened. I have tried ice, elevation, water and nothing makes it go down. I even wake to the swelling! She asked if I had injured my leg or back at some point recently? The only thing that comes to mind is last week my knee tried to keep giving out on me and had a hard throb to it. I put ice on kept it up and went on with my life. Nothing is changing it.
Any ideas about this and has anyone else been through this? Is it M S related? Neurological Dr. changed my injections from Avonex to Copaxone in January...??? I know it could be anything but anyone been through this?
I need your help again friends.....
Thanks from my fat little feet....>>>>>
Spukkie (Spuk)
My question would be have you recently change or added any new meds? I know with IVSM my feet and calves would swell a few days except when I took five treatments in a row. They swelled for an entire month. I just recently took five shots of Acthar (a substitute for IVSM) and I swelled and am still swollen from it. However, I was taken off Rebif at the same time so it is hard to guess which to blame it on.
I do know drinking plenty of water (if it is the steroids) helps the problem.
Just my thoughts on it. It sure is a miserable feeling. I know that for sure.
I do know drinking plenty of water (if it is the steroids) helps the problem.
Just my thoughts on it. It sure is a miserable feeling. I know that for sure.
Well Spunk, I can help with some general information but I have no idea what combo of things is causing your problem because I don't know you, I can't see you and I'm not even a doctor (and it does sound like you need to see one of those fairly soon). I'll share what I know in hopes something will help you decide if you can wait for the scheduled appointment or need to head to the ER earlier.
The medicine for your high blood pressure looks like a combination of two drugs (triamterene and hydrochlorothiazide). Sometimes it comes in a capsule and sometimes in tablet form, depending on the manufacturer. It seems your new insurance covers the drug combo but insists on one made by a specific company (Santoz) and they make it in tablet form. It shouldn't make a difference but you never know.
This drug is a double whammy water pill. Some water pills pull potassium out of the body along with the water. This combo pill prevents the loss of large amounts of potassium so doctors sometimes use it to control high blood pressure in people who shouldn't risk a big drop in potassium levels (like those who have heart or kidney problems).
I'm not sure why they treated your seizures with IV steroids unless they thought they were caused by swelling in your brain. It also isn't clear to me how long that treatment lasted or how long ago it ended. Whatever the case, steroids change the fluid and electrolyte balance in your blood and tissues. They can make swelling disappear but they can cause it to increase too.
Too much sodium in the diet contributes to fluid retention. Diet cola isn't a huge source of sodium but it is certainly higher in sodium than water. Many foods are preserved using sodium products so if we don't check labels before eating convenience items, we can easily take in a huge overload of sodium and swell.
The type of swelling that leaves a dent from finger pressure is called 'pitting edema'. It is the most common type of swelling. It can be caused by disease of the heart, liver and/or kidney and by problems with veins that cannot get the blood sent back to the heart or when blood clots form in blood vessels. It is rated from 1+ to 4+ (with 4+ being the worst) depending on how deep the pit is and how long it takes to fill back in.
Do you check your blood pressure at home? If you can, keep a record of what is has been through all this and if it rises and falls with the amount of swelling you have.
If you develop a cough to go along with the swelling, call your doctor or go to the ER at once!! It could be CHF.
If you develop red, warm and/or tender spots on your legs, call your doctor at once or go to the ER. It could mean a clot is developing.
If you have significant trouble breathing or catching your breath (with or without activity), call your doctor at once or go to the ER. This is never a wonderful thing.
The doctor will probably want to draw some blood to check for potassium and other fluid and electrolyte information when you get to the office. Something is going on to cause this big change and he will want to investigate for sure.
If you feel normal enough to watch your biggie feet for a day or two, keep them elevated but keep them moving (twisting and pumping your ankle) as much as possible.
I know this is a lot to take in and doesn't give you much in the way of specifics for evaluating your own problem. I do hope you can pull enough out of it to help you move in the right direction. Let us know how it goes.
Mary
The medicine for your high blood pressure looks like a combination of two drugs (triamterene and hydrochlorothiazide). Sometimes it comes in a capsule and sometimes in tablet form, depending on the manufacturer. It seems your new insurance covers the drug combo but insists on one made by a specific company (Santoz) and they make it in tablet form. It shouldn't make a difference but you never know.
This drug is a double whammy water pill. Some water pills pull potassium out of the body along with the water. This combo pill prevents the loss of large amounts of potassium so doctors sometimes use it to control high blood pressure in people who shouldn't risk a big drop in potassium levels (like those who have heart or kidney problems).
I'm not sure why they treated your seizures with IV steroids unless they thought they were caused by swelling in your brain. It also isn't clear to me how long that treatment lasted or how long ago it ended. Whatever the case, steroids change the fluid and electrolyte balance in your blood and tissues. They can make swelling disappear but they can cause it to increase too.
Too much sodium in the diet contributes to fluid retention. Diet cola isn't a huge source of sodium but it is certainly higher in sodium than water. Many foods are preserved using sodium products so if we don't check labels before eating convenience items, we can easily take in a huge overload of sodium and swell.
The type of swelling that leaves a dent from finger pressure is called 'pitting edema'. It is the most common type of swelling. It can be caused by disease of the heart, liver and/or kidney and by problems with veins that cannot get the blood sent back to the heart or when blood clots form in blood vessels. It is rated from 1+ to 4+ (with 4+ being the worst) depending on how deep the pit is and how long it takes to fill back in.
Do you check your blood pressure at home? If you can, keep a record of what is has been through all this and if it rises and falls with the amount of swelling you have.
If you develop a cough to go along with the swelling, call your doctor or go to the ER at once!! It could be CHF.
If you develop red, warm and/or tender spots on your legs, call your doctor at once or go to the ER. It could mean a clot is developing.
If you have significant trouble breathing or catching your breath (with or without activity), call your doctor at once or go to the ER. This is never a wonderful thing.
The doctor will probably want to draw some blood to check for potassium and other fluid and electrolyte information when you get to the office. Something is going on to cause this big change and he will want to investigate for sure.
If you feel normal enough to watch your biggie feet for a day or two, keep them elevated but keep them moving (twisting and pumping your ankle) as much as possible.
I know this is a lot to take in and doesn't give you much in the way of specifics for evaluating your own problem. I do hope you can pull enough out of it to help you move in the right direction. Let us know how it goes.
Mary
I went through the seizure thing too and in about a years time it mysteriously stopped just as mysteriously as it started... I also have periodic swelling... I'm pretty sure when I do have the swelling issues I'm pretty sure it's because of inactivity...
Like if I'm having a particularly bad week I seem to not try and walk as much... I'm in a chair pretty much all the time but I still will hold on to the walls and try to walk some every day... I do make sure if I'm lying down I keep my feet elevated...
I have a hospital bed so I keep it adjusted for my feet to stay up... Like you I have a big problem with plain water... I'm a tea-a-holic...lol... but I do try to drink water as often as I can...
You should definitely see your doctor asap... When I can't get the swelling to go down he will give me (can't think of the name of them) water retention pills... If he does this be careful that your electrolytes don't go wacky...
I was hospitalized because they caused my potassium levels to bottom out... My symptom that something was wrong was just feeling a lot worse in general... I went back to my doctor and that was the first thing he checked... He's a good one...
I hope and pray all will be OK with you and please let us know what the doctor tells you...
I'll be praying,
Carol
Like if I'm having a particularly bad week I seem to not try and walk as much... I'm in a chair pretty much all the time but I still will hold on to the walls and try to walk some every day... I do make sure if I'm lying down I keep my feet elevated...
I have a hospital bed so I keep it adjusted for my feet to stay up... Like you I have a big problem with plain water... I'm a tea-a-holic...lol... but I do try to drink water as often as I can...
You should definitely see your doctor asap... When I can't get the swelling to go down he will give me (can't think of the name of them) water retention pills... If he does this be careful that your electrolytes don't go wacky...
I was hospitalized because they caused my potassium levels to bottom out... My symptom that something was wrong was just feeling a lot worse in general... I went back to my doctor and that was the first thing he checked... He's a good one...
I hope and pray all will be OK with you and please let us know what the doctor tells you...
I'll be praying,
Carol
COMMUNITY LEADER
I really dont have much information on this, the swelling isn't an MS or neurological thing from my understanding but adema can be a result of prolonged inactivity that can be from MS, so a secondary condition. I think if it was from the change to Copaxone it would of happened long before now. I do though think it could be from the change in medication for your hypertension. From what i've just read its a water retention med commonly used for hypertention or adema.
So i've come up with a few possibles to consider:
1 changed activity levels from resent events, prolonged sitting
2 changed medication for hypertension not working for you
3 resent 'minor' trauma a known cause of adema
Its good you've already got a dr's appointment, i'd take a picture of it too, just in case its not as bad when you get to the dr. Its a bit of an oximoron lol adema is treated by elevation and water retention medication but from the look of it, it can also be the cause sometimes, which gets you chasing your tail. You must see your dr!
Dont panic because you dont want your blood pressure to go off too but you should consider going to the ER if there are any heart signs, better to be safe than sorry. Personally i've only ever experienced exstreem leg swelling when i was pregnant, toximic and i was admitted, totally went away on its own, so not the same thing or are you not telling us something hmmmmm.
Hugs..........JJ
So i've come up with a few possibles to consider:
1 changed activity levels from resent events, prolonged sitting
2 changed medication for hypertension not working for you
3 resent 'minor' trauma a known cause of adema
Its good you've already got a dr's appointment, i'd take a picture of it too, just in case its not as bad when you get to the dr. Its a bit of an oximoron lol adema is treated by elevation and water retention medication but from the look of it, it can also be the cause sometimes, which gets you chasing your tail. You must see your dr!
Dont panic because you dont want your blood pressure to go off too but you should consider going to the ER if there are any heart signs, better to be safe than sorry. Personally i've only ever experienced exstreem leg swelling when i was pregnant, toximic and i was admitted, totally went away on its own, so not the same thing or are you not telling us something hmmmmm.
Hugs..........JJ
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