Swollen Ankle and Foot

[JP]

I am a 45 year old female.  I have had Peripheal Neuropathy for almost 5 years.  It started with tingling and burning in my toes.  Now, I have  numbness half way up to my knees.  I also have numbness in 4 fingers on my  right hand and now in 3 fingers on my left hand.  It seems that most  medications my Neurologist prescribes for me cause so much swelling in my  feet.  In January I had an infection in the tip of the bone on one of my  toes.  I had surgery to remove part of the bone.  It has healed so nicely  except for the swelling now in my foot.  I cannot get rid of the swelling.   It is just in one foot.  I have been so upset.  I am supposed to have a nerve removed in my ankle next week to have a biopsy.  Every test for trying to  find the cause of my Neuropathy has come back negative.  I do not have  diabetes, lymes disease, lupus or any other disease.  I am so lost for help.   My neurologist tells me that he cannot help me with the swelling.  I do not  know what to do.  My left foot is two times the normal size of my right foot.  

2 weeks ago I went to a Holistic doctor.  This woman looked into my eyes and told me that I have a fungus growing in my blood stream.  She wants me to start to use these expensive oils on my feet and take these special vitamins to try to rid my system of the fungus growing.  She told me that when the surgeon removed part of the bone, it flared-up the fungus and that is why I cannot get the swelling to go down.  Please help me.  I am totally lost.  

My ankles feel as if they can crack because they are so stiff.  I gave up all of the prescription drugs except for Tylenol with Codein.  I live on 1000 - 1500 mg. a day for the pain.  Please let me know if I should take the vitamins or should I get the biopsy done.  I need help so bad.  If the swelling would go down, I think I could live with this condition better.  

Please help me.

[IC]

Hi JP,
hopefully you read this message. I have exactly the same symptoms.
My left ankle swells up. My hands tingle and my foot and lower leg are very painful. I am doing what Gladys suggested ( alivating my foot etc.). I also have the numbness in my fingers, but not allways. Mostly when my hands are above my waistline (while driving the car or typing this message.
I recently, after quitting to smoke, suddenly developed very high cholesterol. Now I am wondering, if it is posibly that my veins are plugged with "plaque" and that causes problems with the circulation? I would like to stay in touch and possibly find even more people with this symptoms. Maybe we can find a solution this way. Please let me know if you found this message.
My e-mail is ***@****. I hope we find someone who was diagnosed right and has the right treatment for this thing.
IC

[peppy2000]

A related discussion, Swollen Left Foot & Ankle was started.

[giacomo904]

A related discussion, swollen hand and ankle at same time was started.

[CCF Neuro[P]-M.D.-RPS]

Dear JP:

I am very sorry that your having such grave symptoms.  First, if you had a systemic fungus infection (fungus in your blood), your blood tests should have shown it.  You would also be very, very, sick.  I would come to tasking the holistic physician on how does she know that your infected?  I do not know of a vitamin that would kill a septic fungal infection (don't you think that it would be used widely and have several landmark publications noting how effective it was?)  What has the EMG shown?  Without more information I am afraid that I haven't a clue what to tell you. At this point, if I were your physician, I would be sending you for a major work-up at a tertiary care center-Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, etc.  Effective treatment comes only with the etiology and removal of the cause of the problem, if possible.  

Get an evaluation at a medical facility with many good medical minds to help your local physician formulate an idea what is going on and develop a plan of treatment.  Do it soon.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[Gladys]

I am having a problem sending this comment...
Have your health care providers (all of them) suggested to you to do the following to reduce the swollen ankles?

    - elevate your legs several times a day
    - do so for thirty to sixty minutes per sitting
    - for some of the elevation, try to have the                 swollen ankle higher than the heart
    - use a mild diuretic (prescription only to avoid potassium loss)

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