muscle pain in calves, pain behind knees, swollen feet

[poolgirl]

when I wake up feet are so swollen I can hardly walk, behind knees and the muscles in my calves hurt.  Feel very fatigued all the time.  I'm on my feet 3 days a week for at least 10 hours.  Suffered from heat exhaustion a month ago.  Could the heat exhaustion have caused this unusual pain for me?  I do have 4 herniated discs in my neck and suspect I have at least 1 in my lower back, have had 2 cortisone shots for cyatica many years ago, could any of these problems cause this problem I'm having in my legs?  I don't have water on my knees, just pain behind them and that pain started several months ago.

[ggreg]

Dear Flavor,
The post you replied to is more than two years old, so the original poster may not be checking neurology anymore, especially since her health issue morphed into thyroid problems.  So, the question you are asking is about the thyroid, therefore you'll get better replies at the "Thyroid" forum, you can find it by clicking on the "Forums" menu button in the blue bar across the top of this page, all health issues are listed alphabetically when you get there.  I noticed this post because I had repied to the query a couple years ago, so when I saw my name, I read down to see if I could help.  Since your question is not neurology, that's why I'm directing you to the thyroid forum.
GG

[TheFlavorOfLife]

I have recently been diagnosed with hypothyroid.  I initially had swelling behind the knees that progressed to swollen calves.  Can you tell me your treatment plan and if it is working?  Also you mentioned that your doctor said high thyroid levels could be due to a tumor.  Did he mean tumor in the thyroid or else where in the body?   Thanks :)  

[poolgirl]

I think I found out what my problem is.  I went to the doctor, had a bladder and upper respiratory infection, I'm sure I haven't been drinking as much as I needed for working in this heat (I live in Texas), plus when blood work came back, he said my thyroid was extremely high and that usually is caused by a tumor.  It's been downhill since I got overheated in early June, I can't help but think that affected my thyroid.  I looked up the symptoms of hyperthyroidism and graves disease and it really sounds like that is my problem.  Caused  your whole body to go haywire.

[poolgirl]

Thank you, I haven't tried the cold water, I will try that, I have soaked them in hot water.  I did finally go to the doctor today and I have a bladder infection and an upper respiratory infection so I'm sure that's part of my feeling lousy, in addition to being old and doing manual labor.  I'm sometimes too motivated for my physical good.

[ggreg]

Gosh, while it could be a bunch of physical ailments causing this, I gotta say that since your feet are swollen plus your calves and the back of the knees are bothering you, I think being on your feet for 10 hours at a stretch is the problem.  Of course you need to wear supportive athletic shoes at work, and also you have to look into wearing support socks that you can get at the pharmacy or even support hose will work.  That should help with your feet swelling.  The other thing, about heat exhaustion, not exactly connected to your feet, but the dehydration is no friend to tissues in the body.  You have to pay attention to how much you drink during your work days, keep that water going through your body.  Now, it is true that low back pain can radiate into the legs, all the way to the toes, so if your feet are painful only, then you can blame it on your back.  But since you have swelling, that's a different kind of animal.  And it goes without saying that somewhere in the middle of that endless shift at work, you need to sit down with your feet up in a chair, and eat and drink, for at least a half hour.  And when you get home, immediately go sit on the edge of the bathtub and soak your feet in cold water for a while, to reduce swelling.  Those would just be bandaids on your symptoms.  You might want to visit your regular family doc, to make sure the swelling isn't coming from some other disorder.

[dr_simran]

Hello poolgirl ,
Cramps are a common symptom of herniated discs which cause nerve compression.You should consult a pain clinic and go in for physiotherapy exercises and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation serves to relieve stiffness, improve mobility, and relieve pain.You can discuss regarding the drugs like gabapentin,neurontin,carbamezapine which  help soothing  the nerves . Avoid straining your back and keep your posture straight.
Best