Puffy feet....help!

Sorry Katek, I can't help but am watching with interest. We went to The Gambia last February and my feet and ankles swelled so badly that I could hardly walk and spent much of my holiday sitting on the edge of the pool with my feet in the cool water. I went to the doctor when I returned and had blood tests but they couldn't find anything wrong with me so I was just advised to use flight socks. I would look a bit daft with flight socks by the side of the pool!

We are off to Turkey soon so I hope it doesn't happen again.

You have my sympathy as this has been a problem for me for many years. In pregnancy it was not surprising and my feet and ankles "snapped back" after the babies were born, even if I did have stretch marks on my ankles. I think some of it is hereditary, my Mum suffered, and I have tried diuretics, had my heart checked etc to little avail. Years of standing as a teacher probably added to it too. Coach travel taking school trips abroad was quite hard as I had to travel in my shoes/boots as if I had taken them off I would never have got them on again.
So in summer I wear long floppy trousers and in winter opaque tight/ boots/ trousers again.
Sorry I have no advice to offer, just loads of sympathy!

It sounds very uncomfortable. Ice packs might help.
From basic First Aid: R.I.C.E.
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevate
I think you can get tablets against water retention too, but you would have to go to your Dr. for that.

I get puffy ankles after a flight (even a short flight). Sometimes they are painful too and take a day or so to go down. I read in a magazine recently that this can be a side effect of the blood pressure tablets I am on, so that may explain it in my case. I do as others have said above, try to reduce the swelling with ice, but the swelling usually goes down after a day or so.

Thanks all for input - have been sitting around like Queen of Sheba this morning with feet up but don't think DH will wear that for much longer! I suppose crop trousers are out for next couple of days as well until the pigs' trotter look disappears. Keep poking them looking for improvement! KatyK-you're not on amlodopine for bp are you? I'm on that and these calcium channel blockers can contribute to swollen feet. Between that and the prednisone and 7 hour train journey the odds weren't exactly in my favour! Never mind, had fab time. Should maybe book extra seat next time- one for me and one for my feet.

I'm on Amlodipine too! I did ask the GP if that may be the cause of my swollen feet and ankles and she said 'let's check your kidneys etc' are ok. I also had an ECG so they were quite thorough. It is not the best time to have a blood test straight after a two week holiday when I had drunk more alcohol and not been able to follow my usual quite healthy diet!

I don't want to take up an appointment when they are so precious but wonder if my blood pressure medication should be changed. The GP seemed unconcerned about the swelling but it did spoil my holiday as I couldn't walk more than a few yards.

I don't know if this has anything to do with the problem of puffy feet, but I was advised to take soluble aspirin every few hours while on a longhaul flight.
I think this might be more to do with avoiding blood clots.

I'm not taking anything, yet as soon as the daily temperature rises above 28C here for more than a couple of days, my feet swell up. It's a nightmare when I go abroad, I have to take larger shoes with me.

I first got puffy ankles and feet about ten years ago, when I broke my shoulder. I got put on diuretics then and have stayed on them since as I got raised blood pressure.
It's never been completely cured and it always got worse when I flew, until I started the low carbs diet last Easter.
I'm not even doing the diet properly as I'm eating loads of fruit and to be honest probably more alcohol than I should. (Only because we socialise more in the summer of course. )
I was only about a stone overweight so I don't think it was weight connected. The diuretics seem to be working overtime though.

I've just seen your post Jane. As I think you're are doing low carbs s well, that knocks that theory out of the window.

My GP put me on Amlodipine within 3 days my feet and ankles swelled I went back and he changed them straight away and said there is no need to put up with that. He also checked my kidneys etc.

When you say 'feet up' are yours higher than your heart? If not try lying on the floor for 10-15 minutes with your legs up - supported on the sofa or similar.

Interesting - I see I'm not the only one who suffers from oedema now that I'm taking Amlodipine... started off on 5mg tabs - grudgingly acknowledged side effects were manageable - moved up to 10mg - Doctor ecstatic - 'Your blood pressure is now perfect! 'I felt sorry to have to tell her that the side effects were now a bit much - I was spending too much time sitting in the loo having had to rush to get there... so we backed down to 5mg again, and the B/P remains perfect! - only I had failed to notice the swelling of my legs and feet - it grew until I could get a job posing for Toby Jugs. So next time I see her we are going to have to have a little think about this...

2-3 times a day

dustyangel I haven't been abroad this year, and the first time it happened here was in late June when we got temps of 29c, I think I had only just started the low carb thing then. We've just had two days of 29C on the trot and actually, my feet aren't as bad and I hadn't even noticed because I haven't had to try to squeeze them into smart shoes this weekend. Maybe you are right - it would be wonderful if you are.

Anya I had to put my feet up every moment I could while we were away, too. Also hot and cold alternating foot baths.

Keep a note of the temperature at which your feet start to swell, and take precautions accordingly, everywhere I stayed I had to raise the height of the bottom of the mattress with every towel and cushion I could lay my hands on.

Yip, higher than heart Anya-got them resting on arm of sofa. Inorovement since this morning- veins have started to appear.

While they're up there Kate can you try cycling your legs too?

Gently.

Cycling? That sounds suspiciously like exercise!!! Will do my best-providing I don't fall off sofa.........!

You're supposed to be lying in your back on the floor with your legs up on the sofa. How can you fall off the floor?

I'm not suggesting you go at it a la Tour de France Kate ...more 'Raindrops keep Falling on my Head' pace

No, I'm prone on the sofa with my legs on the much higher arms! Will assume the position and see if I can win the yellow jersey. Don't mention that song-dd had Fisher Price radio which played it over and over and over....and....over.......and.......

Mine swell horribly when its hot. Salt seems to keep extra fluids in suspension in my metabolism too though. It's sometimes very noticeable after I've been consuming lots of salty food. The next day I'm weeing ++ and ankles subside gently.

KateK don't forget you can now posts photos on this thread

Jane isn't celery supposed to help?