swollen leg

Take her advice and don’t over do it. I hope the water tablets help.

I agree about the stairs although I understand your reasoning for using them ( I’ve always tried to use the stairs wherever I go whenever possible). When I think about it I know no end of people that have fallen down stairs, including me and my partner and it’s pure luck that we weren’t badly injured.

On what basis did she make that diagnosis?
Just wondering how she could determine the cause of the swelling without a scan?
People with arthritis also develop other problems.

Keep an eye franbern, any sign of redness your leg needs urgent attention. The nurse may well be right though, I don’t want to worry you. Hope it settles soon, if not please go back, some things just need to be taken seriously.

Mr C is obsessed with walking up stairs, or rather marching me up stairs. Your doctor has a good point about cost/benefit and the risk of falling. I’ll be sharing that with Mr C.

Hope your leg settles soon.

Feeling my ankle and knee she commented how athritic they were (how on earth did she do that from just feeling them?).

Don't take this the wrong way, but I took my little dog for his annual check-up this morning and the vet said exactly the same after running her hands over his legs!
She's advised me to get some joint supplements for him 🫤

A swollen leg that feels soft and squiggy is more likely to be fluid retention so the nurse I m sure could tell a lot from feeling the type of swelling She was probably also feeling for and harder or swollen bits which could point to clots and for any pain when touching bones in different places Welbeck sounds like a perfectly decent first appointment and her advice about the stairs is solid My close friend fell on the stairs ( not down them) recently and died within three hours
Hope the leg responds soon Franbern and stay on flat ground for exercise 💐

I have mobility problems and my back is very painful and means I cannot exercise as much as I would like to. But I find going swimming is very good for me. My pool has a chair to lift you into the water, which is very helpful to me. It can be quite painful for the first 2/3 lengths but after that it really helps on several levels. I find it much easier to move about in the water with less pain, and can go at my own pace. So I usually do 4 lengths and then stop at the end and probably have a chat to another swimmer and then do another 4 etc. So I do feel it helps me to loosen up the muscles, gets me out, and then I reward myself by going for coffee at Cafe Nero and then on to do a little shopping, so really feel that I have made the most of the trip and feel better mentally took=,

Franbern have you had a blood test to check your sodium levels ? I get swollen ankles and lower legs as I retain water due to my heart. But I have low sodium levels so can't take water tablets because it was lower my sodium levels more to a dangerous level. I just have to wait until my body decides to get rid of the water. Which it does .

I exercise daily and go to a sit fit and move it or lose it classes weekly. Many have various conditions most with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. And all have found an improvement in there limbs. Everything is done gently and only as far as you can go. Oldest member of sit fit class is nearly 94. Mid 80's in move it or lose it class.

I don't know if there are classes like that by you . But I have found they have helped me with my strength and mobility. Am in constant pain and have been since a young child due to my disability.

I have a pressure cushion given to me by occupational therapist and sit with my legs on as it does not sag so my legs stay level . And it does help easy the pain from the swelling .

Hope your swelling goes down soon. Don't know about you but I can put up with the pain but it's how tight my skin gets that bugs me .

Whiff Practice nurse checked my heart as part of her examination. Pretty sure it is okay, but to be sure actually had blood tests today that she sent me for..

Glad you had the blood test Franbern . Hopefully they will be ok and you can take the water tablets.

I have read in the past (from reputable medical journals) that walking up stairs is not good for arthritic knees. However, walking down stairs is beneficial. So for exercise I take the lift up to the 5th floor of my block and walk down.
I would share that with Mr C too, Cornergran, and refuse to be marched up the stairs!
Hope your leg is better soon Franbern.

DId she check your oxygen levels? I had a swollen leg( all of it) for 3 days before seeing a doctor, and was told to go immediately to A&E ( had to get a friend to take me - no ambulances) and was in hospital for 3 weeks with a pulmonary embolism.

Mine turned out to be a bloodclot, some of it broke off and went into the lung, by the time they found it I only had about three days left and no, don't use the stairs. Best of luck.

Hmm. Unilateral leg swelling. I hope she has considered and excluded a dvt (blood clot)

OH had a painful and swollen leg and a lump behind his knee. The practice nurse diagnosed a bakers cyst. A clot was ruled out because he was taking Warfarin A physio then examined his leg to be able to relieve the pain. She sent him to the doctors -Immediatly because it had a pulse which cysts do not. The doctor sent him for a scan 3 days later. and he was seen by the vascular surgeon that day who told him he needed an urgent op within 2 weeks. He is still here but has difficulty walking.
Do keep checking your leg Franbern, for pulse points and hard areas. Good luck.

Franbern I’m glad you are seeking medical advice. I hope it’s sorted simply soon. It sounds a bit worrying.
I get swollen feet and ankles quite often and they can stay like that for days. No apparent reason, but I tend to blame my varicose veins.
To reduce them I raise my legs at night. I simply put a big fat cushion under the mattress. It sometimes works overnight but sometimes can take over a week to work. Better than the horrible sensation of feet like soggy balloons!

I had a similar problem the other year and it turned out to be an infection, was treated by antibiotics and the leg swelling went down.I could hardly wear boots it was so bad.

A week into the 2-week course of tablets (water ones), I was given and little difference to my leg - indeed if anything slightly more swollen. Have been sent now for further blood tests, and spoke to Nurse Practictioner on phone. Result for hba 1c (sugar) test came back as 'Normal'.

She is upping the water tablets from 20 mg daily to 50 mg to see if that will work.

Franbern my leg infection wasn’t obvious but having exhausted other avenues it was thought it may have been an insect bite, even tho I wasn’t aware of any.The antibiotics worked like a charm.

Oreo, if there was that sort of infection, then surely there would be some discolouration (redness). Also some warmth - as the body tries to fight any infection. There is no sign of any damage or infection whatsoever in this leg.

Apart from the puffiness between knee and ankle there is no other sign of anything wrong. Definitely a circulation problem as that leg feels (internally not externally, quite cold. Pretty sure Nurse is on right road and it is being caused by fluid. It definitely improves overnight, when I now have the foot of my bed slightly raised, but as the day wears on goes back to where it was previously, even though I am sitting with my legs up in my riser/recliner much of the time.

I have always been wary regarding the use of anti=biotics unless absolutely required. It is far to easy for a person;s body to become too used to these if over-prescribed and then should there be a real need for them, they have little effect. Glad you swollen leg was able to treated with these due to insect bite - but am pretty certain this is not the caese with mine.

Never ignore things like insect bites, and downplay them. They can cause many very serious problems.

Franbern Have you had a Doppler test, which measures the blood flow? It's quite simple to do. I had one done at my GP surgery.

Growstuff thanks for that. No, have not had this test. Nurse did check my heart and some of the blood tests was for further checks. Evidently, all seemed okay from that. I have been called back for further blood tests (for liver function??).

I will definitely keep in mind this Doppler test. After just one day on the very much increased dosage of the water pills (20 mg upto 60 mg daily now), I think there is already a very slight improvement. Hope it is not just me and wishful thinking. Will monitor carefully over next few days.

Franbern

Growstuff thanks for that. No, have not had this test. Nurse did check my heart and some of the blood tests was for further checks. Evidently, all seemed okay from that. I have been called back for further blood tests (for liver function??).

I will definitely keep in mind this Doppler test. After just one day on the very much increased dosage of the water pills (20 mg upto 60 mg daily now), I think there is already a very slight improvement. Hope it is not just me and wishful thinking. Will monitor carefully over next few days.

It's just like having a blood pressure check, but on your ankle. I've had at least four - two at my GP surgery, but I guess it depends whether they have the machine needed.

I don't have a swollen leg, but I do have diabetic neuropathy and my leg (particularly my left one) is often stone cold and I get cramps in my shin when I work, which are a sign of poor circulation (in my case caused by furred up arteries).

I have 6 monthly diabetic checks with full blood tests and I've had numerous ECGs and two echocardiograms. None of the tests show any problems - apart from the Doppler test. As a result, I saw a physio and have exercises for my leg.

IMO it's important to find out what's going on, so it can be treated.

Hope you can resolve your problem Franbern 💐