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Suddenly something weird and scary... swollen feet/ankles?

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Posted 3/30/2013 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
I have been a bit "sore" and "tight" due to inactivity, weakness, and maybe flagyl.. but have been more active in recent days. Now, just this evening noticed my feet, especially the left, is quite swollen. Am thinking this could be a kidney/liver issue due to long term asacol??

Oddly Ive gained weight also, I was in disbelief at the rate.. so now I see its at least partially from retaining fluids.

Anyone?
Posted 3/30/2013 5:26 AM (GMT 0)
you best call the doc asap. Are you on prednisone?



q
Posted 3/30/2013 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
i had the same symptoms, turned out to be a life-threatening blood clot after a particularly bad flare. Hopefully it's nothing, but don't ignore it -have a doctor take a look right away!
Posted 3/30/2013 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
Well.. Dont I think it's a clot, but retained fluid. Yesterday and the day before i woke up oddly puffy in the face. Couldn't understand why. Done by the end of the day it manifested down to the ankles... Now in the am my feet are much better, but face and rest of body is hiding it.... Must be a liver/kidney thing???? From asacol maybe? Never have i had this happen......
Posted 3/30/2013 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
could be from whatever, could be the flagyl since that's a newer addition. The fact is that you have it happening and you don't know why.

Best get it checked out asap.

q
Posted 3/30/2013 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
Asap on a saturday...
Posted 3/30/2013 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
asap means as soon as possible...that could be Monday considering it's the weekend.

If it's an emergency with pain, continued swelling or other areas, then you best go to the hospital or emergency/ urgent care clinic to be checked out.

My friend was on flagyl and her feet went completely numb.  Not a good symptom to have.  I don't remember if she had swelling, however. 

Keep us posted how you're doing because it's not normal to have swelling or increased weight gain from fluid retention.

how's your belly looking?

q

Posted 3/30/2013 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
Sudden retention of water could be anything from minor to something major so please don't ignore it. If you are still very swollen I would even consider going to the ER since it's a weekend.
Posted 3/30/2013 5:39 PM (GMT 0)
yeah gonna finish eating then go to urgent care I think..

Belly isnt swollen but I dont know...
Posted 3/30/2013 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
I have also noticed swelling and have also gained weight. I have only been on mesalamines for 7 mos. Liver kidney were ok last blood work. I am having my heart checked too, so far EKG and Echo look good. I have scheduled a Stress test which Cardiologist expects it to be normal. I suspect the mesalamines, but not sure. Please share what you find out.
Posted 3/30/2013 7:03 PM (GMT 0)
Is your swelling relatively sudden?
Posted 3/30/2013 7:46 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I noticed suddenly, now for a couple of weeks and has improved some. Both legs, pitting at finger pressure, worse at end of the day and better in the am.
Posted 3/30/2013 8:19 PM (GMT 0)
Have you had liver and kidney work done since the onset of swelling?
Posted 3/30/2013 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
hmm.... the only times i've had swollen ankles/feet were on prednisone and when my albumin levels were low (1.4). have you had those levels checked?
Posted 3/30/2013 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
Did you go down to Urgent Care yet?

I had some issues with swollen feet/ankles but that was due to the first flare of the disease. Flagyl (however that's spelled) really messed me up. Nerve damage in my feet resulted - but I don't think I recall any swelling.

I'd say play it safe and park yourself down at urgent care. I think you live around me - sooo... If you did/do go to urgent care or the hospital well - I guess I'll talk to you in a few days ;) seeing as you'll be parked in the waiting room for some 8 to 10 hours or more for sure...

Mark

Gotta do something about this Canadian Health Care System...
Posted 3/30/2013 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
Just returned from the ER.. At least I (apparently) dont have liver/kidney disease... But, I may have a pancreas issue, as Lipase was high.

Mainly, I have yes, low albumin, and low hemoglobin. The Dr on call said my swelling is from low albumin. I just dont understand why all of the sudden I see this edema. Guess my Gi is out till Tues, and my primary is out all week, so I try for the GI asap. Esp after Ive been eating a lot of protein. He says that it takes a long time to manifest and correct, so I guess its been sliding for some time..

Not in Canada... But I only had to spend about 2 hours, maybe 2.5. Drove and walked all over town without finding the Urgent Care thats apparently out there someplace.
Posted 3/30/2013 10:16 PM (GMT 0)
darn Bananagirl, 1.4, mine were 2.7, still low. What did you do to correct? Get blood? I guess Im just shy of the level for getting blood. Do advise, what/how to correct?
Posted 3/30/2013 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
2 Hours??? Good lord I'm jealous... My mom went to the ER for a blood clot in her leg (which there actually is one) yesterday and spent from 8:45am till 7:30 at night waiting for a doctor to see her. It's crazy.. you die waiting in this country.

So I think there's something to this amino acid thing. I was sort of giving up in a way or loosing hope. As the change in dose last week combined with the drop in pred to 5/mg daily resulted in the return of some serious inflammation, increased urgency, blood and D. Then Dr. Stein called me and asked me to change my dose on the amino acid thing and wham - pretty much overnight, solid stool the next morning and very minor mucus and blood. No real urgency. Like normal solid stool again.

I don't know what to say other than two days ago all I kept thinking was here we go... blood, mucus, urgency... back to the good old days... But the change in dose and the overnight change from D to solid makes me wonder.... We'll see how long this relief lasts.

Maybe there is a bit of hope here. Trying not to get myself excited for a let down. but still... No med other than prednisone has effected a flare overnight like that before. And even pred never brought me truly solid stool.
Posted 3/30/2013 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
all i did was start the paleo/scd diet which meant adding animal products back into my diet. that brought my albumin up fairly quickly to 3.8 in 3 weeks. i was surprised at how much it rose.
Posted 3/30/2013 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
CM- well I guess we will have to see if further drops in pred continue to be doable, keep us posted.

BG, so you feel you were just eating too little protein? What is odd is I feel like I have been eating a lot for the past month... Which makes me worry my pancreas is involved in not breaking the protein down?
Posted 3/30/2013 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Freddyj, when you mentioned swelling of your face, does it happen mostly on your eyelids? I had that problem too when I was retaining water. In all honesty, if you don't have any significant pain or water retention it might be able to wait until Monday. I practically went to the ER when I couldn't walk, lol but, I try to avoid urgent care as much as I can. Although, you be the judge of that.
Posted 3/30/2013 11:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Freddy - As of today I'm off pred all together - so technically I should be a mess based on past history. So far today solid stool with minimal mucus and blood. And this occurred with the last amino acid dose change. Interesting to say the least.

I was thinking about your issue - Although i did Flag and Cipro at the same time to get things under control - but I had a big increase in weight gain during that period as well. I still don't remember any water retention or swelling though.

Why don't you just try say soup broth and veggies for tonight/tomorrow to cut the protein and then see your GI if possible on Mon. Otherwise I'd go to emerg tomorrow if it gets worse.
Posted 3/31/2013 1:08 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys..

Yeah I dont know, they told me eat more protein, which is weird, the past few weeks I have been doing nothing but resting and eating more, esp protein, now THIS?

Kata, my "water" seems to be wherever gravity drags it, in the am the past few days its in my face/body more distributed, after a few hours of being awake, in the feet and calves primarily.
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