Swelling of feet and hands

For the last 4 weeks I have suffered greatly with random sypmtoms which mainly consist of swollen feet (feels like hard balls on the soles of my feet) and swollen hands, which is both painful and itchy. My lips once ballooned for a few days and my tongue tingles. Not only this but I also suffer with diorreah on occasion and raised skin on various parts of my body. After visiting the doctor about twice a week since, I've had blank expressions and 'mystery illness', even a suggestion that it's rheumatoid/flitting arthiritis. I actually think I have allergies but as I'm on a remote island, I have to go to the mainland to have tests but they won't refer me!! Does this sound like food allergies? Today I have decided to cut out everything from my diet apart from fruit and veg and re-introduce stuff gradually. I am just at a loss as to what these symptoms are and would appreciate if someone could let me know if they've had something similar. Thank you very much

Hi Benson, yes it does sound like hives/angioedema.

I'm on a very low allergy diet consisting of organic rice, free range chicken, peeled fresh pears, celery, parsley and a bit of carrot. Yes very boring but I'm becoming an expert on how to cook chicken 1001 different ways.

If you are having just fruit and vege's you will feel very hungry and lots of fruit and vege's can actually cause allergies.

Hives/angioedema are SO frustrating.

Some of the causes can include:

Thyroid problems (get your GP to check your thyroid)
Parasites in the bowel
Food or chemical allergies
Candida

etc ...

most of the time no cause is found.

Perhaps see your GP again and get him to do a complete blood test for starters. You can try taking OTC anti-histamines. There are other medications a GP might prescribe too.

And in the meantime you can start an Elimination Diet/Low Allergy Diet, change your washing powder/soap/shampoo to 'sensitive' i.e no perfumes, dyes etc.

None of the above has helped me but I have seen some improvement since seeing a Naturopath and taking supplements for 'detoxing'. Also a high dosage (1000 mcg) B12 is said to reduce the severity of hives.

Good luck :)

Might be, you should ask a pharmacist. I do know if you take a medication for awhile, it takes awhile to get out of your system. Recently I kept getting veritago. Only reason why I found dizzyness odd was cuz I would get it 6-10 times a day and it lasted 2 weeks. After the first week I checked into things. I found by talking to my pharmacist that I was experiencing a side effect cuz my dose was too high. However, I needed it at the dose (a seditive) to complete my radiation sessions (tumor). Keep talking to your primary. Also, when you change your diet, you could of possibly shocked your body. You went so long without then boom you added it. When you want to introduce food you have not had in awhile, treat yourself like you were a baby trying the food for the first time. A little bit each day for a few weeks. Then add a new one. Its easier to find out if its food related then :)

Hi Benson :)

I have also had hives on the bottom of my feet which feels like I'm walking on a cushion of water and my hands have swollen so much I can't even hold a pen .. so uncomfortable!

I've noticed that since I've been on the low allergy diet the hives are less severe but certain foods will aggravate them i.e sunflower oil, chocolate etc. I don't believe these foods are the cause of the hives though.

I think your decision to go back to taking acidophilis is a great idea, especially as your symptoms started not long after you stopped taking it. If you keep a detailed diary listing all foods and drink every day you might see a pattern.

Another cause of chronic hives is an infection i.e dental.

I had shingles 6 months ago and the Naturopath I'm seeing thinks the virus has migrated into my liver causing the hives. I also travelled to Europe 5 months ago and she thinks I may have possibly picked up a parasite .. ewwww! .. for which she has given me Colozone ( a colonic cleanser) to get rid of them. It's as if I need to have a list of all possible causes and investigate them one by one. SO frustrating and getting VERY expensive but I won't accept having these hives for the rest of my life.

As you mentioned in your post .. none of the 4 doctors I have seen have any idea either. I'd like to see them 'just live with it'!

Take care xxx

Hi Spiritgirl

Thanks a lot, I will mention this on Tuesday (the doc only comes over on a tuesday - tiny island). There's one otehr thing I have failed to mention; about a week or two before the symptoms I also (stupidly) started to take diet pills which contained ephedrine, caffeine, aspirin and narnegin (narnegin boosts stimulants). I only took 5 and not on consecutive days but I stopped because I'm sensitive to stimulants and it was a stupid thing to be doing, I'm not even that overweight. But the doctor dismissed this as being the cause, which I am now thinking is another 'fob off' - maybe they triggered an intolerence that I already have and made it worse. Since I have stopped eating wheat thought, I must add that my energy levels have shot up and my skin is as smooth as ever.

It's a shame that you have still not pin-pointed the cause, but really good that you have seen an expert and are doing a proper investigation. Two things you have mentioned have struck a chord - sometimes my gums bleed which disturbs me as it's not a regular thing, and over the years I have had an alcohol addiction which I have curbed a lot this year but I believe that everything I have done to my body has created this affect and in a way I think it's telling me to stop abusing it and start taking care of myself.

Thank you again for your advice and I sincerely hope that you find that cause of your frustrating symptoms.

xxxx

Good luck with the enema!

Perhaps a colonic cleanser might help?

Anyway, keep us posted :)

Update on my condition: Well I went to GP on Tuesday who has refused to acknowledge that this may be connected to my colon, saying that if I not completely consitpated then I don't have a problem and he also told me that allergy tests are not reliable so I am to compeltely cut of dairy and wheat if that's what's causing my symptoms. I have decided to stop seeing the GP and listen to the homepath lady. I've been looking on the internet for colon cleansing products and am so confused as to which one is best to get as one site hypes up a product taht another site claims is not that good. Does anyone have a genuine experience that I could go from to indicate which product would be best to buy? I am currently convinced by something called colotox but that could just be the site getting into my head.

Btw I had a bit of milk in my tea yesterday and apparently some wheat entered my diet via black pudding and later that evening I had swelled fingers and tingling lips and tongue, which definitely proves I have developed an intense intolerence to these products - gutted. Such a horrible feeling though that it's worth cutting out these staple foods just to enjoy a pain free existence. I really feel for you Spiritgirl as you sound like you have much more intense reactions. Please let me know how you get on.