Edema

[Welchen]

I'm 7 yrs out and have developed swelling in my feet. I've gone to a ton of docs but no one can tell me what is causing it. Not diabetic, no vascular problems (thank GOD!), nothing. I've tried water pills and I've gone with ace bandages wrapping the feet and lower leg, used pressure stockings, tried elevating my legs, and nothing helps. THey're a little lower when I wake up but by the time I've been up for a while they're swollen.

When it started it only happened around the time of my period (sorry for the TMI) and now I notice without water pills I don't urinate as much as I used to. Someone on another board suggested that my protein may be low so I've switched back to 3-4 shakes a day. I'm getting iron infusions and I've had my yearly blood drawn. Beyond low D3, anemia, low B12, and low Vit E everything else looks "normal" - but it's hard to figure what normal is for WLS people.

Just taking a shot in the dark to see if anyone else is having this problem. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated!

Deb

 

[Pat99]

Deb-I've had the exact same problem for quite a while, I'm guessing 20 years. I have retained as much as 20 pounds of fluid, not counting the 24 pounds I came back from the hospital with after my gastric bypass. I average about 11 pounds. My left foot and ankle swell up more than the right but both legs swell about the same. I only use my water pills when the swelling starts causing too much pain or when I go for a weigh in *LOL*. Ask your doctor to check to see if you have gout. This may be causing some of the swelling. I have it and take medication for it. Compression stockings help me a lot but because of my bad hip I can't put them on by myself anymore. I find that the custom made to fit stockings helped a lot more than the ones off the shelf so you might want to get fitted for a pair if you haven't tried this already. I also keep my legs elevated when I sit and this helps too.

 

[I-Did-WHAT]

Omigosh, Pat, I gained 8 POUNDS of hydration in the hospital and I was there only two days. It wasn't just 'passing through' either. My body had been that dehydrated for so long, I didn't know what it meant to be hydrated. Aches had gone away. Eye dryness, gone. And my skin was plumply elastic! I'm going to get back to that hydration level. I want it as much as I want to lose weight because it helped so much.