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Swollen limbs lower blood glucose?

Alexandra100

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,794
Location
West Yorkshire
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Both my lower legs, ankles and feet are swollen, the right badly, the left less so. I was consoling myself that at least every morning my fasting blood glucose is gloriously low, when it dawned on me that all this edema may be diluting my bg. Google has nothing to say about this, just the converse, that dehydration may raise bg. Please has anyone experience of this phenomenon, or a view on it? And is lower bg due to a health problem still beneficial?
Of course any input as to how to treat my legs would be extremely welcome. I know about compression stockings and used to wear them consistently, until my right leg and foot swelled too much, so that the stockings were obviously doing more harm than good. I see lots of advice to do exercise and exercises, but so far they seem if anything to make things worse.
 
Alexandra100 said:
Both my lower legs, ankles and feet are swollen, the right badly, the left less so. I was consoling myself that at least every morning my fasting blood glucose is gloriously low, when it dawned on me that all this edema may be diluting my bg. Google has nothing to say about this, just the converse, that dehydration may raise bg. Please has anyone experience of this phenomenon, or a view on it? And is lower bg due to a health problem still beneficial?
Of course any input as to how to treat my legs would be extremely welcome. I know about compression stockings and used to wear them consistently, until my right leg and foot swelled too much, so that the stockings were obviously doing more harm than good. I see lots of advice to do exercise and exercises, but so far they seem if anything to make things worse.
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I get a bit of oedema - nothing like as bad as it used to be, but it does come and go. It was one of the first symptoms I noticed around 2010 - I thought my feet were growing.

At the same time I began to retain water more generally. I suspect this had something to do with my system trying to dilute an increasing blood glucose level. It didn't help at all and at its worst I was leaking fluid through my skin.

Exercise doesn't have a consistent effect. Even though the oedema is nothing like it was I still can't wear normal socks - Gentle Grip are excellent, though.
 
KennyA said:
I get a bit of oedema - nothing like as bad as it used to be, but it does come and go. It was one of the first symptoms I noticed around 2010 - I thought my feet were growing.

At the same time I began to retain water more generally. I suspect this had something to do with my system trying to dilute an increasing blood glucose level. It didn't help at all and at its worst I was leaking fluid through my skin.

Exercise doesn't have a consistent effect. Even though the oedema is nothing like it was I still can't wear normal socks - Gentle Grip are excellent, though.
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I agree.I get swollen feet and ankles and Gentle Grip socks are a godsend.
 
Antje77 said:
What tests did your GP give you for the leg swelling?
Did they have an explanation for the cause?
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It's complicated.
For many years I have had a tendency to atrial fibrillation and then, in addition since 2018, flutter, more or less controlled by taking Flecainide and a beta blocker. Both AF and beta blockers can cause lymphedema / swelling. Now the control is no longer working well and I have appointments for tests back at the Cardiology Dept. at the end of July. I am really hoping to find out what exactly ails me these days, and, I hope, change my meds for the better. I am also seeing my GP face to face (her request) on Thursday.
My GP sent me back to the Lymphedema Dept., but they are not used to patients like me who have no obvious cause for their swellings. Normally their patients have had their lymph glands damaged by cancer treatment. In any case, there is no real treatment, just compression, elevation, exercise, exercises, massage. None of which seem to make much /any difference.
Some Youtube influencers promote the keto diet for lymphedema, but I have already been following that with gradually increasing strictness since 2018.
To summarise: causes could be AF, beta blockers, failed lymph glands, some kind of heart failure.
Thanks for asking!
 
KennyA said:
at its worst I was leaking fluid through my skin.
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Sounds awful! I like the sound of the Gentle Grip socks. My ex-husband's 2nd wife buys him long socks from M&S and cuts off the tops to make him short socks plus wrist warmers.
 
With the previous heart issues I'd want to contact a cardiologist rather than a GP if I suddenly developed swollen legs.
Do you have a way to contact the cardiology department?
 
Antje77 said:
With the previous heart issues I'd want to contact a cardiologist rather than a GP if I suddenly developed swollen legs.
Do you have a way to contact the cardiology department?
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As I said, I have appointments for tests ordered by the Cardiology Dept. at the end of July. I presume that once they have the results I will be invited in to discuss them.
 
Alexandra100 said:
As I said, I have appointments for tests ordered by the Cardiology Dept. at the end of July. I presume that once they have the results I will be invited in to discuss them.
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With a new and sudden symptom I'd still want to know if it's fine to wait for another two weeks or so, just to be sure.
 
Antje77 said:
With a new and sudden symptom I'd still want to know if it's fine to wait for another two weeks or so, just to be sure.
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Me too! But this is the UK (post Brexit and post pandemic, hospital doctors & consultants striking, nurses leaving because they can do better for themselves working in supermarkets). People are dying waiting for ambulances, dying in ambulances waiting outside hospitals, dying on trolleys waiting in hospital corridors, dying of cancers which were not diagnosed or treated in time. By comparison the standard of care I am getting looks pretty good.
 
Alexandra100 said:
Me too! But this is the UK (post Brexit and post pandemic, hospital doctors & consultants striking, nurses leaving because they can do better for themselves working in supermarkets). People are dying waiting for ambulances, dying in ambulances waiting outside hospitals, dying on trolleys waiting in hospital corridors, dying of cancers which were not diagnosed or treated in time. By comparison the standard of care I am getting looks pretty good.
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I agree with @Antje77 - my gut feeling is anything swollen needs checked out asap especially if you have had heart issues and swollen feet & legs. Take good care of yourself x
 
Maybe the GP could prescribe a water tablet? I am on Furusomide and Dapagliflozin, both of which work to reduce my fluid retention. I have CHF and swelling feet is a warning sign for me. Even slight puffiness in the feet is important. The heat can push up fluid retention too, Maybe discuss with 111?
 
Are you on other meds? Quite a lot have fluid retention as a side effect, so worth reading up to find if this is the case.

I get bloated in hot weather. So annoying, but sorts itself out on cooler days. Also, sounds counterproductive but increasing salt intake often helps.

Nothing is better than experienced medical help, though, so all the best with your consultation, and if it can be brought forward, that's good.
 
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