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Ankle Swelling

 
Are you taking Amlodipine for hypertension , same happened recently to me

(Edited by mod to comply with forum ethos)
 
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coz53 said:
Are you taking Amlodipine for hypertension , same happened recently to me
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I used to take Amlodipine for blood pressure and that was during th etime when my ankles became even more swollen, but when I came off of it, they didn't go down again. My son also as given Amlodipine and it caused his ankles to swell so he went on to another blood pressure pill and the swelling went away.

[Mod edit in quote.]
 
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Were yous on amlodipine for a while or short time when your ankles started swelling?
 
I was on it for about a year. My son was on it for about 3 months and he made the connection for himself (which hadn't occurred to me), so he went back to the GP and asked for a change.
 
coz53 said:
I’m still taking Amlodipine so GP prescribed a diuretic no more swelling
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I was taken off of Amlodipine because it just wasn't working well enough. I was put onto Zemtard, but it wasn't any better. I can't honestly remember when I was first put onto diuretics - before or after Amlodipine but I was on one pill daily (Furosimide) for years and later I was put onto Spironolactone as well. Now Furosimide has been taken away and another one (Bumetanide) to replace it. None of them made any difference to my swollen legs/ankles, or even my blood pressure. The only thing that has brought my blood pressure down a bit is low carbing - even so, not much reduction and it has made no difference to my fluid retention.

Edit: I am told that the swelling (and attendant rashes) are caused by "venous insufficiency" but that the veins involved are probably too deep for any surgery to help. I was prescribed compression hose to help this, but they just made my legs worse because they cut off the circulation. However, after stopping using them, things didn't return to normal and I think that some extra damage has been done by the too tight hose.
 
I have just had a week with my legs bound up with hefty bandages to try to stop them swelling quite so badly - not sure that it has worked but I go back this afternoon to get them checked and re-bandaged. The idea is to get the swelling down far enough to get compression hose on and working for me. Jury is out on that - I would like it to work but am not confident.
 
Legs have been bandaged for 2nd week and will continue for another week after that and then hope to get into compression stockings. So far my ankles and feet are still swollen and puffy, as are my legs from my knees upwards, but my lower legs are now as slim as they were when I was 20+. So, perhaps, if I can get my legs into compression stockings, that may have an effect on my ankles.
 
I'm glad to see this thread tonight after a search for "ankles" here.
I went out to lunch today with a friend and when we got home I cleaned her car's windows and headlights for her. For once my back and legs did not hurt with all the standing by each window, but I was shocked when I sat down afterwards to see my ankles very puffy and swollen. I've never seen them this bad before.
My friend said it was from walking when I'm not used to it, but I have been walking a lot the past couple of weeks, since I've started seeing a physical therapist.
Just a couple of hours before I noticed my swollen ankles I'd been at the doctor's for my 6-month checkup and she looked at my ankles and they were fine.
They've gone down tonight because I've had them elevated for the past few hours.

I just wanted to say I'm glad you posted about your ankles, @Annb, and I'm really sorry you are having problems with them. How are they now?

ETA: Amlodopine caused some edema in my ankles a few years ago, so my doctor then took me off it; this nurse practitioner whom I see now put me back on it and last year increased the dosage by half a tablet.
 
I still have my legs bound up because of problems obtaining the compression stockings. I am hoping to get these during next week, so things may improve then. The situation with my legs and feet is much the same - bandaging keeps the swelling in my lower legs under control but my upper legs, feet and ankles haven't really improved at all. Part of this may be that the bandages slip and unwind from my feet. The nurses I have seen can't understand why this happens, but happen it does, every time. This may also be improved by the stockings when they come. That's if I can wear them.
To be honest, I will be very happy when they do come, although I can foresee problems with getting them on and off. The problem with bandaged legs is that I can't have a bath or shower. Had I realised it was going to take this long, I would have bought some of those plastic inflatable sock things so that I could, at least, have a shower.
 

Various medics have been suggesting compression stockings to me for a number of years, and I’ve been resisting because of the difficulty of getting them on, and the issue of them appearing to cut off all circulation at the knees . In February I fell off my mobility scooter, and developed a large haematoma on the lower calf, which turned into an ulcer.. I’ve been going to the local NHS chronic wound clinic, and they again suggested compression stockings. Knowing my aversion to pull on ones, the suggested 2 possibilities. There are now available ones with a zip. These are apparent very expensive and have the same problem with fat/ fluid bulging over the top. The other is some loose pull on ones, which are the adjusted by 4 Velcro bands about 3 inches accords, so the whole lower leg can be enclosed, and with local adjustments. They are brilliant, and the wound has healed, and my legs are thinner than they have been for 30 years.
I deliberately haven’t put any brand names, as you have to be Doppler tested to see if your pressure in your leg is such that you can take the pressure without damage. Then you need to be measured as they come in different lengths and widths. The correct size needs to be prescribed and ordered. They finally they need to be fitted by a nurse, so that you have markers to show and mark where you pull the Velcro across to. This has to be carefully measured.

I’m now wearing them on both legs. I had a choice of black or beige. I've got black, with knee length black socks underneath and as I nearly always wear dark trousers these are fine. They come on prescription, so free, or at prescription cost.

Brilliant. Hope this helps.

Margaret
 
If the hose are similar to the ones I've had before, getting them on and off is definitely going to be a problem and somehow, I don't want to ask my son to help - wouldn't be appropriate. Anyway, last time I asked for help with knee length ones, he came up with a gadget he thought would help rather than do it himself. It didn't work but I didn't ask again.

The nurse has said that when they come I need to wear them for 2 or 3 days at a time without taking them off. Not too sure about that idea either. But I can try.
 
 
The thing about these is that when they are undone they have a big gusset down the front so they are very easy to get into. As there are 4 of the Velcro straps per leg, and they go horizontally across the leg one at a time, you need much less force to close the Velcro up. Getting them off is more of a fiddle as they stick a bit to my socks, but a flick with the end of a walking stick helps.
I’ve never needed anyone to help put them on, except the nurse the first time.
 

Do you know the brand name? I can always ask the nurse if I could get them. They did check the pressure in my legs (and arms) before measuring for, and prescribing the stockings. Can't remember what they called the test. It wasn't the Doppler test that the podiatry department used to do for me, but they did listen for the pulses in my ankles with a microphone kind of thing which produced a noisy hiss when it found the pulses. And found them, but with some difficulty because of the swelling.
 
Thank you - I can only ask. Prescriptions are free here in Scotland, but money's tight so they may not go for it.
 

These sound very interesting, and a lot like the half-chaps/gaiters I used to wear for riding! Now I am wondering if there are any leg-wraps for humans like the ones for wrapping horse's legs. I'm thinking of something like puttees.
I wonder if they would work because they could be loosened or tightened as needed?
 
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