Ankle Swelling

Just back from the clinic and I have my new compression stockings on. Much more comfortable than the bandages. Not quite the best fit - a bit too long in the legs (I have short legs - only look tall when I sit down) and so the tops turn over and cut in a bit. the nurse had great difficulty getting them on me and they are still a bit wrinkled and cutting in where they wrinkle but I think they'll be OK. We shall see.

I hope they help.

Thank you.

The stockings rolled down from the top and caused considerable pain because they squeezed really tight - far too tight. I kept pulling them back up, but they wouldn't stay in place. I tried rolling them lower down my legs, but they just caused very tight bands in the new positions as well. Neil, my son, suggested that I try supporting the tops with elastic bandages and so far, that seems to be working. Legs not so well supported as with the bandages, but they are still painful after the drama with the rolled down stocking tops, so I can't really tell yet.

I would tell the doctor who gave them to you and ask him what to do about the rolling down. That doesn't sound good to me -- but I am no doctor.
My mother had problems with some compression stockings for varicose veins years ago -- that is my sole experience of the things -- but I would definitely ask your doctor about yours.

@Annb: more years ago than I can remember now I had what was basically summer time heat related oedema - which started with swollen ankles, and GP 's instructions to "keep feet higher than bum" when possible kept this more or less under control. The oedema eventually got worse over time affecting all my lower legs. I was prescribed compression stocking which were OK, and elevating my legs still helped a lot. But later after being diagnosed with T2 , when I was also getting doppler checks on my legs in addition to the usual foot pingings and pokings, my previous DN suggested I swapped to Jobst Farrowraps, These are essentially a backing strip with six attached wraps with velcro fasteners, and have a separate stocking type liner. The individual wraps mean that they are very flexible as each one can be adjusted independently to suit the amount of swelling in different areas at various times. They're much easier for me to manage and I really appreciate the flexibility that they give me, so maybe an option worth investigating?

(I won't go into the hassle I've had with new DN who insisted I should go back to support stockings and fall-down-round-my-ankles-bandages! )

Robbity2 said:

@Annb: more years ago than I can remember now I had what was basically summer time heat related oedema - which started with swollen ankles, and GP 's instructions to "keep feet higher than bum" when possible kept this more or less under control. The oedema eventually got worse over time affecting all my lower legs. I was prescribed compression stocking which were OK, and elevating my legs still helped a lot. But later after being diagnosed with T2 , when I was also getting doppler checks on my legs in addition to the usual foot pingings and pokings, my previous DN suggested I swapped to Jobst Farrowraps, These are essentially a backing strip with six attached wraps with velcro fasteners, and have a separate stocking type liner. The individual wraps mean that they are very flexible as each one can be adjusted independently to suit the amount of swelling in different areas at various times. They're much easier for me to manage and I really appreciate the flexibility that they give me, so maybe an option worth investigating?

(I won't go into the hassle I've had with new DN who insisted I should go back to support stockings and fall-down-round-my-ankles-bandages! )

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They look excellent - just what I could do with. However, the price is way out of my reach and I'm pretty sure my GP wouldn't sanction prescribing them. I can ask when I go in to get the legs checked on Tuesday. Nice idea though.

So far, the bandage around the top of the stockings has worked and they are holding up. Legs are quite painful due, I think, to less support than the bandages provided, but my ankles don't seem to have swollen so much as usual. And this is a day when I've had my granddaughter in after school, so less chance to keep my feet up.

I was told to keep the stockings on for 2 or 3 days before changing them for the 2nd pair. So I took them off last night and will put the 2nd pair on today. However, my legs are a mess! The skin is really sore and raw in places and as soon as I freed them the swelling bounced back. Part of the problem is the those areas where there were folds, which turned into tight bands. The skin seems to have sloughed off a layer or so and the areas are shiny and raw. Not a great success but I should try again with the 2nd pair and try to get a smoother finish this time.

This time I opened the package and had a chance to read the instructions. It says that the stocking should be held up by suspenders! Fair enough, something is needed but I don't own any such garment. Last time I had one of those is almost 56 years ago when I was expecting my eldest son. It also says if the legs are painful, take the stockings off. I would have done if I'd known. However, I've put this send pair on myself and there are no tucks to cut in - just a bit at the top where I have them supported with bandage. This whole idea may not work but I will try. Might have to go back to bandages though or perhaps kind of tubegauze ones but, so far haven't managed to get any wide enough. Or I might go back to the surgical stockings I've been using recently. I'll get it sorted one day, I'm sure.

2nd pair of stockings on. This is the 2nd day of wearing them. I have managed, with the elsastic bandage, to stop them rolling over and causing pain, but last night my legs and ankles were as swollen as ever. And the skin on my legs is very sore now. I'll try one more time with the first pair again, and see what the legs look like when I see the nurse on Tuesday.

Edited to fix typo - making too many of them these days.

It's no good! I had to give up and get the stockings off. The skin on my shins and ankles was so sore and the pain from the constrictions at the top of the stockings, way too much to bear. The pain, at least has gone, but the skin is still sore and burning. I have replaced the stockings with the surgical ones I bought a few weeks ago, so there is still some support, but not enough. Not that the prescribed ones were stopping the swelling anyway.

@lovinglife, thanks for your kind thoughts. I wasn't really expecting advice, I just want to try to come up with an answer that might help others with similar problems. So far, not so good.

Annb said:

@lovinglife, thanks for your kind thoughts. I wasn't really expecting advice, I just want to try to come up with an answer that might help others with similar problems. So far, not so good.

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I’m really sorry you are having such a struggle, and I think you have done the right thing taking the compression stockings off, it sounds as if they were causing damage, not to say pain.

There are two types (Or more) of oedema, lymphoedema which is accumulation of fluid, and lipodoema, which is accumulation of fat, but can’t be shifted by diet and exercise. Lipodoema has been around for ages, but not recognised by most health care professionals. (Blank looks and/or that doesn’t exist ) Their usual response is go away and loose weight. But that is changing and there was NICE report in early 2022 about it,recognising it’s existence.

Lymphoedema is fluid swelling and has lots of causes.

There are a lot of nurse led NHS clinics which deal with both, so one would think that they would be able to tell the difference. Googling lymphoedema lipodoema together will bring them up .There are quite a few in Scotland, but I’m not sure whereabouts you are.
If there is one near you it might help if you could get referred, or possibly self refer.

.thinking of you.
Margaret

MargaretR said:

I’m really sorry you are having such a struggle, and I think you have done the right thing taking the compression stockings off, it sounds as if they were causing damage, not to say pain.

There are two types (Or more) of oedema, lymphoedema which is accumulation of fluid, and lipodoema, which is accumulation of fat, but can’t be shifted by diet and exercise. Lipodoema has been around for ages, but not recognised by most health care professionals. (Blank looks and/or that doesn’t exist ) Their usual response is go away and loose weight. But that is changing and there was NICE report in early 2022 about it,recognising it’s existence.

Lymphoedema is fluid swelling and has lots of causes.

There are a lot of nurse led NHS clinics which deal with both, so one would think that they would be able to tell the difference. Googling lymphoedema lipodoema together will bring them up .There are quite a few in Scotland, but I’m not sure whereabouts you are.
If there is one near you it might help if you could get referred, or possibly self refer.

.thinking of you.
Margaret

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Thanks for your reply Margaret. I think I may have a combination of both conditions. All three, in fact, because I am in the morbidly obese range. I wasn't until I started taking insulin, but my weight has climbed hugely in the last years - not helped by the fact that walking, or even standing is difficult, due to arthritis. The only doctor who has given an opinion in recent years diagnosed "venous insufficiency" - but he had only seen photographs and could not tell if dents remained for a time after being made in my legs or even the texture of the skin. Doctors from our own clinic (in Stornoway) don't seem to actually see patients any more, or even answer urgent phone calls. All the work is left to nurses and other staff. They are really good, but their knowledge seems to be somewhat limited. The doctor who gave an opinion was on the mainland and contact via the e-consult system.

Edited to add: Original diagnosis, when a rash first appeared on my right shin, was folliculitis and then cellulitis - treated with antibiotics. That was a good number of years ago. It never went away but in recent years just got worse and worse and was diagnosed as varicose eczema. Then it spread to my left leg and now both shins and calves are red and brown, lumpy, burning, shiny and dent when pressed. I try not to let the pressing happen too often because it hurts even to touch the skin, which burns all the time and also seems to be very fragile. Not, apparently, typical of either lymphoedema or lipodoema but rather a bit of both. At least with the stocking support, my ankles were less painful, which is what this thread was about in the first place.

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Did you make any progress with the nurse

I think I’ve got both sorts , plus obesity, but I don’t take insulin. .

I too have high blood pressure and on medication for this. The Dr said that one of the tablet's side effects could be swelling of the ankles. Hasn't happened yet but always a possibility. I'm on 10mg Amlodipine daily.

MargaretR said:

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Did you make any progress with the nurse

I think I’ve got both sorts , plus obesity, but I don’t take insulin. .

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Sorry I didn't reply before this, Margaret - there has been a problem with the forum and I've been locked out for a while.

The appointment with the nurse wasn't a lot of help. She just took off one stocking and thought the legs were not as bad as she expected. Then, she didn't have any elastic bandage to replace what she took off, so we had to work at flattening out what came off. It didn't hold in position on the way home, but at least I was sat in the car. She insists that, if possible, I must keep the stockings on, otherwise "they'll burst!". Reminiscent of the first nurse I saw after diagnosis who, when I asked what was special about footcare for a diabetic, said "GANGEREEN" in a gloom laden voice. I took the stockings off anyway - they were just too painful.

Anyway, I ordered suspenders and they came in the post yesterday but the garment is too small despite being quoted as the correct size so now I have to wait again for the next size up to arrive. I am back to using surgical stockings. Today, I was in a rush so didn't put the usual cream on my legs and, guess what ... my legs are much less painful because the skin isn't burning as it usually is. I have been using these creams for years on these rashes - wonder if that could have something to do with the swelling.

I have read somewhere that Metformin also causes legs to swell as well as some of the other medications that I take. So, I guess there is little chance of the swelling going away.

Retanna said:

I too have high blood pressure and on medication for this. The Dr said that one of the tablet's side effects could be swelling of the ankles. Hasn't happened yet but always a possibility. I'm on 10mg Amlodipine daily.

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My son, Neil, has been on lots of medication for years but since he had to take steroids, he has also had to take pills for high blood pressure. He was given Amlodipine but his ankles started to swell and he was taken off that and given Ramipril instead. That seems to have helped with the ankle swelling. However, his BP is not as good as it should be and he has just been told that he will have to increase the dose. 140/95 is not good for a man in his 50's.