Swelling/edema in my right foot and cold feet - not a clot, kidneys are fine. Anyone else get this?

Helllooo

I'm 33 years old female, I've had type 1 now about 11 years and my control in the last 5 has not been good. I got covid in 2021 and it's made my blood sugars even more erratic. I rarely have hypos because my sugars are usually between 10 and 20 even before food, regardless of my Lantus dose. I've got an appt next month possibly to change my Lantus or Novorapid to one of the new ones.

Since the beginning of May, I've noticed that my right foot/leg swells up randomly. First time I freaked out and went to MIU as my foot was REALLY swollen to the point where I had some pitting if I pushed on it. I was dismissed and told I was dehydrated and on my period so hormone related. When I drank lots of electrolytes and had a walk the swelling went down.

However, although it hasn't come back as badly as that day, it's still there on and off and my GP measured a 1cm difference in my leg. He did blood test for a clot which came back fine. No redness, no pain, just looks like fluid retention. My feet are always cold and I have to wear socks even in the summer to stop the swelling going down to my foot. It is JUST my right foot/ankle. The swelling is very mild but it's still alarming and strange.

Coincidently, I got extremely ill a few weeks ago and had to go to A&E as I was throwing up water with a fever of 39C and got soooo dehydrated I couldn't even pee properly. Naturally, the hospital checked my kidneys, pancreas, heart etc which all came back "fantastic" so they put it down to a nasty vomiting bug. My blood sugars were amazing and in range when I was sick because.. well, I wasn't eating. I noticed that my leg was normal size when in hospital despite being dehydrated and on IVs.

Now, this could be heat and as the doctors have checked all the serious stuff which has come back all fine. But it's still horrible and I don't know why it happens. Wondering if it's to do with high blood sugar? I woke up on a 14.6 today.

cott97 said:

Have you taken anything like ibuprofen - I have a reaction that causes swelling in my feet and ankles. I can usually manage a dose or two without an effect but more than that causes an issue.

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I wondered this too as I was taking aspirin every 2 days for neck pain but since seeing a chiropractor I have not had any NSAIDS. I try to avoid them anyway as I have gastritis/reflux and they aren't good for the tummy. Swelling still seems to come and go even when not taking them!

I take vitamin D, esomeprazole, I've recently gone back on the mini pill as I had the worst period back in May. I was taking nortriptyline but I've stopped. I also eat melatonin at night.

Pipp said:

@Catsymoo , as it is just one foot that swells, have you had a check on the veins and blood vessels in that leg?
I have similar problem in left foot and leg. Utrasound showed insufficiency in GSV (Great saphenous vein) a form of varicous vein.

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Hiya,

I don't think I have had anything like that. I had a blood test to check for blood clotting and that was the only test my GP recommended as my kidneys and vitals were OK.

I'm not 100% sure but I *think* it swells up when my blood sugar has been high and I haven't been drinking enough water/electrolytes but not entirely confirmed.

My GP really wasn't concerned at all. Based on the mild pitting when pressure is applied and poor circulation, it seems to be fluid retention.

lessci said:

I had an overactive thyroid years ago - my symptoms - Extremely swollen feet, the ability to thrive on 3 hours sleep a night as a rapid (approx 100bpm) pulse, just a thought

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Hmm. I don't think it's that, I can barely function on 6 hours sleep let alone 3. I have no other symptoms of that lol. I have lost a tiny bit of weight but thats because I've been actually trying to and then the tummy bug helped shift that along. Energy levels are good despite the horrible heat - and it's just one leg not both. My pulse is always really good and they probably checked it on my bloods when I went to A&E, they ran quite a lot of tests on me but didn't specifically say what they checked my blood for other than kidneys and pancreas but I would have imagined it was a full MOT. I also had X-rays to check for pneumonia so they were really thorough.

lovinglife said:

Have you ever injured the leg/foot such as a break or a bad sprain? I broke my ankle in 2012. The ankle I broke sometimes swells if I’ve been on my feet a lot or when it’s warm like this - have had it checked out for all the usual suspects and all was fine so I can only put it down to my old injury

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My GP asked me this and I don't recall anything like that, no. I have been doing a lot more walking recently but that stopped when the heatwave hit lol

mark.armstrong said:

Be careful!

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Thanks - I had a panic attack earlier thanks to your comment. Please be mindful of what you're posting and whether it's helpful or not. The NHS website for PAD does not list swelling and also the main symptom is pain.

mod edit of quoted post

KennyA said:

T2 - I get oedema off and on these days, mainly off, sometimes with "red leg". Nowhere near as bad as it used to be when my BG was higher. I used to take bumetanide daily - now it's months between using it.

I find naproxen will reliably cause oedema, which is aannoying because it works very well for me on pain.

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When it first happened I thought it was linked to painkiller use but I've stopped now and it still seems to happen. Not nearly as bad as that day back in May but it's visible. I am wondering if it is something to do with high blood sugar + heat and not drinking enough water.

JAT1 said:

High blood sugar is not helping, no matter what the cause of the swelling. Are you on a basal/bolus regime or fixed doses? How many carbs per day/per meal do you eat approximately. Changing insulin brand may help some, but it looks to me like sugars well over 10 will require changing your insulin to carb ratio. Something to speak to your doctor about if you are not comfortable making such a change on your own.

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I'm on basal/bolus and tend to avoid large carb meals. I try to keep my meals under 40g because I do not feel confident injecting more than 4-5 units unless my sugars are high already. I have very bad hypo anxiety because my insulin seems to be very erratic. Some days 3 units has covered up to 70g carbs, other days it won't even correct me with no food. If I walk home from work my sugars always crash hard and I am STARVING when I get home to the point of feeling light headed and nauseous. But if I lower my basal I run high all day and my bolus doesn't work.

Usually for breakfast I have a protein shake - 7g carbs, I usually take 2-3 units for that depending on where my sugars are when I wake up.
Lunch is usually low carb danish bread sandwich with ham and lettuce - 11g a slice and maybe a 10g brownie bar
Dinner I try to eat eggs or eat more meat/cheese/veg heavy meals and if I do have carbs it will be a small serving - i.e chilli con carne without rice or a stew without the potato, stir fry with no noodles etc
For snacks I eat rice crackers, strawberries, skinny bars/fibre one brownies, cooked meat or mini milk ice creams, sometimes chocolate

I've had days where I've woken up on a good number like a 5, eaten literally 10g of carbs and my blood sugar is 20 4 hours later and refuses to go down. I've also had other days where I've taken 2-3 units for breakfast and had to eat 3 breakfasts just to avoid going hypo. I do not trust my insulin at all which is why I'm scared to "take the right amount", there is no right amount for me and my ratios seem to change every single day.

I've also noticed that my Libre sensor reads WAAAAY higher than my blood meter.

KennyA said:

I'm the reverse. My system reacts to high BG by trying its best to retain water, presumably to keep me diluted.

These days it isn't linked to BG, it just seems to happen sometimes, and go just as quickly. I can't find the trigger. I do respond to bumetanide - I took some a few weeks back and was peeing every twenty minutes for the next six hours, sorted.

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I've just had a bath and the swelling has gone down. I have a very sedentary job so that could also contribute!

JAT1 said:

I hope you always carry enough of something for possible hypos when you are out - this is essential. I can only offer knowledge based on my personal experience which may be of help to you. Looks like you eat approx 120 carbs/day. If I eat that many carbs my sugars spike and fall repeatedly and the only way I can get back in control is to go right down to max 20 carbs a day, no more than 5 carbs every 4 hours. Then when I've stabilized, I can slowly, little by little, increase carbs. I adjust my insulin dose cautiously and measure my blood sugar by finger-prick before eating, at the 1.5 hour mark (to see how high I go) and then at the 2.5 hour mark to ensure my sugar is going lower. Then at the 3.5 hour mark to make sure I am not going too low. Eventually it sorts out and I don't test as much. I don't want to be over 10 any more than under 4. There is an element of trust in the insulin involved but by finding the amount of carbs per meal/per day that works for you, you gain confidence. I appreciate the law of small numbers (meaning less insulin taken results in a smaller margin for error and less of a range between the highs and lows.) I weigh my food and carefully count the carbs as well.

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Oh sorry,

I think I may have mislead the number of carbs I eat in a day. When I listed my snacks I don't eat ALL of those in a day lol. It's just the types of food I have in general if I snack. I don't think I eat as much as 120g carbs a day.