Pitting edema - Water Retention

[gwenllian111]

Hi guys

Just popping my head around the door once more. Joint pain is getting worse, can't sleep at night, and my hands turn to 'claws' at night. The pain is excrutiating. I've put on nearly 2stone, and i'm really swollen. I now have pitting edema in my ankles, which I haven't had since I had pre eclampsia when I was pregnant.
I've got slightly high bp (140/90), and a high pulse rate. So tired all the time.
What can pitting edema indicate? Kidney problems? SHould I be concerned??

[pberggren1]

I don't even know what pitting edema or pre eclampsia is.

[Psyborg]

I'd say you should be concerned with Kidney's with any edema or High Blood Pressure. But I'm definitely not a doctor, or particularly knowledgeable about kidney involvement. Have you had any luck getting them to see you sooner?

[DEE]

Just a thought ,we once to had to take hubby to A&E with claw hands ,after several doctors looked at him .One just walked in and said .lack of salt.They sorted him and now he has be careful if he get to hot and sweaty eating salted peanuts help and when really bad he has salt tablets he can take. He agrees with you very painful. It might be worth asking them to think about it been salt .

[gwenllian111]

Oh right, i have noted that my sodium levels have been low in the past. How interesting. Thank you!!!

[watersedge]

Hi Gwenllian, sorry you are feeling so unwell. My dad had repeated readings of low sodium in his blood for several months before being diagnosed with w.g. The normal sodium levels are between 135 and 145. Anything below that should be watched. My dads levels went to 121 at once stage and later down to 116 and he had severe swelling in his ankles. The doctors said the low sodium levels were the cause of the swelling and that the body holds on to fluids when the sodium levels are low. We later found that he had kidney involvement. It would be definitely worth getting your sodium levels checked just to rule it out as a cause for the swelling in your ankles. Best wishes.

[Sangye]

Gwen, you gotta get to the doctor and get checked out. None of those symptoms are okay to wait on.

[elephant]

Gwen gaining weight that fast is a red flag. It could mean kidney, heart or side effects to medications...call the doctor soon.

[Thakator]

And - - just to keep it ever interesting and complicated in the Weggie world, the edema could also be caused by too much salt or the heart not pumping enough. Either way, it's a sign that should be acted upon.

[gwenllian111]

Hi just to give you a quick update. Joint pain became some unbearable I got admitted to hospital, and given three IV pred infusions. Looks like it was a flare up after all. Feeling much better now, and a lesson to me to be grateful to pred. Thank you for all your support. (PS. have lost half a stone in fluid already!) X

[mishb]

I'm so glad you got it sorted out .... eventually.
I know you didn't want to go back to the pred but I'm so glad for you that it helped.

Hopefully you don't have to go on to some unbearable dose of it, to keep you under control.

Good luck and take care of yourself

[gwenllian111]

Thanks Michelle X

[DEE]

Glad you got things sorted.DEE x

[Sangye]

Is that all they're going to do??