Legs and feet swelling

[windchime]

Tom,

Thanks for the advice my husband and I just talked about a new Rhemy last night. I agree with you that I need a new one tried 2 after my Rhemy retired both duds. I am not in a large area when at our home up north so it hasn't been much to choose from. When in Naples there are many so will look into one here.

My lungs have been good so far, but I know your right more docs need to be involved. I am a lot better with the "healthy living doc" I have been with for now close to 4 years than I was before so will use him also, but I am sure your right about covering all bases. Thanks it most likely was what I needed to hear.

Mary

Mary if you don't mind the drive there is a Cleveland Clinic campus in West Palm.

[jakekell]

Thanks, will keep that in mind. Naples has a large number so may start here first, but I know my brother has been to the Cleveland clinic in West Palm Beach. My brother also has an autoimmune disease. Cleveland Clinic told him that a lot of people from Scotland have autoimmune issues, both of our parents families came over from Scotland. I mention this just as a little side note as I have noticed several people from that region of the world.

Mary

[mrtmeo]

I know this is an older thread, but wanted to let people know that swelling of the feet and ankles can be due to low Albumin.
My mom's left foot always swells first when her albumin goes below 3.

[ingemlb]

had not come across this before so looked up where you get Albumin from. Protein esp egg whites. In my case I get plenty of those however illness can reduce the absorption of it. IBD for instance or liver or kidney disease. Here is a good link
giving a bit more details. By the way prednisone is another culprit in causing edema.

More info on Edema in case others are interested.

[mrtmeo]

Albumin is the protein that the kidneys can dump and my mom has 4th stage kidney failure due to vasculitis.
Because she is dumping too much protein, her albumin gets too low and higher protein brings it up but it also, raises the BUN.

[jakekell]

I had not ever heard about the albumin either interesting. The doctor has changed my blood pressure medicine, which has helped a lot! My vascuitis is very bad a sudden flair up, which may not help plus more prednisone.

I am going to Cleveland Clinic to see Dr. Ville-Forte, who I hear is wonderful so hoping for a real doc to help out the mess I seem to be done. I don't have much to choose in the Kalamazoo MI area so should have done this sooner.

[ingemlb]

the Edema for me has not been a problem since it flared up very badly when I started Pred early this year. Over the years I have struggled with a badly swollen left foot ankle and lower leg. However I could control it by not sitting too long with my knees bent. For years now I have arranged my computer screen over a table that goes across my recliner chair and use the keyboard on my lap. That seems to work. I can spent hours sitting with my leg raised and it won't cause the swelling. I had loads of tests done but no cause could ever be found. Air travel is real bad because then both legs swell.

When I first started the Prednisolone in early Feb this year both my lower legs swelled up badly for days. I had trouble walking. Then a few weeks later they became normal again and neither leg has swelled up since however, I still us the recliner chair for sitting in with my legs both raised.

I checked with my GP last Tuesday if they tested Albumin levels and apparently its' part of the usual bloodworms they do each month since the beginning of the year and mine are normal. MY GP said they would have to be extremely low to cause edema. So ... no closer to what could have been causing it

[jakekell]

That is good to know as they just raised my pred while I am waiting to go to Cleveland Clinic. I use the recliner with my computer also and your so right it does help.

[mrtmeo]

Recently, a couple of months after Rtx infusions, the swelling in my mom's feet went away and has not come back regardless of her low albumin or where her creatinine is at, so it is clearly vasculitis causing her swelling.

[ingemlb]

Probably all linked to the Wegener's