Question by tweety97_99: edema help please?
i am a 34 yr old single mom and for fours now sufffering edema bad this last year has been the worst i have been on 3 or 4 different diuretics one will work for a week then stop,i have had potassium drops from these meds…kidney function and cardio gram of heart done both came back fine i am at a loss what to do as i sit here typing my legs are so huge dont even know where my knees or ankles are..shoes are a joke nothing fits my legs are just so sore and the last two weeks by the time i get to bed swollen to knees and then my knees are killing …i also have High BP and Hgh Cholesterol
.on top of that i work 6 hrs a day at a desk,i cut out most junk food,its hard to get good excersize as i have a disabling back conditon so cant stand or walk long periods due to that,and yes i am overweight….want my life back any advice would be great :)
Best answer:
Answer by Roz
First cut out ALL SALT. A good substitute for salt is dill weed Not the seeds. Just a little sprinkle will do.
Keep your legs elevated as often and as long as possible. Ice pack them while they are elevated. (A bag of frozen peas makes a good I pack.) When you go to bed, put pillows under your feet and calves to elevate them through the nite. Your Dr. should be giving you potassium tablets for the K drop. Knock off the fatty food, I use weight watchers cook book. great stuff and simple to use. Have you been checked for Hyperglycemia? If you are dangerously obese, most insurance will pay for gastric bye pass surgery. You do have to consult with several doctors to have this including a Psychiatrist. That is just to get you to the mind set for the surgery not because of a mental problem. Check with your doctor and ask him about the bye pass, usually they won’t suggest it unless you ask.
Hope this helps.
Good luck
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3 Responses
I completely understand your inhibitions on working out, but getting a good trainer to help that specific body parts and work around it to help focus on the other aspects of your body you may want or need.
24 Hour Fitness trainers are great, in my opinion.
But opinions are like bootyholes, everyone has one and they all stink.
edema is usually comes from dysfunction of heart,kidny,liver.
some times obese woman might have it from benign fluid retention syndrome.in female hypothyroidism is another sinister.
as u r hypertensive and hyperlipidemic,u should rule out cardic dysfunction by a simple CXR,and ECHOCARDIOGRAM.
As ur kidney is ok,u can have a thyroid function test.
during assesment of ur kidney,if u have a USG OF ABDOMEN,perhaps it got normal liver structure which indicates ur liver is ok and it will get further back up if u r not an alcoholic and have not had jaundice ever before.
if ur vital organs r ok and ur thyroid is fine,just continue diuretic with frequent electrolyte check up.in addition u should have advice from ditetian and can take tab. metforfin to cut ur weight.
when u get to bed u can put ur legs a bit up on pillows,this will reduce ur edema in some extent by gravitation driving fluid back in circulation and additional fluid in blood vessels will be out of body via ur normal kidneys.please dont do it if u have breathlessness-a probality of cardiac dysfucrtion until excluded by ECHOCARDIOGRAM.
thanks a lot
dr kawsar
bangladesh
no salt use dash
diet if needed
exercise