I am slowly returning to normal blood sugar wise, from the steroids.. Still have to run a higher basal, but I guess that is due to the physiological stress. I am having peripheral edema in the feet and ankles at the end of the day.. really elephant like by around 9 p.m. or so. I prop them up when I go to bed and a most of the puffiness leaves by morning... it is non-pitting edema, but it does tend to crawl up my legs to my knees and thighs. I am taking a diuretic and have returned to taking the levothyroxine for hypothyroidism... But still have had really puffy feet, with pain in my ankles and calves, at the end of the day and sometimes thru the night.
Could not get in to see the endo or internist.. will see my podiatrist on Tuesday A.m My friends a at work say go to the ER or Urgent Care.. but neither my blood sugar nor blood pressure are elevated.. and I am not willing to go, as most ER's look at the vitals, and if they are ok and you are not chronically ill, they keep you for 9 hours and send you home with a note that says "see your doctor"...I had a friend say limit sodium, keep up with the diuretic pill ( HCT) and soak my tootsies in Epsom Salt..any other suggestions? Thanks for your support on this lovely Fall day!!!
Steroids cause fluid retention and this can continue for a while after the steroids are discontinued. That may have something to do with the continuing water retention. However, how concerned you should be about the edema also should take into account your cardiac status. If you have heart problems, you may have a reason for concern. We usually instruct patients with heart failure to weigh every day and report any weight gain of 2 lbs or more in one day or 4 lbs or more in a week to their physician. If your heart is healthy and the edema is nonpitting and your actual weight gain is minimal and the edema disappears by morning then it may not be anything to worry about. Try lying down a couple of times during the day and getting your feet up at heart level. That makes it easier for the body to get rid of that extra fluid. And limiting sodium also helps.
thanks lotsof shots for your encouraging words, and Charvena, your insights are greatly appreciated. I do not have any heart problems, whatsoever. I did have those two steroid epidural injections. in succession in late September and again in Mid-October…The fluid retention, however, started to occur about 8-9 days AFTER the last injection, and was relatively acute…just popped up at the end of one day. and came back the next evening, then the next evening, Now the puffy ankles do not really disappear, they just go down a lot after a night’s prop-up .
FWIW, having my on diuretics for too long has caused almost-permanent swelling in my lower calves, and I find I must wear compression hose whenever I am on my feet to prevent calf pain. (I also have a note in my med file to NEVER prescribe me diuretics.) Ask your doctor about compression hose…
Thanks tmana, for your respoinse. the puffiness is slowly coming down.
Saw my endo for a big round of tests last Monday…, No kindey or heart problems, but he feelks that some of my heart palipatations, leg cramps, Heightened tingling in the feet, legs, and fatigue may be due to my very llow potassium level: Another possible side effecct of the steroids. So I am on the HUGE potassium pills for two weeks,. I and have been told to lay off the diuretics. as diuretics and potassium pills do not mix. I am wearing black 'compession oanty hose" that look like leotards( I call them" tights") undernetath my skirts and pants. They are pretty easy to wea rin the fall. as er just had a turn towards chilly weather. They helpo with the swelling., I bought mine at WAL-mart.
So glad to know things have gotten somewhat better. I read what others have written and didn’t notice if anyone mentioned your kidneys. I have kidney disease from years of Diabetes and have been seeing a Nephrologist for quite a few years. Before I was dxed with kidney disease I would have swollen ankles and sometimes retain fluid in my adomen. I know you’ve been through a lot but I mentioned it because that’s another thing to consider.
Glad to see you are doing better!!! I know as an educator it is hard, but see what you can do to sit and prop up some during the day as well (I did this when I messed up my ankle a couple of years ago). I didn’t swell quite as much by the end of the day.
Interesting advice re: diuretics and potassium pills. Often people on heavy diuretics are prescribed potassium pills because the diuretics leech potassium from the system.
Walmart compression hose don’t compress as well as the honest-to-goodness stuff you can get through places like Ames-Walker or your neighborhood surgical supply store. (Which reminds me: I need to replace a bunch of mine.) I usually wear 20-30 psi graduated compression; I can’t get more than 18-25 (“TED” hose) in the stores, and usually a whole lot less.
Betty,They did not find any evidence of kidney disease from the tests.Toes and feet are always normal size now; and the ankle swelling has gone down considerably. However, it is still apparent at the end of the day. I also saw my podiatrist, late on Thursday ( He recommended the Wal-mart hose,tmana). He said my circulation seems fine through his simple touch-on- the legs test, but he wants to check me for venous insufficiency in a couple of weeks if the swelling has not resolved. He wanted also to wait on his copy of the test results from my endo. I still feel a little under the weather, and the 400 mg of gabapetin ( neurontin)I am taking makes me so sleepy… I am experimenting with it this weekend,. I will cut it back to 100 mg twice a day so I do not fall asleep in front of my students( Thanks Emily, for the prop up advice, I only sit for 25-30 minutes at a time, then I am off to get the next group of students… But I will prop them up under my big “kidney shaped” table ( how ironic, you educators out there now what I am talking about (lol) )
My Podiatrist also gave me samples of Mentanx ( a b-vitamin based supplement for neuropathy) to try ; so far no effects positive or negative, but then I have only been on them since Friday!!! His nurse is an expert on homeopathic ttreatments, having survived the pain of a serious car accident with sprains and broken bones, and spinal displacement) and thrived from her own research and help of her sister, a homeooathic physician… She says she will do some reseach for me after they get the test results…
So GLAD that so many people(angels) are looking out for me, both on-line and off… God is great!!!
Trial and error that’s my motto for life we have to rule out all the variables we can. Glad to know that swelling is not from kidneys. We’re all made up differently so it might be your body’s reaction to the spinal injection.
@tmana it’s true that people on heavy directics do have to replace potassium. Unless they have kidney disease then they have to cut down and watch the potassium in their diet.
That’s more “down” time than I get. I teach high school math. It is nonstop insanity while I have kids… today was straight from 850-155 (when I got to have the nurse come down to me for the asthma attack). Glad to hear that you are doing better!!!
