Swollen ankles and feet

symara · #1 (**permalink**) 05-08-2009, 11:57 AM

My feet and ankles started hurting about a week ago, felt sore and hurt after sitting for a bit when I got up to walk around. Now the last couple of days, they are swelling to the point I have no ankles what-so-ever. I go to the surgeon Monday, but was wondering if anyone else has had this????

I can't do a search for some reason, the feature isn't working for me.

My MRI came back this past Monday saying my disc was "protruding" and "impinging" on my exiting nerve root.

symara · #2 (**permalink**) 05-08-2009, 01:21 PM

just an fyi, I finally talked to a nurse that works here with me and she said that it's definately being caused by the nerve root having pressure on it by my disc.

dshobbies · #3 (**permalink**) 05-08-2009, 06:56 PM

Hi Symara,

I don't think I've said welcome yet, so welcome to the forum. Glad you found us but sorry you need to be here.

I too have foot and ankle swelling. I always thought it was my mother's bad genes but on bad days, it's definitely worse. Never heard anyone else complain about it either so maybe, at least for me, it is my mother's bad genes

.

Dale

symara · #4 (**permalink**) 05-08-2009, 07:11 PM

well, I'll find out more about it Monday when I talk to the Dr and let everyone know for sure.

jchebert1979 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-08-2009, 08:01 PM

I don't suffer from swelling but in my research I have found some info. If I remember correctly, part of you sympathetic nervous system is controlled from ganglia in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar areas. Any of these can be damaged and cause swelling, color changes, and sensory changes. The best you will probably get from a doctor though is it's possible but very unlikely. I can't tell you how many times I have heard that.

mmglobal · #6 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 02:30 AM

I know post-op patients who get edema; especially on long flights or if they sit all day at work, etc.. My wife, Diane, still gets this occasionally. I think that there are many other reasons separate from spine problems that cause many of us to get this as we age. I've seen several people with a sympathetic disorder that have many of the symptoms you mention, but have never heard of swollen ankles in the absence of the other symptoms being attributed to a sympathetic problem. (**** but I may be completely wrong!!!! The fact that I have'nt seen it doesn't mean much... I'm just sharing my experience.)

treefrog · #7 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 09:48 PM

Last night I noticed my feet, ankles and possibly a little up the calf is swollen. In my case, I think it might be from naproxen, which I just started taking Monday.

I stopped taking it as of this morning. And I will call my rheumatologist on Monday (she's the one who prescribed it). I would have had to stop taking it a week from surgery, which would be about a little more than a week from now. So, I'm just stopping a little sooner.

I'll have to try and sort these other issues out, after the surgery. That is, if they continue after surgery. I admit I am hoping that some of these strange issues will go away after surgery.

kc0iet · #8 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 06:41 AM

I too have had a "new symptom" of bilateral swelling in both feet and legs.

I have had the problem with my right leg, but not to this extent, and not both feet and legs. I told my GP and she shrugged it off. At my insistence she did do some blood work and wrote me a script for Dyazidine. That was almost a month ago. Some days it is worse than others, but I haven't seen my ankles since! The pain is relentless.

I don't think it is hormones, I had a complete hysterectomy twenty years ago, and I hope it is not age; I am 44. Since the appointment with my GP I also saw an ortho surgeon who blew me and all of my symptoms off completely, but that is another thread completely! I have another appointment with my GP Monday, but I am not holding my breath.

Quote:

Originally Posted by symara

My feet and ankles started hurting about a week ago, felt sore and hurt after sitting for a bit when I got up to walk around. Now the last couple of days, they are swelling to the point I have no ankles what-so-ever. I go to the surgeon Monday, but was wondering if anyone else has had this????

I can't do a search for some reason, the feature isn't working for me.

My MRI came back this past Monday saying my disc was "protruding" and "impinging" on my exiting nerve root.

jessmith07 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 12:16 PM

Symara, what meds are you currently taking? Could it be that you've added something new recently (or changed dosage of existing meds or even changed to a generic) and that you might be taking two or more things that are causing a reaction with each other? Do you have different docs prescribing different meds that you may be filling at different pharmacies, and because of this, no one has caught on to what is happening? I've been down this road with my mother-in-law, and if I hadn't asked all these questions of her, and caught what was happening, she would have been in a coma within 24 hours...

Also, I completely agree with Dale about having another discectomy...and if I'm reading your signature correctly, this would be your 3rd one on the same disc in 5 years? Seems to me that there'd be a lot of scar tissue build-up by doing that many...and then if you do decide to do ADR in the future, could all this scar tissue prevent you from being a candidate?

If you can't find a doctor in your area that does ADR and that's the way you want to go then you may have to travel. And if you have to travel, then you may as well travel to the best. Experience in placing these implants is critical to the success of the surgery. There are many people on this forum who can help you find a good doctor or you can go to Mark...just send a PM to mmglobal and he can help you.

Hang in there...we're here for you...keep us posted. One more thought...have you tried elevating your legs in the evenings?

Jess

symara · #10 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jessmith07

Symara, what meds are you currently taking? Could it be that you've added something new recently (or changed dosage of existing meds or even changed to a generic) and that you might be taking two or more things that are causing a reaction with each other? Do you have different docs prescribing different meds that you may be filling at different pharmacies, and because of this, no one has caught on to what is happening? I've been down this road with my mother-in-law, and if I hadn't asked all these questions of her, and caught what was happening, she would have been in a coma within 24 hours...

Also, I completely agree with Dale about having another discectomy...and if I'm reading your signature correctly, this would be your 3rd one on the same disc in 5 years? Seems to me that there'd be a lot of scar tissue build-up by doing that many...and then if you do decide to do ADR in the future, could all this scar tissue prevent you from being a candidate?

If you can't find a doctor in your area that does ADR and that's the way you want to go then you may have to travel. And if you have to travel, then you may as well travel to the best. Experience in placing these implants is critical to the success of the surgery. There are many people on this forum who can help you find a good doctor or you can go to Mark...just send a PM to mmglobal and he can help you.

Hang in there...we're here for you...keep us posted. One more thought...have you tried elevating your legs in the evenings?

Jess

I'm taking Hydrocodone with phenegren for pain and nausea with the meds, taking for awhile so I don't think that's it. I started Topamax a few weeks ago, but i can't find that as a side affect anywhere. I started Cymbalta a few days ago, but that was after all this started. I get this all filled at the same pharmacy.

Yes, this is my third discectomy, if I do it. I have one appointment with an orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion, getting another in june after I get my surgical notes from the previous surgeries faxed over to them. I have a call in to the professor of orthopedic surgery at UofK in Lexington, should be getting a priority consult from them anytime now, it will probably be July before I can be seen though. I'm calling Dr Balderston's office today about an e-mail I sent to see if I can do a phone appointment with him.

as far as elevating, I've been putting them up, probably not above my heart like I should, but it hasn't been as bad that the last couple days, not gone, but not ballooned up like hobbitt feet.

jessmith07 · #11 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 02:13 PM

This may be your problem...looks like the two together could be causing fluid retention. I take Topamax too, to prevent migraines, and it also helped me with nerve pain...

You searched for interactions between:
topamax (topiramate)
Phenergan (promethazine)
Interaction(s) found:

promethazine and topiramate (Major Drug-Drug)

MONITOR CLOSELY: Certain drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and drugs with anticholinergic activity (e.g., antihistamines, antispasmodics, neuroleptics, phenothiazines, skeletal muscle relaxants, tricyclic antidepressants, disopyramide) may potentiate the risk of oligohidrosis and hyperthermia associated occasionally with the use of topiramate, particularly in pediatric patients. These agents may alter electrolyte and fluid balance (carbonic anhydrase inhibition), inhibit peripheral sweating mechanisms (anticholinergic effect), and/or interfere with core body temperature regulation in the hypothalamus (neuroleptics and phenothiazines), resulting in the inability to adjust to temperature changes, especially in hot weather. Also, agents with anticholinergic activity frequently cause drowsiness and other central nervous system-depressant effects, which may be additively or synergistically increased in patients also treated with topiramate.

symara · #12 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 02:27 PM

Just so I make sure I'm reading it right, it's the two together that's probably causing it???

That's why I couldn't find anything on the topamax before, because I was just looking at it by itself. The weird thing is, I was taking it before and after my last surgery along with everything else (exept the cymbalta) and didn't have this. They say your body goes through a complete cellular change every 10 years or something though and you can react differently though, so maybe that's it.

Right now, it's not bad, so I'm going to see if it goes away, maybe it's just one of those side affects that goes away after a bit. If it starts to get bad again I'll contact my primary care physician to see if he can give me something else instead of the topamax.

BTW, the person the recomended Mark, do you know if he could find out if a 3rd Discectomy would remove me from being a candidate for ADR in the future?

jessmith07 · #13 (**permalink**) 05-13-2009, 02:30 PM

Also, Topamax does take a while to build up in your system, so it's not surprising that it took a while for these symptoms to appear, if this really is what's going on. I do know, from my research before beginning Topamax, that this is a pretty heavy-duty drug and should be monitored very closely with other things that you take. Do you take the Phenergan every time you take the pain meds? I know that in the beginning, you can be sensitive to certain things, but build up a tolerance over time. Have you tried the pain meds without the Phenergan? Or take all this info to your doctor and ask if you can take a "water pill"...just a thought...

symara · #14 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 02:33 PM

i'm off the phenegran!!!!

we'll here's what happened...

went to my primary care doctor, had a bad time with all pain management doctors here recently and don't have one right now. they are putting some new ones in at the hospital and my primary care doctor is waiting for them to go in there to send me to them, he say they should be doing long term.

so her put me on the fentanyl patch, which I do not need the phenegran for since it doesn't make me ill. he did go ahead and give me a water pill though to be safe on the swelling. so I am now fairly pain free thanks to the patch, sleeping better thanks to the patch, and not sleepy durring the day since I'm not on phenegran, and no pain in the feet or swelling.

i just have to remember that this is just covering up my symptoms and i'm not better. I almost feel normal, but I have to remember I'm not.