Swollen Feet and Ankles (Edema)

[manofthecoldland]

53 minutes ago, Arizona Kid said:

Haven't experienced any swelling in my feet but starting about 6 years ago I've had numbness starting in my toes and then gradually it's working it's way up both of my feet. I'm too stubborn to go see a doctor even though I have Tricare. I haven't had a medical check up since I retired from the USN in 94.

Well KId, ..... If a good and valued friend came to you with this situation and ask your advice.... what would you advise ? 

We're living in a place where a sawbuck well get you a professional opinion and medical advice. I paid P300 for the office visit in January that led to my colonoscopy.

Try pitching that offer at a walk-in med. clinic in our country and they'd either collar you and show you the door, laugh in your face, or call the psycho squad for a pick-up. That said (in good humor), I doubt its the money factor that's the hitch.

Don't sell yourself short. Jack P. makes a very good point.

If you're reluctant to do it for self, do it for your woman and forum mates. 

Had an old friend of many years who was adverse to doctors. At 82 with a paunch, and proud of his physical strength developed as a furniture mover, he developed a hernia. When his intestine would pop through the muscle gap, he would stoically suffer and push it back in and tighten his belly band. Despite us telling him to get his hernia treated he proudly tolerated it. 

One night at coffee he disappeared into the CR for a very long time. When we checked on him, we decided to haul him to the hospital to get his gut packed back in properly. They fixed him up and gave him a referral... which he didn't bother to follow up on. despite having 100% medical insurance coverage.

Three weeks later he was found dead in his little cabin. A life-long bachelor, who had no one to over ride his self-imposed, non-sensical  strictures. He left an estate of 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS .... to everyone's amazement.

Now I know none of us are in that sort of boat, but if a man insists on not tending to his medical needs that come with age, no one else will.  

Your forum friends value you, so be good to yourself. No sense in checking out prematurely if it can be easily avoided.   

Sorry if I over-stepped here, but one of the reasons for forums is to help one another, and I don't think you would have bothered to mention your personal situation if it weren't a small thorn in the back of your mind.

IMO

[manofthecoldland]

26 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I've had that for years.  My doctors all told me it was probably  Diabetic Neuropathy and I had to take better care of my blood sugar.  I believed them.  They could still be right.  But a young pharmacist in Generika Drug Store told me it might be vitamin E deficiency and it is a cheap easy fix to try.  I tried it.  It worked.  Little or no numbness in my toes or feet.  Maybe just a co-incidence because how can the sweet young thing in the drug store know more than all the doctors? 

FYI    You might be able get a Vitamin E (Tocopherol) blood panel test here, if you're curious. I don't think it would cost too much. All the things they tested on my pre-colonoscopy blood panel (e.g., potassium, sodium, creatine, serum, etc. were in the P 200-300 @ cost range. The only expensive test (that wasn't recommended but I requested it when I spotted it on the list.... with the consent of my doctor) was the P 1,240 one for carcinogens. The total was P 2,700 for the requested pre-procedure panel.

A yearly physical never hurts, but my government health insurance provider gives us free blood panels every year, that I keep track of on a hand drawn comparative spread sheet so I can spot anything outside the normal range variations for a heads-up alert.  

I think I might have been running a vitamin E deficiency because a bought some E supplement capsules, but I normally rely on the fresh vegetable types that are loaded with the stuff.

Never hurts to know what's going on in your blood. Especially here where the tests don't cost you an arm and a leg.

 

[bob1965]

I’ll jump on the bandwagon (the neuropathy). That’s going to get worse. And it’s a major cause of losing a foot or leg. If you don’t deal with it, you’ll very likely regret that choice.

end of lecture.

 

Edited April 18, 2019 by bob1965

[nor cal mike]

An awful lot of good advice here and I will add my .02 cents.

”an ounce of prevention “ comes to mind.

[Arizona Kid]

16 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I've had that for years.  My doctors all told me it was probably  Diabetic Neuropathy and I had to take better care of my blood sugar.  I believed them.  They could still be right.  But a young pharmacist in Generika Drug Store told me it might be vitamin E deficiency and it is a cheap easy fix to try.  I tried it.  It worked.  Little or no numbness in my toes or feet.  Maybe just a co-incidence because how can the sweet young thing in the drug store know more than all the doctors? 

Interesting do you remember the dosage amount you took, and how long before you started noticing an improvement?

[Dave Hounddriver]

4 hours ago, Arizona Kid said:

Interesting do you remember the dosage amount you took, and how long before you started noticing an improvement?

I have run out of them but the pharmacy will have my dosage on their computer and I plan to get some more.  I was taking them for the last 2 months and had not even thought about my feet until I read your post and then it struck me that I had been having no numbness for quite some time now.   I will try and remember to write the dosage when i get some more but just ask your pharmacist what the recommended dosage of Vitamin E is.  Comes in a soft green liquigel capsule.

[Arizona Kid]

14 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I have run out of them but the pharmacy will have my dosage on their computer and I plan to get some more.  I was taking them for the last 2 months and had not even thought about my feet until I read your post and then it struck me that I had been having no numbness for quite some time now.   I will try and remember to write the dosage when i get some more but just ask your pharmacist what the recommended dosage of Vitamin E is.  Comes in a soft green liquigel capsule.

Thank you. I will ask the pharmacist about it but I would also appreciate it if you could give more details about the dosage etc. in your case. If you don't mind. Thanx again.

[Jimbouk]

Well thanks for all of your advice people. Thankfully the swelling has subsided and my ankles look normal now. I should have mentioned in my original post I have experienced the same swelling on previous visits and it has gone down in time. 

Cheers,

Jimbo UK

[Jack Peterson]

11 hours ago, Jimbouk said:

I have experienced the same swelling on previous visits and it has gone down in time. 

 Jim my friend, I would still get your BP tested, many pharmacies will do it for you some free and some maybe a tiny charge. As it appears to  happen during your travel. You may have a problem that needs to be looked into. Swollen feet many times means you have a blockage in the extremities

JMHO

[Arizona Kid]

23 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I have run out of them but the pharmacy will have my dosage on their computer and I plan to get some more.  I was taking them for the last 2 months and had not even thought about my feet until I read your post and then it struck me that I had been having no numbness for quite some time now.   I will try and remember to write the dosage when i get some more but just ask your pharmacist what the recommended dosage of Vitamin E is.  Comes in a soft green liquigel capsule.

Went to the Mercury drugs today and they said vitamin e was for skin only. She said I needed to get centrum vitamins or benerv-b vitamins. I've Googled vitamin e and know it's useful for nerves also. So now I will have to consult myself and decide what to do.

DR. Kid.