Question:
I am 3 months post op and lost 60 lbs. Has anyone else experienced swelling in feet
and ankles. I have never had a lot of swelling in my feet and ankles, just occassionally when I had a really active weekend. I have a bad left knee and sometimes that foot would swell some, but this is ridiculous. My left foot is very sensitive to the touch from the swelling right now and I could hardly get my shoe on yesterday. Called my surgeon's office last week and the nurse just suggested I wasn't drinking enough water and to call my PCP about fluid retention. Any suggestions? — Tparker (posted on June 24, 2002)
June 23, 2002
NOT to alarm you but you MAY have a blood clot. Call your PCP IMMEDIATELY
or go to the ER. With things like this is better safe than sorry. <P>
Let us know whats happens...
— bob-haller
June 23, 2002
Yeah, I have to agree with the first poster. I have had 2 episodes of deep
vein thrombosis, and that could be a blood clot in the foot. The good news
is that these type of clots generally resolve with no medication, but I
would see my PCP anyway. Especially if you notice any swelling / cramping
of the calf in that leg. You DON'T want it to progress into DVT if you have
a clot in the foot. Better safe than sorry I say.
— Greg P.
June 24, 2002
Being pre-op I dont have all the correct answers, but I do research alot
and am on this website everyday looking up all the new questions and
checking stuff out. I read about 5 days ago that someone was swelling in
the extremities really bad, and most of the answers that I read were about
protein intake. I dont understand how not enough protein can make your
feet swell, but check out the last 300 questions, because there is one
almost exactly like yours. Like I said I am pre-op and may be totally
wrong, but that is just what I read on here. Good luck! ~Ang~
— angel_wls
June 24, 2002
I am 2yrs post op open RNY and had my arms done last year and my tummy tuck
done this April. I had severe swelling in both ankles approx a month ago.
Turns out I needed 2 units of blood transfused. Doc and infusion unit
nurses say this can be a sign of low on blood. After my tummy tuck I
needed 2 units of blood in the recovery room. After hearing of the
symptoms of enemia, and knowing that some RNY patients become enemic from
the surgery, my doc and I came to the conclusion that I have been anemic
for the last year or so.
Bottom line- have your doc check you out and make sure he runs a full blood
panel on you. Do not accept the word of his nurse without the doc seeing
you. And yes, my doc also said I was low on protein (from an 8"
opening of my tummy tuck incision line and the subsequent drainage from it)
and that the swelling could be attributed to that too.
— Pat F.
June 24, 2002
Well, I'm thinking your surgeon's office is right. How much fluid are you
taking in and how much are you outputting? Loosing all this weight really
makes our livers and kidneys do more work and it's important to give them
all of the fluid they need to filter and move things out of our body like
they are supposed to do.
Don't be too upset about them telling you to see your PCP. Your surgeon is
just that a surgeon. He is a medical specialist not a person who knows and
can answer all things medical. I would call you PCP right away.
— Danna B.
June 24, 2002
Hi there !! I had the same problem. Before going into work from my mid
thighs to my toes where very swollen and I could barely put on my boots!!!
My uniform pants where not fitting loosely either. I went in to work but
had to leave due to the tenderness and pain. I went straight to the
hospital and they gave me an injection and 15 minutes later I was running
for the bathroom every 5 minutes!! I peeeeeeed almost 4000 cc in 2 hours.
The nurse weighed me prior to be seen by the doctor and when I left 3 hours
later I had lost 12 lbs!!! My uniform pants where back to their bagginess.
Anyway, two days later my pcp had a songogram done on both legs to check
for blood clots and everything check out ok. She put me on water pills with
a script for potassium to take with it. But you know what?? I found out
that I was consuming a ton of sodium!!! Since I have been watching the
sodium intake my legs ankles and feet are not swelling at all. I was told
by my doctor that if your protein level is low this can cause the same
problem. But my protein level is right on target. So for me it was the
sodium. Take care and hope this helps!!
— Laura G.
June 25, 2002
I had the exact same problem you did. Sometimes still do. I went back to
work on 6-3 from my surgery and as soon as I started working, my feet and
ankles ballooned up. I could only wear a certain pair of flat dress shoes
because they were the only ones my feet fit into,,,,but paranoid as I may
be, I called my surgeons office first thing, didn't even think of my PCP,
and my surgeons office took me in. He did a checkup and said not enough
protien. I am big boned and 6ft tall(female) and he said I need between
80-100 gr of protien a day and that was most likely the cause of it since I
was only getting about 50 gr. Well, he was right! As soon as I kicked up
my intake of protien,,I am using the bathroom so much more and hardly have
that problem. Sometimes I still do cause it is hard for me to get in
enough protien. I also have to watch the sodium too. I hope this helps.
The amount of protien needs are individual. So you may have to intake more
too.
— stacey1273
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