Has anyone experienced leg and feet edema in their loved one?

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Has anyone experienced leg and feet edema in their loved one?

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Mom sits a lot and does not walk much. The physical therapist told her to elevate her legs due to swelling. We have done that but she keeps on putting her feet back down. I have a doctor's appointment for her on Friday but do you think I should take her to the ER. She does not seem in pain and I have heard this is normal?

Care Decisions Edema Family Caregiver Medical Care

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You already asked this question and said Mom had a doctors appointment today. What changed?

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Yup

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Have they gotten worse?
Have you taken her BP?

My mom doesn't like to put her legs up either, doctor said if you can't get her to , even raising them a little helps, with a stool or something if you don't have a recliner

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BP is fine. They have stayed about the same. Unfortunately we have no recliner. I'm doing my best.

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My mom had this alot, she had CHF. Diuretics helped.

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Not to judge you--but a SOCIAL WORKER's visit as opposed to a DOCTOR'S appt which would have actually helped you kind of makes me wonder about your priorities. Not to judge, but swollen ankles, feet & legs is nothing to sneeze at.

YES..it can be VERY SERIOUS. If the legs are also 'weeping' (serous fluid breaking through the skin) the it EXTREMELY dangerous.

Maybe a trip to your local ED would set your mind at rest.

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I wish your response had shown more patience and understanding for someone in the throes of learning of this terrible illness.

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My uncle had severe edema. His is due to inactivity and CHD. It created vascular sores on his legs that were weeping. Wound care is still being administered, going on for two months now.

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Really Rodger, you have been worried all weekend and you cancelled an appt because a SW wanted to visit. You tell them Mom has a sudden health problem and needs to see her doctor. Make the appt with a SW another day.

For me, this would be serious because its something new.

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How did the SW visit go?

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Place support hose/compression socks on her. Elevate her legs as much as possible. Amazon has compression socks with zippers, much easier to put on. Needs to wear every day.

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Roger, I see you had to cancel your appointment.
I am hoping that by now your Mom has been seen by the doc?
Can you update us what is happening with her edema?

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Yes. We had to get a diuretic as nothing else was working. Movement helps and also putting the legs up if you can manage it. In our case it is caused by kidney and heart failure.

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My husband has had this problem for over a year. He sits and sleeps in a recliner but I still have to nag him to get his feet up. He takes his diuretics occasionally. Compression stockings helped at first but the swelling got worse. He had some edema and leaking. Finding shoes and slippers was impossible. I finally took him to a good podiatrist who put him on antibiotic cream on the open areas (wrapped with cotton gauze) and ordered compression boots for him. After 3 months of getting the paperwork in the form Medicare required he received the boots. And now finally after 3 months of using them an hour each morning and each evening the swelling is almost gone. We may have to continue this for the future to keep it in check but at least the stress on his heart is gone. BTW these things were ridiculously expensive with a supposed list price of $10,000, Medicare said eligible was about $4,000. And the provided had us sign an assignment of benefits form but did not submit it to Medicare as they now say they do not accept assignment. I have a problem with that and will be discussing it with Medicare.

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My Mom (94 y/o) has a problem with edema in her lower legs. She has used the boots with limited success. What seems to work best is keeping her legs up (preferably above her heart, which is difficult to get her to do), and taking furosemide (blood pressure med which also has diuretic properties). Sometimes there is "weeping" from her legs, but not all the time. I keep at it with her putting her legs up.

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Diuretics, compression socks, elevation and watching salt intake worked for my husband!

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Hi there. My mom has edema. She’s 92 years and has Alzheimer’s. Her doctor said a little bit of swelling is normal for her age but hers was more than a little bit. Started giving her more water and she sleeps in a hospital bed so at night I raise the foot of the bed up some. Her swelling now is very little. To get her drinking more water I had to cut off most of the sweet drinks.

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Just finished 8 weeks of weekly visits to a Wound Dr for my 98 yo mother who treated my mother for GUSHING FOUNTAIN leg wound -3 days in hospital to deal with edema.
We had been using compression socks and elevation, exercise--everything we knew to do for swollen legs
She is now on Lasix 2x week, wound has healed.
We no longer use zipper compression socks and but use a VELCRO COMPRESSION BRACE. Dr recommended CircAid --$90
I found Amazon Vive Compression Brace-$17. Works well, can be washed, and replaced w/o a bank loan.

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Check these out:

(1) https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/symptoms/foot-leg-and-ankle-swelling

In part:

Foot, leg, and ankle swelling - Swelling of the ankles - feet - legs; Ankle swelling; Foot swelling; Leg swelling; Edema - peripheral; Peripheral edema

Painless swelling of the feet and ankles is a common problem, especially among older people. Abnormal buildup of fluid in the ankles, feet, and legs can cause swelling. This fluid buildup and swelling is called edema.

(2) https://www.vinmec.com/en/news/health-news/healthy-lifestyle/causes-of-leg-swelling-in-the-elderly/

In part:

Leg swelling in the elderly is a common phenomenon, this can be a warning sign of a disease in the elderly. Detecting the cause of foot swelling in the elderly will help you prevent this condition.

1. What is leg swelling in the elderly?

Leg edema is a condition in which the legs are bulging, having an increase in size, caused by a buildup of fluid in the tissues of the ankles and feet. This buildup is caused by the small blood vessels of the legs / the capillaries in the legs leaking fluid, resulting in a reaction that retains more sodium and water by the kidneys to make up for the extra fluid.

At this time, the amount of water transported in the body will increase more than usual, causing the capillaries to leak more heavily.

Elderly people with swollen feet often feel heavy and tired, especially when moving. Besides, the leg, ankle or even the whole leg will be deformed. Leg swelling can occur in one leg or both legs, depending on the cause. In the absence of timely treatment, this foot swelling can seriously affect blood circulation, causing skin ulcers.

2. Causes of leg swelling in the elderly Elderly people often have a much higher rate of foot edema than other age groups. This is a consequence of their state of health.
2.1. Cardiovascular problems increase the risk of leg swelling in the elderly Cardiovascular diseases are all characterized by increased blood pressure in the capillaries and veins. This causes the internal muscles to experience swelling. The vast majority of elderly people with heart failure are often accompanied by symptoms of leg edema, making blood circulation and fluid circulation in the body difficult.
2.2. Diabetes in the elderly The longer you have diabetes, the more unwanted complications your body will experience. Therefore, diabetes in the elderly is a risk factor for many other serious health conditions, including leg swelling.
The phenomenon of leg swelling in the elderly due to diabetes comes from the weakening of the leg valve veins, making the pumping action of blood to the heart unable to take place normally, causing blood and fluid to stagnate in the legs.

Ask MD re: Do you elevate extremities for edema?

Body positioning — Leg, ankle, and foot edema can be improved by elevating the legs above heart level for 30 minutes three or four times per day. Elevating the legs may be sufficient to reduce or eliminate edema for people with mild venous disease, but more severe cases require other measures.

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Have her stand and do leg exercises or simply walk a few feet if possible! Leg and feet swelling is no normal! Must move!

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Just finished 8 weeks of weekly visits to a Wound Dr for my 98 yo mother who treated my mother for GUSHING FOUNTAIN leg wound -3 days in hospital to deal with edema.
We had been using compression socks and elevation, exercise--everything we knew to do for swollen legs
She is now on Lasix 2x week, wound has healed.
We no longer use zipper compression socks and but use a VELCRO COMPRESSION BRACE. Dr recommended CircAid --$90
I found Amazon Vive Compression Brace-$17. Works well, can be washed, and replaced w/o a bank loan.

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I definitely don't believe it requires an ER visit. My Mom had edema (and sometimes winced with pain when touched.

She was taken off her water pill and within 2 weeks the swelling she had for years was gone. Not sure if, or how the two are related.

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Hello Roger I hope you get your mom to a doctor right away because I had the same experience happen to my mom before she passed away! I first noticed the issue occurring after her second stroke she couldn’t fit any shoes or slippers and if we did have some it had to be in man size 13. I tried to help her best I could last summer she had a hard time walking and was not able to get the best services even from healthcare provider whom the doctor was going to do Ct scan cause her blood test was showing something odd but it turned out no clot later when she was hospitalized last year but however in my moms case it turned out to be a kidney failure and organs not functioning correctly which lead to copd and also double issues of having diabetes that caused so much. So please sir get your mom checked out ASAP don’t wait on a social worker because swelling of the legs and arms are serious reactions to something going wrong inside the body we can’t see! In my moms case she tried to wait things out too long from the summer being in and out the hospital and a health care provider who was not able to communicate to her properly to get more treatment and me and my father tried our best to tell her that she was dealing with serious health issues but didn’t want to listen. So it was only so much we could of do for her at the time. So please try to do your best and find a doctor that is comfortable with talking to seniors to be able to get through to them that their lives are important to them and family so that they can be treated appropriately and perhaps less stressful for you. My heart goes out to you and family cause as a caregiver it’s hard job but someone has to do it! We also tried compression socks and even water pills over the counter and blood pressure water pills but it didn’t really do the best at the time. So I hope your mom gets the best treatment possible and stay strong sir it’s not easy being a caregiver but remember every little bit helps!

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I actually nee someone who father had magots coming out of his legs

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Rogerwyatt7890: Your mother should be seen by her physician.
My mother also had edema. She took Furosemide, wore compression stockings and cut out or limited her sodium intake. She also suffered from CHF.

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Does she own a recliner or could you ask her doctor to recommend one through medicare.If she can get a prescription for that Medicare may cover some of the cost. We got one for mom with an easy remote.

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Her doctor will find the cause and help her.

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Roger, did you get Mom into see her doctor? You really should not be just using recommendations on a forum, even though good ones. This came on suddenly and needs to be addressed. Please update.

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I hope that the SW, who you saw instead of the doctor, is going to help you get your mum placed in a facility that can take care of her. It would be in the best interests of both of you. You are overwhelmed and you need to go home.

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Roger updated us here on another post yesterday, about his mom and the hairdresser.
Mom did see a doctor and he is not worried about the dependent edema.

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Doctor's advice for my husband: Very low sodium diet, very low. Doctor has prescribed Bumetanide for my husband, 2 mg every morning to encourage urinating, walk every hour, and prop feet up often. My husband also takes Tamsulosin and Finasteride. He is 99 years old, strong. These meds help him have a good stream. They are not costly. The Bumetanide may be expensive; however, I check with GoodRX.com or singlecare.com, etc., CostPlus Mark Cubans website (least favorite tho') Also, the doctor prescribed a stronger potassium (20 MEQ) due to taking a diuretic every day....a person needs potassium when taking a diuretic, Again, not costly. Hope this helps.

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Just read some other replies. Yes! Compression socks are advisable. My husband will be receiving some.

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Has anyone experienced leg and feet edema in their loved one?

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