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Suggest Remedy For Persistent Swelling And Numbness In Leg And Knee Post An Injury
Question: I have written here before.
My symptoms have progressively gotten worse since XXXXXXX of this year.
Things started going wrong in XXXXXXX when I had an overuse type of injury to my right knee and the next day I went to the ER because it swelled like a grapefruit. ER doc said it would go away so just rest. It never went away and I had persistent swelling of the leg and the knee.
They would not find a reason why that was.
A month later I started having swelling in both legs. I was diagnosed with pitting edema as well. I saw vascular and my EKG and ECG were both normal. My ABI was normal. Blood tests normal. Still cannot figure it out.
I can wake up feeling swollen. My calves, knees, thighs, back of thighs, buttocks all feel swollen.
The swelling gets even worse while exercising to the point where my upper thighs feel they are filled with fluid and feel heavy. They get so swollen to the point where I cannot even feel my muscle working when I lift weights. My shoes I bought a while ago were very loose when I bought them to the point I was mad I bought them. They are tighter than ever now.
I went on a plant based diet to lose weight with roughly 1,800 calories, a 5 day lifting regimen, and cardio session and I gained weight. I was on the Wahl's protocol which is a heavy veggie based diet with proteins and such. I was on this for a month and I gained weight. No cheating.
Fast forward about two more months later and I am starting to feel tingling and numbness in my calves, feet, and buttocks area. One night I could barely feel my feet.
Now I have temperature sensitivity. I woke up feel freezing and it was 71 in my house. It is not cold outside either. My roommate was warm. My arms and legs feel like they are on fire...like a blow torch grazing my skin. It is jarring like when someone punches another in the stomach or electrical shocking type of feeling. I feel that in my neck, throat, and chest. It is painful.
I had an MRI of my abdomen and pelvis. All came back normal. I had a Doppler ultrasound of my legs. Normal.
I have suffered from depression for years and I have enough experience with my mind and body to know it is NOT psychological. I have NEVER experienced this before.
My Neurology department and ER take one look at my file and immediately have a medical record acquired bias of my symptoms all because I have a history of depression.
I am at my wit's end and my symptoms are progressing. I am so uncomfortable and now it is painful! Please I am begging for some help!
Oh and they suggested I get off birth control. I am compliant with that and I have noticed nothing except a large increase in bloating, abdominal pain, more weight gain, and increase in libido. :(
My symptoms have progressively gotten worse since XXXXXXX of this year.
Things started going wrong in XXXXXXX when I had an overuse type of injury to my right knee and the next day I went to the ER because it swelled like a grapefruit. ER doc said it would go away so just rest. It never went away and I had persistent swelling of the leg and the knee.
They would not find a reason why that was.
A month later I started having swelling in both legs. I was diagnosed with pitting edema as well. I saw vascular and my EKG and ECG were both normal. My ABI was normal. Blood tests normal. Still cannot figure it out.
I can wake up feeling swollen. My calves, knees, thighs, back of thighs, buttocks all feel swollen.
The swelling gets even worse while exercising to the point where my upper thighs feel they are filled with fluid and feel heavy. They get so swollen to the point where I cannot even feel my muscle working when I lift weights. My shoes I bought a while ago were very loose when I bought them to the point I was mad I bought them. They are tighter than ever now.
I went on a plant based diet to lose weight with roughly 1,800 calories, a 5 day lifting regimen, and cardio session and I gained weight. I was on the Wahl's protocol which is a heavy veggie based diet with proteins and such. I was on this for a month and I gained weight. No cheating.
Fast forward about two more months later and I am starting to feel tingling and numbness in my calves, feet, and buttocks area. One night I could barely feel my feet.
Now I have temperature sensitivity. I woke up feel freezing and it was 71 in my house. It is not cold outside either. My roommate was warm. My arms and legs feel like they are on fire...like a blow torch grazing my skin. It is jarring like when someone punches another in the stomach or electrical shocking type of feeling. I feel that in my neck, throat, and chest. It is painful.
I had an MRI of my abdomen and pelvis. All came back normal. I had a Doppler ultrasound of my legs. Normal.
I have suffered from depression for years and I have enough experience with my mind and body to know it is NOT psychological. I have NEVER experienced this before.
My Neurology department and ER take one look at my file and immediately have a medical record acquired bias of my symptoms all because I have a history of depression.
I am at my wit's end and my symptoms are progressing. I am so uncomfortable and now it is painful! Please I am begging for some help!
Oh and they suggested I get off birth control. I am compliant with that and I have noticed nothing except a large increase in bloating, abdominal pain, more weight gain, and increase in libido. :(
Brief Answer:
need multimodal approach. start taking prescribed medicines
Detailed Answer:
Welcome at HCM
I have gone through your query and being your physician I appreciate your health concerns....
As your all investigations came back normal you should not be worried.
In my opinion you really need a multimodal approach including physician and psychiatrist and gynaecologist since you have many medical issues.
Psychiatrist help is very crucial in your case. As far as taking ACE-I are concerned , you should take it. If your BP is normal then it is not going to decrease it further. It will help you in decreasing the swollen legs.
Use regular stocking and I urge you to discuss with your gynecologist regarding birth control in context of swollen legs.
Meanwhile stay calm and continue with your routine chores.
Hope it helps
Regards
Dr Saad Sultan
need multimodal approach. start taking prescribed medicines
Detailed Answer:
Welcome at HCM
I have gone through your query and being your physician I appreciate your health concerns....
As your all investigations came back normal you should not be worried.
In my opinion you really need a multimodal approach including physician and psychiatrist and gynaecologist since you have many medical issues.
Psychiatrist help is very crucial in your case. As far as taking ACE-I are concerned , you should take it. If your BP is normal then it is not going to decrease it further. It will help you in decreasing the swollen legs.
Use regular stocking and I urge you to discuss with your gynecologist regarding birth control in context of swollen legs.
Meanwhile stay calm and continue with your routine chores.
Hope it helps
Regards
Dr Saad Sultan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
My primary concern is not whether it is life threatening. The primary concern is not knowing and quality of life. Although I appreciate your expertise I disagree. This is not psychogenic as I stated in my note.
I'm looking for a cause so I can treat it accordingly.
It is getting in the way of daily functioning.
I want some ideas on what else to investigate.I really do not think a recommendation of a psychiatrist is appropriate as you do not know my history. I can't take most antidepressants anyway.
An ob is not going to do anything as they never do. I'm just stuck with all these symptoms.
I'm looking for a cause so I can treat it accordingly.
It is getting in the way of daily functioning.
I want some ideas on what else to investigate.I really do not think a recommendation of a psychiatrist is appropriate as you do not know my history. I can't take most antidepressants anyway.
An ob is not going to do anything as they never do. I'm just stuck with all these symptoms.
Brief Answer:
need further workup
Detailed Answer:
Welcome at HCM...
I appreciate your follow up.
As you have mentioned ECG Doppler MRI all can back normal. But there are swollen legs. What's logical in your case is to look at your liver and lungs and kidneys.
You need to get your liver function tests along with serum albumin. As low albumin levels do cause swollen legs( pedal edema).
Apart from it , renal function tests are equally important in delineating the pathology. Chest xray is adjuvant in establishing the cause.
After having all these in hand , we can pinpoint cause of swollen legs.
Tingling ang numbness may be due to neuropathy. You should be look for hypertension and diabetes and other causes too.
When I said psychiatric help , it is not because you are psychic patient , it is due to compliance of drugs. Psychological counselling is very handy in difficult cases . It is appropriate and completely according to practising guidelines to seek psychiatrist help. I never mentioned depression in my previous answer.
On one hand physician will investigate your liver kidneys lungs for swollen legs and on the other hand psychiatrist will really help you to get through all this smoothly.
Be compliant with the drugs ...
Hope it clear your concerns...
You are welcome to ask anytime...
Hope it helps
May you get well soon
Regards
Dr XXXXXXX Sultan
need further workup
Detailed Answer:
Welcome at HCM...
I appreciate your follow up.
As you have mentioned ECG Doppler MRI all can back normal. But there are swollen legs. What's logical in your case is to look at your liver and lungs and kidneys.
You need to get your liver function tests along with serum albumin. As low albumin levels do cause swollen legs( pedal edema).
Apart from it , renal function tests are equally important in delineating the pathology. Chest xray is adjuvant in establishing the cause.
After having all these in hand , we can pinpoint cause of swollen legs.
Tingling ang numbness may be due to neuropathy. You should be look for hypertension and diabetes and other causes too.
When I said psychiatric help , it is not because you are psychic patient , it is due to compliance of drugs. Psychological counselling is very handy in difficult cases . It is appropriate and completely according to practising guidelines to seek psychiatrist help. I never mentioned depression in my previous answer.
On one hand physician will investigate your liver kidneys lungs for swollen legs and on the other hand psychiatrist will really help you to get through all this smoothly.
Be compliant with the drugs ...
Hope it clear your concerns...
You are welcome to ask anytime...
Hope it helps
May you get well soon
Regards
Dr XXXXXXX Sultan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Sorry to say it does not clear up my concerns.
Thank you for responding though.
I am telling you that this is not a psychiatric issue. No amount of therapy is going to ease my concerns about what is going on with my body. I am not understanding how you think a psychiatrist will help if you do not think this is a psychiatric issue.
As I said in the note, all tests have come back normal.I do not feel that my progression of symptoms are coincidental or separate things. So my main questions are geared toward with this type of progression of symptoms...what could the problem be.
Thank you for responding though.
I am telling you that this is not a psychiatric issue. No amount of therapy is going to ease my concerns about what is going on with my body. I am not understanding how you think a psychiatrist will help if you do not think this is a psychiatric issue.
As I said in the note, all tests have come back normal.I do not feel that my progression of symptoms are coincidental or separate things. So my main questions are geared toward with this type of progression of symptoms...what could the problem be.
Brief Answer:
send me lab reports and start zestri
Detailed Answer:
Welcome at HCM
I appreciate your health concerns ....
It would be very appropriate If you send me the lab reports of all investigations which have been done so far.
You really need to take zestril so that swelling get reduce and your symptoms improved.
Vascular surgeon consultation seems appropriate if your all investigations appear normal.
If I am your attending physician I will start you on diuretic and will see the response with careful monitoring of BP.
As far as psychiatric consultation is concerned , it is appropriate when all investigations come normal and there is confusion with diagnosis. It has nothing to do with organic pathology but will treat the anxiety and stress associated with disease..
Hope it clear your mind
Regards
Dr Saad Sultan
send me lab reports and start zestri
Detailed Answer:
Welcome at HCM
I appreciate your health concerns ....
It would be very appropriate If you send me the lab reports of all investigations which have been done so far.
You really need to take zestril so that swelling get reduce and your symptoms improved.
Vascular surgeon consultation seems appropriate if your all investigations appear normal.
If I am your attending physician I will start you on diuretic and will see the response with careful monitoring of BP.
As far as psychiatric consultation is concerned , it is appropriate when all investigations come normal and there is confusion with diagnosis. It has nothing to do with organic pathology but will treat the anxiety and stress associated with disease..
Hope it clear your mind
Regards
Dr Saad Sultan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
I'm sorry I just disagree. As can be seen on my statement I have chronic pancreatitis and can't take diuretics. I have seen vascular already.
I have had psychiatric consultations before and it is not due to stress.
I have had psychiatric consultations before and it is not due to stress.
Brief Answer:
you can use zestril
Detailed Answer:
Welcome at HCM...
I acknowledge your health concerns....
You may consult your attending physician regarding use of zestril in context of chronic pancreatitis.In my opinion, it is not contraindicated in chronic pancreatitis. you can use it safely . One should be cautious with thiazide diuretics not with zestril.
When initiating a therapy a physician weighs its benefits to potential adverse effects. I think it is appropriate to start zestril with careful monitoring of the BP...
Since as you mentioned , your symptoms are not due to psychiatric problem then don't see one. Psychiatrist has nothing to do with organic pathology as I stated in previous answer...
Hope it helps
Regards
Dr XXXXXXX Sultan
you can use zestril
Detailed Answer:
Welcome at HCM...
I acknowledge your health concerns....
You may consult your attending physician regarding use of zestril in context of chronic pancreatitis.In my opinion, it is not contraindicated in chronic pancreatitis. you can use it safely . One should be cautious with thiazide diuretics not with zestril.
When initiating a therapy a physician weighs its benefits to potential adverse effects. I think it is appropriate to start zestril with careful monitoring of the BP...
Since as you mentioned , your symptoms are not due to psychiatric problem then don't see one. Psychiatrist has nothing to do with organic pathology as I stated in previous answer...
Hope it helps
Regards
Dr XXXXXXX Sultan
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Sonia Raina
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