What Causes Ankle Swelling And Pain In Calf And Knees Postpartum?
Question: Hi,
I'm 8 weeks postpartum. My legs have been hurting a lot. Ankles have been swollen (not too much today) and shooting pain in calf and behind knee. It almost feels like electricity going up and down my calf. My veins get bigger. I went to the emergency room last week, they performed an ultrasound on my legs and no signs of blood clots. They sent me home and said to just exercise and elevate my feet. They continue to hurt.
Brief Answer:
Hello, I would be happy to help...
Detailed Answer:
Please answer the following questions:
1. Was this your first pregnancy?
2. Were there any complications?
3. Was there ever concern about your blood pressure?
4. Was the child normally grown? How much did they weight?
5. Is there a family history of blood clots?
Thank you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
1. No, my second
2. No complications. C section first child was vaginal.
3. No concern in blood pressure
4. Baby was 2 weeks early. Weighed 7'7
5. No family history of blood clots
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Thank you for the followup...
Detailed Answer:
It is definitely a bit unusual for any woman to be having problems 8 weeks out from delivery - especially when they are symptoms that we more typically see in the first few days to weeks.
Obviously they did the right thing ruling out blood clots in your leg(s). But the fact is that in the setting of no personal or family history AND at a point where you have resumed normal activity, it is not surprising that this evaluation was negative.
It seems to me that you need to think outside the box on this one. It might be a good idea to visit with an Internal Medicine doctor to start with. Simple things like checking your blood counts and checking your thyroid are good starting points. Some women can experience, for example, postpartum thyroiditis that might present in unusual ways. In other cases, problems with your heart can lead to swelling in your legs. In fact, this might not be related to pregnancy at all. I am just saying that you are far enough out from the delivery to begin to think of other causes.
I hope that this helps and good luck!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar