What Causes Swelling In The Legs And Ankles While Having Diabetes?

Posted on Mon, 24 Oct 2016

Question: I have diabetes and my legs and ankles swell up and I am on meds for diabetes and Hi blood pressure. I put my legs up it helps but they still feel bad when they are swollen. What can I rub on them to get the swelling down and make them feel better?

should I wear diabetic socks all the time?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Michelle Gibson (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
the diabetic socks , unless also compression socks, would not help

Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

You need to identify the cause of the swelling and then the specific cause can be treated along with any generalized treatment for swelling.

Causes: (1) side effect of medication eg the blood pressure medication , amlodipine, can cause swelling of the legs. If you are using this medication, it may need to be altered

(2)heart, kidney or liver disease can cause swelling of both legs/ankles as well.
Heart- an ECG and echo would be needed if there are any symptoms of heart disease eg shortness of breath, palpitations

Kidney- kidney function tests- BUN and creatinine

Liver- liver function tests

(3)venous disease- varicose veins

Treatment: (1) if related to medication, this should be discontinued

(2)may need tests to check the liver, kidney and heart
If related to any of these ,specific treatment of the organ would be needed

Depending on the cause, you may also need to adjust your fluid intake

(3)continue elevating the legs whenever possible

(4)the diabetic socks would not help to reduce the swelling, unless there are also compression socks. You would need compression socks or stockings

There is no cream that can be used to help reduce the swelling

I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar