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Edema

Post 81

Titania (gone for lunch)

Had the veins in my legs checked with ultrasound today. I did *not* enjoy being smeared in blue transparent jelly from my groins to my ankles!smiley - yuk

The good news is that my veins are functioning perfectly, all 'flaps' closing and opening like they should (no idea what they're called in English).

Still, it's a bit of a disappointment that I'm no closer to knowing what the smiley - bleep is wrong with me! Even the person examining me remarked on how swollen my ankles were (I usually take the Lasix as soon as I arrive at w*rk but this particular check-up was in the morning).

Ho hum - anyway, smiley - doctor no.3 should have the result within a week and I have a new appointment with her two weeks from now. I'm hoping she's still got plenty of ideas about what to check next.


Edema

Post 82

Milla, h2g2 Operations


Edema

Post 83

Titania (gone for lunch)

*inspects inside of thighs*

As I thought - bruises. At the time, I thought maybe I was just being squeamish, letting out a yelp of pain now and then.

See, I thought ultrasound investigations were painless. I've only had two before, though. First one for kidney stones, completely pain-free. Second, lower pelvis and, while feeling slightly uncomfortable, still painless.

But the legs... still, I guess I ought to be greatful for the person examining me being so meticulous (sp?).

But still.... bruises? Of the blue-and-green-type?


Edema

Post 84

Titania (gone for lunch)

*heavy sigh*

Hormonal levels OK too, so that's not the cause *either*. Bother, bother, bother.

Got a new list of tests to be taken, partly to check that taking Lasix for nine months in a row hasn't caused deficiency of potassium or any other unwanted side effects.

The ironic thing is that one of the symptoms for potassium deficiency is - edema smiley - laugh


Edema

Post 85

Hypatia

Dang. This has gone on so long that you must be tearing your hair out. smiley - hug I was really hoping you'd know something by now. Rats, rats, rats!


Edema

Post 86

Titania (gone for lunch)

Well, what do you know, my hunch was correct - potassium deficiency it is! So now I'll have to take a supplement while continuing to take Lasix and I've got an appointment with a dietist because the doctor suggested that losing weight might bring down the swelling.

I'm not completely convinced, because I've been more overweight than now with no extra fluids/swelling at all. And I'm not sure how overweight I would be if I could rid myself of *all* the extra fluid, how much I'd weigh if my ankles were back to their usual slimness. Which they haven't been even once for... over a year now.

I wonder if lymphatic massage might have any effect? Hmmm....


Edema

Post 87

Titania (gone for lunch)

*checks list of symptoms for potassium deficiency*

OK, these are the symptoms I've experienced so far:

Muscle cramps (especially calf muscles during nights)
Muscle fatigue and weakness - yeah, if I'm late for the bus I can only run a short distance before I ran out of power, with limbs feeling as heavy as lead
Fatigue - yes, pretty much every day
Irritability - ah, I was wondering why since it's not *that* time of the month all the time
Abnormally dry skin - oh yes, especially in my face
Chills - mhm, been wondering on several occasions if I'm coming down with a cold, but nothing came out of it
Depression - I thought it was because I gave up on the Voxra when I was between doctors, thinking it might be causing the edema
Insomnia - uh-huh
Diarrhea - once in a while but mostly I'm constipated, which is also one of the symptoms
Numbness in arms and legs - no, but in fingers and toes on a couple of occasions

If the potassium supplement can cure these things, I'll be much happier even though I'll probably still be swollen.


Edema

Post 88

Asteroid Lil - Offstage Presence

Hm. I was told not to take potassium when I was on hctz and spironolactone. I've been off the hctz for most of the year, and doubled on spironolactone, but still not taking potassium. I wonder whether I should.

There was a time when I took estradiol for birth control and a vitamin every day, and that was it. This growing old lark, does it always have to involve taking more pills?? smiley - silly


Edema

Post 89

Z

NO! Don't! Spironlactone has a totally different mechanism of action and it actually causes a slightly increased serum pottassium.

If you took pottassium supplements with spironolactone it could kill you.


Edema

Post 90

Asteroid Lil - Offstage Presence

That's good to know. smiley - erm


Edema

Post 91

Titania (gone for lunch)

Hm *squints at small print on label* I didn't get potassium supplement, but it seems as what ever this is, it will have the effect of increasing my potassium level while having a slight diuretic effect as well.

Amilorid 5 mg to be taken together with the Lasix 60 mg capsule once per day.


Edema

Post 92

Titania (gone for lunch)

Oh, and Dr Zen, thanks for keeping an eye on this thread!


Edema

Post 93

Hypatia

Hope they work for you, Ti. smiley - goodluck

Lil, I don't think growing older always involves a lot of prescription drugs. Speaking strictly as a layperson, it seems to me that drugs cause as many problems as they help. I watched F get worse and worse the more drugs he was prescribed. I'm still convinced that they were fighting one another and hastened his decline. Anyway, Mother will be 89 in February. She takes a mild drug for high blood pressure and plavix to help prevent any more TIAs. That's it. And I'm just a few months younger than you are, but I take no prescription medications at all. I've taken myself off of everything. I take an otc zantac if I know I'm going to be eating late or having something that might give me indigestion. And I take otc ibuprophen for inflammation when my arthritis gets miserable. But I don't take anyting every single day and haven't for years.


Edema

Post 94

Titania (gone for lunch)

New Year resolution: lose weight.

smiley - doctor no. 3 suggested this might help to bring down the swelling and while I'm not completely convinced it will, I *have* put on some weight due to getting short of breath from any kind of exercise above normal (brisk) walking. Including dragging bags of groceries up the two stairs (no lift) where I live.

It's not so much a question about which method to use but to find the motivation for it. After two attempts at WW's I'll stay away from them since I gained more weight a couple of months later than I weighed before I joined. So I believe their methods aren't right for me.

At the moment I'm considering using the high fat low carb method, at least initially. But then, I guess that with most diets, the first thing you lose is fluid. Which would suit me just fine.


Edema

Post 95

Titania (gone for lunch)

My irritability levels remain unchanged, as does my constipation, so I'm still waiting for the effects of the potassium pills (which are huge, by the way, like almonds only slightly slimmer, was slightly taken aback the first time I saw them, thinking 'how the smiley - bleep will I be able to swallow them?) to kick in.

And here's a tip for anyone who finds it hard to swallow pills:

Put the pill on the tip of your tongue (yes, tip, the tongue will make a kind if wave movement throwing it at the back of your mouth when you swallow).

Drown pill with water from a bottle (bottle is important since you stretch out your throat in a different angle compared with when you drink from a glass).

Tadaa!


Edema

Post 96

Hypatia

Ti, I'm back on JUDDDD. That's the best diet for me. I think we all have to find the one we can live with. Anyway, it is working for me again and I'm starting to feel a bit better. I know lots of folks have had good results with WW, but it isn't for everyone. Lady C did great on it, but she never kept the weight off. And always regained more than she'sd lost. I like JUDDDD because I don't feel as deprived. I can have anything I want -- no forbidden foods -- every other day. That makes it a lot easier for me to stay on that other diets I've tried.

I hope you find something that works for you. smiley - hug


Edema

Post 97

Titania (gone for lunch)

I'm most probably never ever trying to use WW again. This year they happily announce you can have unlimited amounts of pasta or other carbs - certainly doesn't sound right to me.

I've lost weight twice with WW.

The first time it was with those green, yellow and red dots - I lost weight so fast my mind couldn't quite keep up.

Afterwards, I gained in weight to *more* than before I joined WW.

Stupidly enough, I joined WW again, thinking 'what worked once must work twice'.

By this time, they had switched over to the 'points' system, allowing you to eat *anything* as long as you limited it to your alloted points, even things like candy, chocolate, pizza.

Even when trying to eat healthily, the moment I started exercising in earnest I stopped losing weight on the 'new' WW diet. In retrospect, probably because it was *too* limited.

Then I tried eating more saturated fat, which did wonders for my hair and, above all, my face. All those 'pore worms' one my nose gone, and my pores shrunken in size.

All those years cutting *down* on the fat made my body overcompensate it, making my facial skin fat, as well as my hair.


Edema

Post 98

Hypatia

It upsets me that doctors seem to think everyone responds to foods in the sme way. You know your body and how it reacts to different foods. We all have to find our own path, I think. Take a basic plan we can live with and then customize it to fit into our lifestyle, food preferences and health issues.

This time around on JUDDDD I'm going to make sure the up days contain good quality foods. No more binging on chips and cookies.


Edema

Post 99

Titania (gone for lunch)

On this most recent 'diet' I'm feasting away on coldsmoked salmon, shrimps, tuna and eggs accompanied by cold sauces created out of sour cream, mayo, finely chopped onion and whitefish roe or, for a more simple version, sourcream, mayo and Dijon mustard.

Always accompanied by some vegetables, mostly steamed fresh green asparagus, or a salad of ruccola and baby spinache and tomatoes, or broccoli, or Brussel sprouts, or white cabbage or...

...cucumbers, finely chopped garlic and... smiley - drool *wipes mouth*

OK, I'd better stop there, but for the comfort of Dr Z, let me assure you that I eat veggies with each and every meal.


Edema

Post 100

Hypatia

That sounds like a healthy approach. Good for you. smiley - applause


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