Advice on swollen ankles

[heartdamaged]

hi, I have heart failure, for 7 months' My left ankle gets really swollen, my heart function is 35%. also have cardiomyopathy and nerve damage. Does anyone else has swollen ankles? I'm on the usual medication but not on diuretics yet. Any tips on swollen ankles. Thanks

[SpiritoftheFloyd]

Hello and welcome to the forumSwollen ankles can be sign of oedema where a build up of fluid occurs. It can be a common side effect of a reduced heart function. You should contact your GP to discuss this. For details of oedema please see the link below:-

nhs.uk/conditions/oedema/

[Smarticus]

Hi, tip = keep your legs/feet elevated as much as possible, medical answer will be a diuretic like furosomide. HTH

[Prada47]

Hello

You need to discuss this with someone medical, but I will just say my Heart Nurse said if it happens during the day she wouldn't be to worried. If I wake up and ankles are swollen to give her a call to discuss. That's in my case and she knows All my Medical History.

Hands Face Space Vaccinate to stay safe

[deandean69]

Hi your condition is exactly same as mine even 35 per cent heart function, I suffer with swollen ankles regularly as well and it's down to lack of blood flow in the legs also it could be the start of gout which I suffer with regularly, contact your heart nurse/ doctor and they'll help out and prescribe something for you.

[DaveTR]

Hi,Your GP / Heart Team should be able to help you with this.

[bhfels]

I have an EF of 35 but only suffer from swollen ankles intermittently. I find that a 2 mile walk every day is essential to keep that under control and I keep my feet up in the evening. I am also on a diuretic and Entresto which help things stay that way. If it’s got worse then you need to contact a clinician for a review.

[KentFox]

Hi, after my heart attack my heart pump action was 30% and I have been on diuretics (furosimide) since then for over a year. I never had swollen ankles but the GP always looked at them whenever I saw him. Although I had no swollen ankles I did collect fluid in the lungs leading to breathlessness and a crackle when I breathed. Hope your ankles are sorted out soon.

[Kelling in reply to KentFox]

I have been told that HF can lead to either swollen ankles and or a propensity to collecting fluid in the lungs. both of which are also clear indications of HF. I also have swollen ankles, no lung problem and am on a full tablet of Furosimide. Swelling is usually an evening thing but recently had occsdiond of very low BP and pulse. Rang dedicated nurse - having blood test at hospital next week. Only set back with meds is bladder weakness during the night - very embarrasing I can tell you!

[Potter52]

I had an AVR and double bypass last year. This was preceded by a swollen right ankle. My right ankle continued to swell even after my Op. I bought special socks to ease the condition and, amazingly, the problem has virtually disappeared. Obviously, the root of your problem needs to be sorted but the socks may give you some relief in the meantime.

[Kelling in reply to Potter52]

Was the right leg used to farm a vein to use for the bypasses? My left inner leg was used for that and below the scar still hurts even after 30 months. The left ankle was also swelling almost all of the time and just take it as a "thing" with the scar. Now with swollen generally, my right ankle now matches my left - so there are benefits to having HF

😊

[Potter52 in reply to Kelling]

Yes my right leg was used to farm the vein and I do still have pain on and around the scar area but it doesn’t particularly worry me.

[Kelling in reply to Potter52]

Nor me - so I guess It's just one of those things

[Yass_123]

Thank you for your post I have hf 31% but no symptons i will ask my gp about the test does this only involve a normal blood test thank you

[Sunnie2day]

Good point about the difference between being in HF and having HF.

I'll never forget being told I likely had HF by the GP who then referred me 'urgently' to the Rapid Access Chest Pain unit. The delay waiting for the appointment was too long in my opinion considering I had just been told I likely had HF so I went private and was then told I was in HF by the privately consulted cardiologist who transferred me to his NHS list and fast-tracked me to investigation.

Fast forward, results from the investigations came back - I had been in HF but did not have HF. I was so relieved to hear it was 'only' had been in rather than had HF I honestly still, nearly two years on, can't recall what all the cardiologist said after that!

[Dusty_Trainline in reply to Sunnie2day]

Hi Sunnie, can you please explain the difference between being in HF and having HF. Thank you. Dusty.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Dusty_Trainline]

Sorry for the delay replying - I'm back in an acute recurrent pericarditis flare and there are days I just don't have the energy to boot up for anything. Not to mention my brain likes to go on holiday and I don't always make sense if I'm too tired during one of these pesty flares to speak concisely. I'd laugh but it's really not all that funny to have to put Life on hold while I cope with another flare.

Any road, to answer your question...To me (and I am not a trained medic) based on how I understood what the private cardiologist explained, the difference is: when IN heart failure for whatever reason, quite simply the heart temporarily isn't beating efficiently enough to pump blood through the body. The urgency is to determine what is causing the patient to be IN heart failure and try to sort the cause before permanent damage occurs.

In my case it was pericardial effusion interfering with my heart in such a way as to make it beat inefficiently. Once the effusion was brought down, my heart started pumping properly and he said I was no longer in HF.

Having HF, on the other hand (again from the way he explained it to me) is the heart has been damaged (irreparably from what I understood but I may be mistaken) and can't be restored to full function without medication and sometimes surgical intervention.

I hope that makes sense and you find it a helpful if much delayed explanation