Heart Failure swollen legs

[Qwerty12345]

Hello. Mums heart failure has been quite stable thanks to the medicines she’s on. In May she was discharged from the cardiology as a result. However, I’ve noticed that the swelling that she normally has in her feet seems to be spreading up her legs a bit. Worried this means this are going bad now. She was told to take an extra Frusemide for a week if swelling is worse (currently on one 40mg tablet in the morning) so I think she will start doing this although she worries about doing this too! Do others have this issue with leg swelling? Thanks.

[10gingercats]

I was prescribed Furosimide and Spironolactone, just a small dose. when this happened to me and my legs and thighs lost masses of water overnight! It never came back.

[Qwerty12345 in reply to 10gingercats]

Oh that’s encouraging to hear. Did you have to stay on spironlactone for good? Mums never been on that drug, just Frusemide.

[10gingercats in reply to 10gingercats]

No. But I went back on it lastyear. Very small dose and Furosimide .Then went off it again. It was no problem and Spironolactone is used quite often for swollen ankles so no need to worry about it.

[Blearyeyed]

I think she needs to try this medication increase.Water retention can be quite common with cardiac conditions , especially if someone is less mobile because if the effect of heart function on the circulation.

It will help for her to keep her legs raised when she sits down because that helps the circulation and the drainage of fluid.

Having the end of the bed raised at night or raising her lower legs on pillows also helps speed up the drainage.

Has she had a kidney function test to check her sodium and potassium levels since the swelling got worse?

If she hasn't it would be worth asking the GP to do one as salt imbalance can increase the swelling and water retention.

Believe it or not , unless she has been directed to drink less by the GP for medical reasons , drinking more fluids can also help to reduce this by improving circulation and eliminating excess sodium.

Keep an eye on any hidden salt or sugar in her diet too. A lower salt diet and restricted processed foods and sugars, as well as avoiding artificial sweeteners also helps reduce water retention .

If she can manage it doing some gentle legs movements , foot and ankle rotations , little lower leg raises while sitting on the bed or having a couple of minutes walk each hour will also help improve the circulation and water removal from the lower limbs.

Hope things improve soon , Bee

[Qwerty12345 in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thank you so much for your reply. You mentioned lots of things I hadn’t thought of. Feeling more hopeful now!

[Blearyeyed in reply to Qwerty12345]

Glad to help , Bee

[Bingo88 in reply to Blearyeyed]

What a fantastic response. We can all learn something from others replies. Brian

[Blearyeyed in reply to Bingo88]

Thank you that's very kind , I'm glad to help with tips if I can , take care , Bee

[Larneybuds]

Just to add to what others have said....just thought I would mention the heat of the last week or so....doesn't help with heart conditions and can increase any swelling. The best thing to do is keep an eye on it and report any changes to the gp or the allocated cardiac nurse if your mum has one. Also find out what your mum's fluid intake should be daily. I hope all the information you get puts your mind at ease and that your mum improves. X

[Deejay62]

Hi I think she should try the extra one for a week like they said. I was taking 2 40mg twice a day but eventually got changed to Bumetanide. Hopefully the extra one will help her.

She should try and keep them up when sitting, also it as been hot and some people’s feet does swell in the heat.

If swelling gets worse or doesn’t improve I would speak to them about it and don’t hesitate.

Hopefully it will help and she will be back to where she was before. All the best.