Would gentle massage help lower leg/ ankle edema?

[LilySav]

My partner is suffering quite significant leg/ ankle water retention in this recent hot weather and Furosimide doesn't keep it entirely at bay. Elevating his legs helps but this is difficult at work.Does anyone have experience of using gentle leg massage to persuade the fluid back up the legs and is it safe for me to do this for him? Thank you.

[Lezzers]

I'm sorry to hear about your partner, my husband has permanent fluid retention. Unfortunately, they're unable to remove it completely but when it becomes severe his nurse always increases his furosemide dosage which is then reduced once the fluid has gone/reduced.

I don't think massaging would be the answer, if he's retaining fluid then the fluid needs to be removed as it can overload the heart and/or go into his lungs.

Has your partner told his medical team about the fluid? Is it affecting his breathing?

[LilySav in reply to Lezzers]

The GP noticed the other day but she seems focused (and quite patronising) on weightloss more than anything else at the moment. Yes, his breathing is being looked investigated, so it's tricky to know what's affecting what with NHS appointments being so slow. Cardiac dept end of last year didn't reveal much. Pat on the head, a new medication and more weightloss advice.Recent xray show lungs are clear, and specific blood test at the end of last year cleared him of any heart failure.

Breathing is possible cat allergy!

Sleep clinic investigation next, then respiratory, but in the meantime, shifting the weight which we all know is so hard.

Thanks for your reply Lezzers.

[Lezzers in reply to LilySav]

Your poor husband, he's got a lot going on there. Personally, I think that if he's on furosemide that he either does suffer from fluid retention or he's on it to prevent fluid retention. The heat makes the heart work harder & it isn't able to push the fluid round the body as effectively as it should.

I assume the blood test last year was a NT-proBNP test? If he hasn't had this test or did have it & symptoms, i.e fluid retention, are worsening I would ask for another test.

You could give the BHF nurse a phone call & speak to them about it, I'll just find the number for you.......

Phone number is 0300 330 3311. Good luck, I hope your husband is more comfortable soon.

[LilySav in reply to Lezzers]

Thank you again Lezzers. Like many on this forum, I think partners end up worrying as much, if not more than the patient. He hates my fussing and 'bothering' the GP .....

[Lezzers in reply to LilySav]

My husband doesn't worry too much, he leaves that to me!! But, it is awful when the person you love is poorly & there's little you can do for them. My husband has cognitive issues caused by a cardiac arrest so I deal with all his medical stuff. I've educated myself on all meds, symptoms, help available etc, anything that relates to his health and I've learnt to be assertive, which is actually so much easier when you know what you're talking about.

But, it's very important that you remember that you matter too. We cannot help our loved ones if we're burnt out through stress & worry.

Good luck 🤞

[LilySav in reply to Lezzers]

Hi Lezzers and everyone who was kind enough to respond to my post this morning. When my other half came home this evening, his legs looked a lot better and his ankles and feet more or less normal, so for the moment, I'm going to just keep observing and trying to stop fussing.

I think the very hot weather we've had were largely responsible for the more noticeable swelling.

LilyS

[Lezzers in reply to LilySav]

Good to hear there's been some improvement. But I certainly wouldn't say you're making a fuss. I hope things continue to improve.Take care

[PinkKizzie]

Hi LilySav, massage is not a good idea for anyone with heart issues especially if you have fluid retention. A massage can move the fluid to your heart. Your husband must highlight his fluid problem and I think you'll find a massage can only be done with a GP letter which they won't do. For insurance purposes a hotel/spa won't accommodate. I'm sorry to hear of your husbands health issues. Take care and be careful.

[Tos92]

Hi LilySav,

Contrary to what others have said above, my GP recommended that I massage my mother’s legs and when doing so, massage them downwards, towards her feet. I can see however from other members’ responses, this doesn’t seem like the ideal thing to do. I don’t think massaging the legs to encourage the fluid to flow upwards is a good idea due to it perhaps being retained elsewhere in the body.

My mother usually only tends to suffer with swollen ankles and calves during really hot weather, so it’s not a persistent problem. As others have suggested, contacting his GP might be useful. You could ask for a medication review to determine whether Furosemide is the best water tablet for him or if there is anything else that can be tried.

I hope your partner feels better soon.

All the best.

Tos

[Happyrosie]

for my mother, thirty years ago with possible heart failure an swollen legs, she was referred to physios who out her on a massage machine. This reduced the fluid in legs and she led it out but the effect lasted only a short while, something like two days. A course of six weeks was completed and she was back to “normal” swollen legs straight away.

She died about ten years later at 92.

[LilySav in reply to Happyrosie]

92, what a good age!

[Juke77]

I think you can buy a boot that expands and contracts using air I believe. It might be worth a look on Google or Amazon to see what it says. Hope this helps.

[fishonabike]

there are leg exercises, some of which can be done sitting down, which are recomended for preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT, blood clots) during long flights and when people are immobilised in bed - many of these can be done at work while sitting too

deep breathing exercises are also helpful, sounds weird but it helps to improve the way blood gets back from the ends of our limbs to our heart (venous return)