Swelling

[Uzula]

Hi There, I am my mums full time carer, one of her hands is significantly swollen, she is already on furosemide for legs and feet, does anyone know if this is anything to be concerned about, of course being a Saturday the surgery is shut and she woke up like it this morning. She is not in pain with it and the other hand is fine. Thanks in advance

[sassy59]

Hi Uzula, sorry but I’m not sure what to suggest. If you’re worried, phone 111 or ring your mums surgery on Monday.

Hope all will be well. Xxxx

[Uzula in reply to sassy59]

Thank you for taking the time to reply.X

[MAS_Nurse]

Hi Uzula,

What medications is your mum on, and what if I may ask is her medical history? It maybe a drug reaction or allergic reaction to something eg. insect bite, sting or something else e.g Angioedema nhs.uk/conditions/angioedem...

In case of emergency:

Dial 999 for an ambulance if your mum's swelling symptoms become:

- sudden or worsening breathing problems

- feels faint or dizzy

- passes out or collapses

These are signs of a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). If you, or the person who's ill, have been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector for this, use it while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

For non-emergencies out-of-hours over the weekends your first port of call would be:

NHS 111 (England), NHS Direct ‪(Wales) 0845 46 47,‬ NHS 24 (Scotland) 111.

If you are at all unsure, then get medical advice asap, it is better to be safe than sorry. I know we don't like to put pressure on the NHS unnecessarily, but that is what they are here for! Go with your gut feeling, it is usually right. In any event get in touch with her GP as soon as possible.

Hope this helps.

Let us know how things are going.

Best Wishes,

MAS Nurse

[Uzula in reply to MAS_Nurse]

Thank you so much for responding and all your advice. Mum has vascular dementia, been in heart failure for years also atrial fibrillation. All the medication has been long term except for a change in the dose of furosemide, 40mg gave her kidney problems so was dropped to 20mg, I`d noticed slight puffiness in her left hand for a few weeks but this morning it had swollen quite considerably, I have been on the alert for those things you mentioned i.e breathlessness etc. Mum can move her fingers, says it doesn`t hurt and thinks I`m making a fuss. I will definitely be contacting her gp Monday morning unless there are any changes before that. She definitely hasn`t been bitten. Thank you again...

[19581979]

Hi Uzula

How is your mum now? I would certainly contact 111 if something new started happening to a loved one I wasn't sure about. If they decide it is an emergency I have found them very quick to get an ambulance out. They are also good for helping you talk through the issues.

If mum has dementia how mobile is she? If she is not very mobile it may be worth asking for some guidance on how to get her to move around a bit more. It can help a lot even if she was bedridden. Did she used to knit for example and still has that memory of how to do things? The reason I ask is you can do things like getting her to wind wool into a ball.

But get advice on things to do with/ for her.

Caring for our loved ones is very rewarding, but it doesn't take away from the reality it can be hard and worrying. Take care and let us know how it goes.

Gill x

[Uzula in reply to 19581979]

Hello Gill, mums hand wasn`t as swollen today but is still swollen. 111 have been extremely helpful in the past and I wouldn`t hesitate to ring them if mum worsened. Her mobility is extremely limited and all she wants to do is listen to Radio 4 which is on 24/7. Mum can`t do anything much with her hands and wouldn`t be able to perform a task such as rolling a ball of wall, she can still use a knife and fork (just about). Mum just feels exhausted all the time and simply doesn`t have the energy for anything. Thank you so much for your concern and for responding to my post.x

[Hidden]

Hi Uzula, I see that MAS_Nurse has given her usual comprehensive and sensible advice, so this is not anything further except as a word of support. I know how unsettling it is to find something unexpected like this at a weekend and not to be sure whether it needs urgent attention or not.

But you are obviously very caring and very sensible yourself and I'm sure that if you follow MAS_Nurse's good advice you'll both be OK!

Take care and I hope it's nothing too serious.

Best wishes.

[Uzula in reply to Hidden]

Hello Callendersgal, thank you for replying to my post, yes, it always seems to be the weekend when things happen and I have on occasion needed to call 111. I`m just glad I`m here with her to notice when things aren`t quite right. Thank you for showing concern.X

[19581979]

I hope things settle for you both and wish you well.

Gill x

[lKeith]

Uzula,

Hi, she should consult her GP or practice nurse, I'm on Furosemide for swollen feet and ankles but was told by the District nurse I should also wear an elasticated stocking, they do do these for wrists from a local pharmacy who can also advise on a treatment.

IKeith