vibration plates

[Dymps1]

any comments on the use of these please.

Many thanks

[Chris21]

Hi Dymps 1, Im not sure if a vibration plate is the same as a circulation booster? if yes, then ive used one for many years. I dont use it every day, just once a week or longer.

I find it helps release tight muscles, when theyre exceptionally playing up. Before you decide to buy one do check with your clinician that it is ok for you as we are all different with our diagnosis. i have primary lymphodema 😊

[Dymps1 in reply to Chris21]

Hi Chris21, thank you for your reply, much appreciated. I have a phone consultation with clinic next week and will have a chat to them.

[BedfordBoy]

Hi Dymps 1, I presume you mean the vibration plates like they use in the gym, if so, yes they can be useful to treat lymphedema. I bought one and used it every day for a week or so, just experimenting with it and I believe it helped me. Whether it was wishful thinking or not I don't know, but I compared my legs before and after, and there was a noticeable difference. After a session I had that strange "tickle" sensation, like water trickling down my legs. That indicated to me that lymph fluid was on the move. I intend to start using it regularly again so I'll be giving an update!The other thing I use almost daily is a revitive machine (as advertised by Ian Botham). That is a godsend in my opinion. VAT free if you are registered disabled.

Hope I've been of help to you.

[Popdoggies in reply to BedfordBoy]

Hi there. I have a machine that is a cheaper version of the Revitive and it really does help. I wouldn’t be without it now. I plug it in, set it and sit at the table with my feet on it while I read etc.🙂

[BedfordBoy in reply to Popdoggies]

Hi Popdoggies,Yes there are many different makes out there and some are cheaper than Revitive. My brother in law wanted to save some money by buying an alternative make but tells me that he don't feel it working at all. He tried mine and he jumped out of his seat as he had it turned on to maximum! So he wasted his money really. I'm quite happy with my Revitive. Each to their own eh! Good luck with everything 👍🏻

[Dymps1 in reply to BedfordBoy]

Thank you for your advice, much appreciated.

[DeadfootMo in reply to BedfordBoy]

Hello Bedford Boy,

I bought a revitive machine and 24 hours later i took it back to the shop. I felt nothing much in my left foot and absoultely nothing at all in the right and this was on the highest setting and after having moisturised my feet.

There are some lega massagers advertised at the moment that I am tempted to buy, but at the moment I still have pain in my legs and I don't think I could tolerate the massage from the machine.

But this may be something for me to look into in the next few weeks, once I get a bit more pain relief.

Have you tried one of these leg massagers?

Does anyone know if they can improve the circulaton in your legs?

Mo

[BedfordBoy in reply to DeadfootMo]

Hi Mo,I'm sorry to hear that you didn't get any benefit from the Revitive machine, but at least you have got your money back.

When you say leg massagers I presume you mean a sequential lymphatic drainage machine? If so, yes I have one of those and I'm pleased with that too. A few people on this forum didn't recommend the ones for sale on Amazon but to go for one of the expensive ones. I thought I'd try Amazon first as I can always send it back if it's not any use. However, the one I ordered is doing a reasonable job of draining my lymph fluid so I'm sticking with it. Again, there's lots of makes to choose from, and all you can do is read the reviews and hope for the best.

I hope you have some better luck with the next machine.

[Dymps1 in reply to BedfordBoy]

Hi BedfordBoy

How often do you use your machine?

Can I ask roughly how much I should pay for a machine like yours?

Many thanks

Dympna

[BedfordBoy in reply to Dymps1]

Hi Dymps1,I am currently using my machine 2 or 3 times a week. Sometimes if my legs are not too swollen I'll use it just once every 10 days or so. If I've been on my feet a lot my legs will be more swollen so I use the machine until they have gone back down. I can't think of any reason why you couldn't use it every day if you needed to. Everybody is different after all.

I can't remember exactly what I paid for my machine but think it was under £300. I looked at Amazon and read various reviews before selecting one. Some of the specialist premium makes run into thousands of pounds, who can afford that? Not me anyway!

[BedfordBoy in reply to Dymps1]

Hi Dymps1,I just had a look on Amazon to see if I could find out how much I paid for my machine as I couldn't exactly remember. They are doing one very similar to mine for £149.49

The make is Fit King.

Good luck with everything.

[DeadfootMo in reply to BedfordBoy]

Hello Bedford Boy,

We must be mind readers. Those are the ones I have been looking at. Fit King. They look a bit odd as they resemble a wrap, but who cares what they look like as long as they help a little.

I wouldn't expect a cure but some relief would be welcome.

I still have pain even though the edge of the pain has gone, it is the intense internal pain that I am feeling now and later on in the day, the burning sensation at the front of my legs. I assume that is the skin tightening as they swell.

When the pain is gone my GP is sending me for a reassessment of my lymphoedema as the hospital have suggested that as i wouldn't be suitable for compression socks or tights or stockings that I might be good for wrapping. But I don't know as yet what that entails.

All I can say is that I felt so relieved in my shower this morning it was heaven.

I am having to watch how many hours, I sit at a lap top working away, as that can also make my legs really bad.

You have been a godsend to talk to online these last few weeks. So, thank you very much.

A group of people who can help each other.

[BedfordBoy in reply to DeadfootMo]

Hi Mo,It's a pleasure to be of some help to you or anyone else in the same boat. I wish you all the best for the future. 👍🏻

[DeadfootMo]

Hello Dymps1

Well I have severe cellulitis at the moment and as I am currently on painkillers and antibiotics for this , on Friday when I asked a doctor his thoughts on circulation boosters, he said that the medical profession has mixed feelings about them and tens machines too. I guess the vibration plates you speak of above fall into the catergory of circulation boosters etc. Such as Revitive etc. This doctor also told me that patients had reported that they felt the revitive machines had helped to ease their heavy tired legs and for some had relieved them of poor circulation and high blood pressure.

So, I am going to buy one of these for myself soon. However, I just have my fingers crossed that I eventually get the right treatment for my current predicament. Tomorrow. As I don't think Flucloxacillan and Codeine is right for cellulitis at all.

I have been on Flucloxacillan almost a fortnight this Thursday and I am itchy, have a rash appearing in places, the pain is still agony and the cellulitis has spread from its original outbreak. Which was the lower half of my calves' on both legs and now includes in both legs my entire calves and the back of my knees and lower thighs. So the fact that the cellulitis has spread is proof to me, that the flucloxacillan is the wrong treatment.

I am also bad tempered at the moment as I feel that no matter how many doctors or medical people I have spoken too so far by phone, video call, or just phone, or the one dr I have seen in person, they have all given me the brush off, that I need to be patient with the flucloxacillan and the codeine. This is possibly because they don't want to admit one of their number has it wrong. Or maybe just doesn't know enough about the conditions. But hell, what if it developed into Sepsis, they wouldn't want to get sued, so somebody has got to get my treatment right soon.

I have managed to get an appointment in the skin department at my local hospital, as this was a desperate attempt to get seen to by someone. Someone who will hopefully have more knowledge of lymphoedema and cellulitis.

All the best wiith your vibration plates.

Mo

[Dymps1 in reply to DeadfootMo]

Hi Mo, I’m sorry to hear that you’re going through a rough time, I sincerely hope that dermatology can help you. I had cellulitis a few years back and went to a&e. My treatment was antibiotic by injection every day for a week and tablet form for a second week because I was going on holiday. I have been lucky not to have had a recurrence.

Regards

Dympna

[DeadfootMo in reply to Dymps1]

That is good news Dyumpps1.

I have felt a small change this weekend, in that my legs and feet have more movement in them now as they don't feel as fixed or tight with swelling due to lymphoedema. I have also felt a reduction in the area of spread from what I know is cellulitis and I now know I am on the road to recovery, as the middle toes on both of my feet are back to attempting to curl under my second toe on both feet.

I have completed the Flucloxacillan course but the painkillers will continue on till next weekend. I still have quite severe pain, I would rate it an 8 or 9 out of 10 and ocassionally a 10. But this is better than being completely off the scale for me for days on end. I wish I could say the pain was less altogether, but I can't.

During my appointment at dermatology the three doctors couldn't agree whether I had had cellulitis, but I told them all I know my own body and it was definitely cellulitus. As cellultiis is the only thing affects your skin by changing its texture, the way it looks, its colour and the intensity of pain is serious. They suggested that because the weather had been really warm that my lymphoedema and veinous deficiency had responded to the heat, causing extra swelling, redness and the extreme pain along the neurological pathways of my nerves. However, they did say that my condition was not suitable for compression socks, stockings or tights because of the shape of my legs. But compression in the form of bandaging would help me manage my lympohedema better.

I was very concerned about this, as I know this is going to be uncomfortable to wear on a longterm basis. I went on to say that I applied twice or thrice for a few hours only each time viscopaste wrapping to my eczema when it was really bad sometime ago. And even though this is very light, i couldn't bear it more than 3 or 4 hours at all. As my legs would cramp and become very stiff. And also on one such ocassion I thought I'd try it at night and hell, I had to get out of bed to get them off as quickly as possible, as my legs were cramping and locking, so in view of that with light bandaging, how will I be able to tolerate compression bandaging?

I also asked if this was something to apply daily, as I work for a living, have a shower first thing in the morning as it is not suitable for me to do this later in the day.? Due to my general aches and pains from the lymphoedema and you should not wear it at night.

I also asked if there had been any real improvements in treatments within the last 20 years for lymphoedema away from compression.

Additionally, I asked if there were any tests, scans, or x-ray that could be used to find out if my veins were blocked, or if there were any growths anywhere. Because if this existed maybe an alternative treatment might be available to clear the veins out etc. To me drs seem all to keen to take the quickest and cheapest action without any real regard for the patient. Who might be working for a living and can't just take time off.

So now I know my Drs have had a letter advocating compression bandaging from the hospital, I will just have to wait and see what will happen next.

Mo

[BedfordBoy in reply to DeadfootMo]

Hi Mo,There are tests available to ascertain if you have partially blocked veins.

I have had a few dopler tests which are more or less like a ultrasound like an expectant mother would have. Also I have had a test where they inject you with a radioactive dye and track it's movements in your body. I can't remember the technical name for it. I would assume that if you haven't been offered either of these, you will be having words with your GP very soon!

[DeadfootMo in reply to BedfordBoy]

Hello again BedfordBoy, I intend to wait one week at the most to see if an appointment can be made via my GP, but today the jobsworth in my GP surgery, said I could refer myself and this he has done in writing, so if I don't hear anything, that is exactly what I will do. I will do this because I need to get to the bottom of these extra pains, burning up and strange sensations with my nerves, that I have been getting that is maybe not down to cellulitus. And if it means needles and dyes or scans, I will do my utmost to gear myself up for these tests. It is very strange indeed what has been happening but on and off, for very short spells today, is that my mobility has improved and been less painful. So maybe some progress is on the way. Fingers crossed.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful for the care and attention my Doctors have given me when they can, but employing a chemist in a surgery who has this inflated ego, tends to make patients lives a living hell, because he controlls all the prescriptions going out to your main chemist and he doesn't always send them. It's crazy as there is many a time my medications have been at rock bottom or ran out and I still can't get repeat through to my regular chemist. I am on the verge of speaking to the GMC as a chemist who has this amount of control can not be allowed to continue, it must fall to a GP to sign off prescriptions and get them sent out. But I suspect their is a politial game going on here and its messing with peoples lives. You would have thought that as he is a chemist he would have inside knowledge of the medications that are difficult to get in since Breskit. and that he would have a list of alternatives, but instead you might get nothing at all.

About 6 or 7 weeks ago I had a choking incident at a friends house where I had cooked a Sunday dinner for two 75 year olds. Once I had fed Ian's wife and Ian had has his dinner and the dog had his dinner, I sat down to have mine and within minutes I was choking. I couldn't clear my throat and it felt dead centre of my gut or chest, so, in between spluttering and frothing at the mouth, I rang 111, as with the two 75 year olds they are very slow and Ian's wife has dementia, so would not have been able to handle the call. This call lasted a few moments and the gist of it is wait for an ambulance which will come in around 3 hours time or go to A & E in a taxi. So at 5 pm I land in A & E. And you know what you wouldn't believe it. Every single chair was taken and a queue of a dozen people were outside waiting to get in. In all of my years, I have never seen A & E full to overflowing. When I did get a seat the three people infront of me and one either side of me, were only there as their GP had forgotten to send their prescription to the chemist, so they were waiting for aemergency prescriptions.

Incidently, as my issue then was choking, had the little jobsworth chemist in my surgery sent the medication I ordered a week earlier for omeprazole, as I also get reflux which makes my gut sore and swollen, I might not have had the choking incident at all, but had I not missed out that weekend on my meds and taken meds to control reflux. I would have been fine. Instead my visit to A & E started at 5 pm on Sudnay nd finished at 6 am on Monday.

Something has to be wrong with the NHS, when patients can't get appointments to see the GP, can get prescriptions and reception, admin, nursing practitioners and an employed chemist are telling you what to do to get seen to orto get some treatments.

A sign of the times. Next it will be Patient heal thyself!

Do you agree or is your experience better than this?

Mo.

[DeadfootMo]

Hello,

I just thought it would be good to give you all a little update.

Firstly, after 4 weeks of hell I have managed to see my GP on a Saturday at a differenct branch of my surgery. It was some distance away from where I live and my own surgery but I felt it was long overdue, that someone from my surgery actually saw with their own eyes what I have been experiencing for the last four weeks.

So that is four weeks before I have had face to face appointment. A pretty good job I wasn't dying otherwise my death would have been and went before getting an appointment. That is how bad it has become to get an appointment, in fact in the last year appointments for anything have been few and far between. And its not as if GPs are poor and povety stricken, they all live in houses worth well over £250k here in the UK and run extremely expensive cars. Cars in excess of £20k to buy. So from a patients perspective, I see no reason whatsoever why GP services should not be better. What other profession do you know that pays over £48k - £56K a year, just to sit at the end of a phone for say 15 hours a week and run a minimal number surgery clinics say 4 a week that is another 8 hours and then to deliver on locum work for around 6 hours a week. £48K - £56K a year and 29 hours of work a week and I forgot one doctors practice meeting a week lasting 1 hour. So they have a 30 hour job.

Well I am now confused. As my GP said she wasn't sure if I had lymphoedema or lipodema, from the shape of my legs. I told her of my pains being dull to sharp, and feeling kind of half numb with pins and needles and the pain scaleat its worst, being off the wall. I described the changes that I had felt coming on for about the last 8 to 10 weeks with reference to my leg shape, and she said that the changes were now permanent and that the condition was chronic. She referred to my shape being bottle neck in both legs. I also mentioned that today my feet were down and had been for a good week, since starting to take painkilleers, but everywhere else was swollen and soft to hard depending on whether I was active or not.

She checked that I had some appointments coming up starting in the week beginning the 16th Of September 2024 and voiced that it was very important to keep them. As the appointment would enable a full assessment and diagnosis to take place.

She mentioned that I needed to book an appointment to have my bloods checked again for diabetes and high blood pressure, as I was previously borderline. Incidently, I have been having high blood pressure of late. So I am finding it very worrying.

I told her that on so many previous drs appointments the general gist of what was said to me, is that I a) needed to lose weight, b) join Weightwatchers, and lastly follow a mediterranean diet using Jamie Olivers 15 minute recipes. To which she added that the information was given at a time, when it was thought the condition could be either, reversible or to prevent it from getting any worse, a few years ago. She added we do try to save patients from themselves and to show them that prevention is key to a comfortable lifestyle. And she too went on to say that exercise and diet are still very improtant.

I asked about physio, and oscillation therapy and she went on to say that sadly in the last 40 years or so no real progress has been made beyond compression in the treatment of lymphoedema or lipodema. But detection and testing mprovements have been made so we will know more soon, when I have mine done, very soon.

So that is it. Testing is on the way.

Mo.

[Dymps1 in reply to DeadfootMo]

Hi Mo,

Glad to hear that you have an appointment soon. Please let me know how the appointment goes.

Dymps1

[DeadfootMo in reply to Dymps1]

Thank you, Dymps,

I am hoping to get all the essential tests done.

i am still in pain, my legs still look a bit red. My skin did peel mid leg where the cellulitis was, so at least I was right about that. But I fear that some major changes have taken place in my legs, regarding shape shifting and pain from varicose veins that I apparently have below the surface, that a GP from my practice on Saturday, told me could be permanent.

Her advice, is try to lose some weight and stay active as much as possible and when pain management has your pain in control, support wearing any form of compression that is prescribed for you. She also mentioned that because of the shape changes, I may have lipodema instead of or aswell as lymphoedema. However, my feet at the moment are currently being strangled and prevented from swelling, whereas in the past, around 6 weeks ago they were like puddings.

Fingers crossed for some small mercies as pain is still bad. So hoping I get more relief before anymore agonising prodding etc. CLinic appointments start next week.

Mo