Swelling above ankles

[Chaz1226]

Hello all my anxiety is kicking in, all night I’ve been having horrible throbbing knees , I took my socks off and noticed under the band line my legs have become swollen, this never usually happens when I have socks on it’s above the ankles and below where the elastic on my socks would go , I never usually get an indent Mark either which is odd. Please tell me this is nothing to worry about 😔

[KayHimm]

I am sorry you are in such pain. You are going to be anxious because you are undergoing tests and have not felt well for a long time. I think to be safe you should report the swelling in your legs to your doctor tomorrow or call for guidance. It is a new symptom. Did you eat anything very salty today? To put your mind at ease, I would say you would have had a call by now had your doctor noticed anything alarming in blood or urine tests. Are you on an anti-inflammatory for the joint pain?

[Chaz1226 in reply to KayHimm]

Thankyou so much for your reply, I didn’t realise how anxious this wait game would make me. I will let her know about the swelling it has gone down now thankfully and will up my water intake xx

[overnighthearingloss]

If you are not adequately hydrated the body reacts by holding onto fluids. Is it possible that you may be partially dehydrated? Caffeine containing drinks will exacerbate any potential dehydration. So you need to eat plenty of moisture rich fruit and veg/salad and drink plenty of water.

Even if you don't take any additional salt, processed foods come with salt added. So if they make up a significant part of your diet your salt intake may be quite high.

[Chaz1226 in reply to overnighthearingloss]

Thankyou very much I have been drinking more water and will continue to do so! The swelling has gone down now.

[overnighthearingloss in reply to Chaz1226]

Excellent news.

Please note however that a massive build up of swelling that you can't rid yourself of needs urgent further investigation

[Chanpreet_Walia LUPUS UK]

Hi Chaz1226,

Below, is information taken from The Lupus Encyclopedia on possible causes of swelling in people with lupus:

“One common symptom in people who have lupus nephritis is edema. This occurs when extra fluid leaks out of the blood vessels of the body. The effects of gravity then cause this fluid to collect into parts of the body that are closest to the ground. Since people are usually sitting and standing most of the day, they will develop swelling of the ankles and feet due to this fluid collecting in these areas”. The encyclopedia further states that in the early stages of lupus nephritis, it is possible to significantly decrease or stop the inflammation.

Hope this helps!