Deep vein thrombosis look-alike?

[HockeyNut]

Hi all, went to emerg on doc’s advice for ankle swelling in left leg and shin and calf pain, discoloration around ankle. Got ultrasound, xrays and bloodwork done, all clear. What cd it be? Doc is going to test for gout but pain isn’t that intense. Any ideas as to what’s up? Baffled.

[Neonkittie17]

Hi HN, I am glad your scans and bloodwork are clear. Presume by those scans and looking at/examining your leg they could tell it wasn’t DVT? I think it would have been obvious to those medical people who saw it. Do you have RA and is it behaving at the mo? I ask as when I’ve been bad with uncontrolled RA in the past I’ve had a swollen foot and ankle and tiny little veins pop up all round the ankle and top of foot making it look bruised. It doesn’t happen when my RA is well controlled. I hope you can find out what is is and that is subsides soon/you can do something to alleviate it.

[HockeyNut in reply to Neonkittie17]

Hi NK yes I have psoriatic arthritis and thot it was in check. Thanks for your help. I’m to see my specialist tomorrow, so may get some elucidation. Taking sulfa, cimzia and Methotrexate at the moment, and have been on that cocktail for about a year with pretty good results til now.

[HockeyNut in reply to Neonkittie17]

Also NK what helped alleviate the symptoms for you? My reumy mentioned prednisone as a possibility.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to HockeyNut]

The RA meds starting to work well alleviated my symptoms. It’s only when I’ve been between meds that have failed and before I’ve started something else I’ve flared like that really. It could be your ankle joint is playing you up and flaring? Do you have any osteo there? I did not take Pred. I hope your rheumy can see by looking what is the issue as they are the experts in observing us! The emergency doc isn’t a rheumy, no disrespect to them of course, but they ruled out serious matters like DVT with scans etc. Good luck for tomorrow’s appointment.

[HockeyNut in reply to Neonkittie17]

Thank you!

[bubblyalex]

Hi 😊 Prednisolone is a good short term solution for Inflammation.... whilst other treatment being put in place. I’ve been stuck on a high dose for a year now... essential it has been ... though possibly more problematic now... again though it means I can move. Good luck with your appointment. I have a dvt ... very glad to hear you are all clear of that 👍🏻 Great news.

[Hidden]

I posted only recently with photos of the exact same thing. Tested for DVT all clear still haven’t got to the bottom of it. I’m having a scan soon to see if it’s activeRA or possibly ankle damage.

[HockeyNut in reply to Hidden]

Please let me know the result!

[Hidden in reply to HockeyNut]

👍

[Niao]

I too, as Neonkittie has said, would often have problems with very swollen painful feet, ankles and lower legs and this has, so far, been put to be down to my RA or Osteoarthritis, so that is one possibility. I would definitely check with your Consultant. I really hope you get some answers and something to help very soon.x

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Niao]

My left foot always reacts that way but thankfully it’s not permanent.

[Maggsie]

Bakers cyst is often mistaken for DVT as the symptoms are very alike.

[bubblyalex in reply to Maggsie]

Really... a bakers cyst is at the back of the knee isn’t it? Two very different symptoms in different locations.

[Maggsie in reply to bubblyalex]

Hi BA, mine started in the back of the knee but most of my pain and swelling were in the calf and ankle.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Maggsie]

Yes a Baker cyst can affect the calf and down the leg if it’s trapping the nerves with swelling of the fluid.

[NicolaP in reply to bubblyalex]

If the bakers cyst has burst any fluid (however thick) tends to end up down on the calf and ankle causing swelling. This happened to me and was scanned for DVT but turned out to be a burst BC. It happened several times before the knee got replaced last October. I didn't have any pain in the ankle and calf and just normal pain in knee related to the RA.

[HockeyNut in reply to NicolaP]

Hmm interesting; wd an xray catch that? The did an xray and ultrasound in Emerg. Also i had no knee pain, just what felt like shin splints in the left shin.

[NicolaP in reply to HockeyNut]

An ultrasound caught mine. They were obviously looking for a DVT and found that instead. Mind you I had to suffer four days of anticoagulant injections for no reason which seriously aggravated my RA but better to be safe than sorry. My foot, ankle and calf were just very swollen, no real pain as such and it didn't hurt to stand on the foot. If memory serves me right it had been like it for over a week and I'd thought nothing of it 'cos used to feet swelling up with the RA. However GP wasn't happy that my lower leg was also rather swollen so was referred for assessment but it was a Friday afternoon and couldn't get seen until the Tuesday. I'd only gone to the surgery for routine bloods and the nurse spoke to the GP about it otherwise would have been none the wiser.

[medway-lady]

I had a DVT and it was agony and red hot to the touch. Sorry no other ideas other than fluid retention.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to medway-lady]

Sorry to hear that 😑

[HockeyNut in reply to medway-lady]

Thank you!