l am 65 yrs old & have no cardiovascular problems, but my ankles have had pitting oedema for many years. Just in the last six months it has extended to mid calf, more on my rt leg than the left. Is this another wonderful symptom of PBC and if so, how is it normally Treated?
Any advice would be appreciated
Cheers, Dorothy
What is pitting oedema mardot?
I know oedema is retaining fluid as you can develop in pregnancy but not aware of what you mention.
I remember my late gran stared with swollen ankles in her late 70s and she was given what was called 'water tablets' (duiretics) to aid this problem.
I was looking at this and according to the WEBMD/boots site it is when you apply pressure to the swollen area by depressing the skin with a finger and it causes an indentation that persists for some time after the release of the pressure, the oedema is referred to as pitting oedema. Any form of pressure, such as from the elastic in socks, can induce pitting with this type of oedema.
Hope this helps
Hello again.
I put what you mentioned into Google using the NHS website (as I am in UK) and apparently you can get this with certain conditions, liver is one of them so that is perhaps why.
Here is the site:-
Hi everyone, sorry ive been so late in acknowledging your replies. Ive been away and for some reason couldn't log in to the site to answer you, but thank you now.
Greenephene. Is correct with her description of the problem l have. My query is if anyone else on the forum has it as a result of pbc. It's common in the elderly with heart problems such as conjestive cardiac failure, but l was not aware of pbc being a cause. I'll ask my gp at my next consult. My eyes have also been very puffy of late.
Cheers. Dorothy
dear Mardot,
Sorry to hear about your problem with swelling. It is something to be taken seriously and deserves a work up to get to the bottom of it. It could be simple venous insuffiency, that your veins in your legs are having a hard time pumping it up against gravity. But if you're having it extend, and eyes puffy too, you need to have someone figure it out and do complete heart and lung testing.
In the meantime you need to modify your diet, and especially salt intake. Salt holds onto water. Do not eat salty foods, do not add salt to anything, and be strict about it. If you are overweight put yourself on a diet. I don't want to scare you but constant putting edema is dangerous, makes your heart have to pump harder and is a symptom that needs to be addressed. It's true that a diuretic will make you get rid if water, but it's treating the symptom only.
Best of luck.
Mrs d 
ALT and AST
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