dogwalker

[dogwalker]

Does anyone have swollen ankles?. I have been having this problem for about a fortnight. I am reducing steroids gradually from 50 and at the moment am on 40 one day and 35 the next. I have pmr and gca.

[trish29]

Hello dogwalker. Yes like you I have swollen ankles .. I have had this problem since a PMR Flare/Virus in Late February. My GP said it was down to my age and my Blood Pressure tablets .I hate them as I can't wear nice shoes or sandals and at the moment I have to wear 2 different sizes. When I was going through my Flare- up I had to go up on the Prednisolone from 13-O5 mg to 18-05 .. I am now on 17 /17.05 mg and due to the virus I am going through Dental problems .. an absess on a tooth so my lovely Lady Dentist has told me not to reduce any further on the steroids .. I wondered if the swollen ankles were due to the Antibiotics that I have been taking as I am now on my 3rd course until an extraction hopefully next week . I hope you get some advice soon but it is probably the steroids that are aggravating the fluid retention. best wishes. trish29

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hello dogwalker

Steroids can cause fluid retention so unless you have started taking any other medication since diagnosis (eg for high blood pressure etc) the steroids are probably the cause. I am no longer on steroids but didn't experience swollen ankles whilst taking them for PMR and GCA. However, I do have swollen ankles now caused by blood pressure treatment. You should mention it to your GP but meanwhile you could try including a lot of diuretic-type foods into your diet, such as asparagus, garlic, fennel and melon and, most importantly, don't add any salt to any of your food and try and avoid all ready-made meals and processed foods, such as sausages, cooked meats, etc, as these tend to contain loads of salt.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Both PMR and GCA can cause swelling around your ankles - as can a lot of other things as the other two have said. If it is bad you should mention it to your doctor. It will almost certainly go eventually - I've just had to buy new shoes because my ankles and feet are well over half an inch slimmer then they were!

[dogwalker]

Thankyou all for responding. I feel better knowing that I am not alone with the thick ankles. Wearing jeans and trousers all the time to hide them! Thank goodness it will eventually go away.