Swelling feet and ankles

[CincinnatiExperience]

Hi All,

Just as a reminder, I am in treatment for MBC (Verzenia, Zometa, Faslodex) and have been on the same treatment for about a year. Suddenly, in the last couple of weeks, my feet and ankles have started to swell. It gets progressively worse throughout the day. I try to elevate my feet as much as possible, but I do work (full time, but from home). I just checked my side effects sheet, and it is listed, but I still don't like it.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any thoughts for solutions? I did ask my nurse practitioner about it at my monthly visit last week and he just did not want to go there. He said a water pill would mess with my potassium levels.

Anne (in Cincinnati)

[Hidden]

Hi

I'm currently on chemo, had last one today and also ongoing herceptin and perjeta. With treatment number 5 I had zometa introduced due to bone mets, that first evening after zometa I had ankle swelling for the first time, thankfully it had subsided by the next morning. I did mention it at today's treatment and chemo nurse said she wasn't concerned as it wasn't ongoing bit had it been or if happens again I should let them know asap. I'm sorry to hear that your concerns have been dismissed. Can you mention it to oncologist? I think it's just putting it out there for reassurance rather than been given something that would cause issues elsewhere, although I can imagine working full time all be it from home is uncomfortable!

[Shelly1009]

I've had recent feet swelling too. Not significant but I've never experienced it before so it's strange to me. I"m on my feet 8 to 10 hours a day as a nurse. I've been wearing compression socks for a while. Maybe try those? My favorites are from the Pro Compression brand. Don't be shocked by the price ($50/pair). Sign up for their emails and they have constant promos. The best once is their 3 pair grab bag for $44.

[kearnan in reply to Shelly1009]

Do you have to have your legs measured for them? I have an appt. with a vein specialist but the first one told me I would have to have my legs wrapped tightly every day from my lower toes to my knee until the swelling gets down (plus now my left lower leg has large scale red and purple patches which I am told is from poor circulation since the blood is pooling causing the discoloration. it looks awful. I was told after that I would have to wear compression socks. I am going for a second opinion. Do you have to measure you legs. (I am overweight). I live alone and do not have any one to help me. One person said the would be very hard for me to put on alone? True? And do you have to measure your leg a certain way. I let it go way too long before it got to this advanced stage bc I am just so tired of constantly going to doctors. If it is not one thing, it is another.

[kearnan]

I am on verzenio and falsodex injections also. My left left my foot has swelled up tremendously. On top of that the left left lower limb is all discolored, red and like purple. I have to go to a vein surgeon specialist bc I am told it is because I have very very poor circulation (and I am obese) and the blood is not circulating (I do not drive and in NY with this heat and the pandemic) I have largely stayed in my apt. so I get why there is no circulation. My leg looks awful. I can only slip my feet into mules where the back is open. I can't even stand looking at it but I let it go for so long and now its the discoloration of my left lower leg that looks awful. I am told they will probably make me have it wrapped by them for 2-3 weeks and then start wearing compression socks.

I never really connected it to the drugs but I always did think bc I was getting no activity at all, that my blood was not circulating. My apt. is not that big so I am walking just a few steps a day. I did not like the last specialist so I am going to a new one on September 8th. I am just tired of going to different doctors. It does not hurt but fall will be here and I want to be able to put on sneakers, plus I am too embarrassed to even wear pants a bit above my ankle bc you can see how horrible it looks although it does not hurt.

If you google, I once warned people but I put a photo of my leg on this forum board.

[kearnan]

Maybe if you search for Kearnan, the photo will come up. My foot is so bloated.

[Topood]

I’m taking my first Afinitor tonight, and was just educated on potential side effects, which seem to be as numerous as the stars! But both my wonderful cancer nurse AND the pharmacist mentioned swelling of extremities and face as possibilities....no fun! But I haven’t seen it mentioned elsewhere here. Hope it subsides!!

[fchrist]

Hi Anne,

I have started to get swelling in my feet and ankles also. I have been on abraxane (chemo IV) and Tecentriq (immunotherapy IV) for 5 months and it started with my right foot and is a little in my left now. They checked for DVT but didn’t see anything so now it’s not something they know what to do with.

I did get them to write an Rx for compression socks so insurance will cover them. I’m still waiting to get them, everything is slower due to Covid. There is a lymphedema massage clinic in my area that I am going to try. They did wonderful work with swelling after a broken ankle years ago.

It was so sudden when it showed up in my right foot. I did a lot of walking around on a tour one hot day and by that night my foot was very swollen. It has been a few weeks and not gotten better.

I bought a cheap ankle compression sleeve at WalMart until my socks come in. It helps. But I do take it off a few times during the day to make sure I’m not causing harm.

Whatever you do don’t take water retention pills. If it is lymphedema, that is the worst thing you can do. You want to drink lots of fluid to rinse the excess lymph fluids. The proteins in lymph fluid can cause damage to other tissue.