QuestionRobert,
I am 25 years old and I have been having problems with my ankles swelling for a little over 2 years now. I have been to my family doctor several times, a specialist at Ohio State University, and a vascular specialist. I have had several tests ran(blood tests, cat scan on my stomach, MRI, X-Ray, and Ultra sound on my legs). No one has been able to find anything wrong but they all seem puzzled at how swollen my ankles get. The vascular specialist did not run any tests and was not very helpful. He basicly told me that due to my age he was fairly positive that my vascular system was fine. After several trips to my family doctor, he finally told me "some people just swell for no reason". Should I just give up on this because they are having a hard time finding something? Could it be normal that I am swelling like this?
I have kept a journal and so far this is what I have come up with:
no foods seem to affect it
My period does not seem to affect it
They swell worse when the wether changes
If I sit for more than a couple of hours they swell really bad
Excercise helps some
And I do smoke(I'm on Wellbutrin to help me quit).
Any suggestions on what I should do next or should I just give up and assume it's normal?
Please help!
Kelly
AnswerWell, it isn't normal, but obviously it is a toughie to diagnose.... it looks like your family doc took a good shot at it... you are swelling for a reason, we just can't figure out what it is.... I would try and treat the symptoms since the workup apparently was completed.... elevate, limit salt, water pills, and especially, compression hose, put on first thing in the morning before the swelling gets bad.
Sorry, can't be more helpful.
