A question for overweight ladies

Snuggles

Hi ladies,

I am very overweight (trying to lose), and lately have been suffering from swollen ankles and feet. I sit at a desk all day and the office is very, very hot, even in cold weather, so I am wondering if this is the cause.

My question is, are swollen ankles/feet a common problem for overweight ladies? I intend to make an aoppointment at the docs to get it checked out, but just wondered if I should brace myself for the usual disapproving noises from my doctor about my weight problem being the cause

Bronnie

You're right! Right that being overweight can exacerbate the problem and right to go and get it checked out!

In the meantime, it's possible there are a few things that you can do to help.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day and reduce the amount of salt/processed food in your diet. Keep up your intake of fresh veg, especially veg like celery, cucumber and watermelon which are natural diuretics. Try to get up and walk round at regular intervals during your working day and do those little foot circling exercises when sitting. Elevating your feet on a couple of cushions on the sofa helps as does lying on the bed, reading a magazine, with your feet raised high up against the wall....... works wonders this one, makes the feet and legs feel positively light after 15 mins or so. Applying cold compress to the swollen area can help too.

aliasojo

Now don't laugh....but have you ever considered getting one of those little pedal things that sit under your desk and you just pedal every now and again?

I know someone in a similar situation and she swears by the one that's sat firmly under her office desk.

That said, I agree the first step is to have a word with your Doc just to check there's nothing else going on.

Snuggles

Many thanks for the suggestions ladies. I would love to have one of those foot pedal things under my desks, but I'm not sure it would go down too well in our open plan office!

I try to get up and walk round every so often and drink plenty of water. I don't have the same problem when I'm not at work, so sitting for eight hours is obviously a major factor.

I've booked an appointment for the docs on Monday so will see what they say.

Thanks again x

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I'm overweight & find that my feet & ankles get swollen and ache. I put it totally down to my ankles and feet having to carry more weight than they should. They can get worse if I'm stood about for long periods of time. As my weight gain is fairly recent, I can still remember when my feet and ankles didn't swell.

However, if your concerned I'd defo visit the GP just incase it's down to other health issues.

Snuggles

Ok, so I finally went to the doctor's about this yesterday. I have become increasingly worried about it, especially when I discovered that a new pair of shoes I bought just four weeks ago, which were quite roomy, I can now barely get on my feet, even first thing in the morning.

I am completely confused about what he said (it wasn't my usual doctor). My feet and ankles were swollen when I saw him, he examined them and said it wasn't water retention. He basically said, that my feet have just gradually got bigger and I've only just noticed, ie my feet are just fat!!This makes no sense to me at all. I haven't put on weight over the last few weeks, yet over the last few weeks, my feet have got bigger to the extent that my shoes no longer fit. How can that be?!! Also, they *feel* swollen, you know that tight, uncomfortable feeling?

I don't know what to do now, I'm still really worried about it. He didn't take my blood pressure or anything, which I was expecting he would, and I don't know if I should go back and see my usual doctor to get a second opinion. I don't want to waste their time, but I know my own body, and I don't believe for a second that my feet have just gradually got bigger and I've only just noticed!! That doesn't explain why shoes which fitted me only four weeks ago, don't anymore.

But if I go back, I will probably come across like a hypochondriac

Janey3

I wouldn't worry about being thought a hypochondriac, it's your body and you want some answers. I would definately make an appointment to see your usual doctor.

BitterAndTwisted

Oh, I definitely go back and consult another doctor. In fact if I were you (now that I've got hindsight and you didn't at the time iyswim) I'd have disagreed with the doctor because of the info you've just given and asked them to explain further as the doc's opinion doesn't make any sense. A tendency to water-retention can be inherited as well I understand, a friend of mine suffers from this and has a job where she's on her feet all day

Snuggles

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Oh, I definitely go back and consult another doctor. In fact if I were you (now that I've got hindsight and you didn't at the time iyswim) I'd have disagreed with the doctor because of the info you've just given and asked them to explain further as the doc's opinion doesn't make any sense. A tendency to water-retention can be inherited as well I understand, a friend of mine suffers from this and has a job where she's on her feet all day

Thank you B&T, I could kick myself now for not questioning what he was saying. One of the things I find with being overweight is that whenever I go to the docs with anything, I feel they are always very quick to assume the problem must be down to my weight. I spent the best part of last year going backwards and forwards to the docs with various symptoms which they tried to put down to either weight, stress (I wasn't stressed) or anxiety (I wasn't anxious), until finally I was referred for a gastroscopy and diagnosed with a hiatus hernia.

I don't know why I didn't question him yesterday, I just looked at him incredulously!! When you know you are overweight, it's hard to argue with someone telling you your feet are just fat, even when you know something has changed quite suddenly and what he was saying didn't seem to add up!

Lemon_Tree

i've suffered with swollen feet for the last few years and i'm also overweight. My doctor goes along the line of 'you're fat that's what happens'. I do think that it doesn't help that i'm not in an air conditioned office, in fact it's almost greenhouse like with the windows and i'm not able to walk around as much as i should do. Good luck with going back for a second opinion, i'm like you, always think of questions after i've walked out of the door

angela110660

First experienced swollen legs and ankles when pregnant. Had the babies and it went away. Now carry more weight so problem recurs. Find hot weather makes it worse, work in air conditioned offices but it is sitting down with feet in one position for long periods which doesn't help. Weekends when I can get out and walk or go to gym, legs are pretty good. Alcohol sometimes makes them have the tight feeling but don't drink much. Raising them up is great. If you can sit don't stand - if you can lie - don't sit!! Get back to the docs though if you are still worried. Best wishes.