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how can lymphoedema leg pains be managed ?

I am writing this on behalf of mum, she is suffering with lymphoedema, which means she has excessive swellings. Her legs are especially painfull, being stiff and heavy, it has become difficult for her to walk. There is a constant pain, but worse when she walks or moves her legs. She has compression stockings she wears irregularly, as they hurt, and the swelling seems to have reduced, but the pains have remained. Despite being on oral morphine, prescribed from her doctors, she find the pains so bad it reduces her to tears, and since she can't sleep properly with it this then leads to tiredness. She has been buying a cream, voltarol, which reduces the pain a little, but only for a short time, and it's costly for her too. Can anyone recommend anything that might help poor mum with her painfull legs ??
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649848 tn?1534633700
There are a lot of things that can cause the swelling to which you refer.  One this is to make sure you mom eats a low sodium (salt) diet as salt causes one to retain the fluid more.  It's also important to stay hydrated - drink a lot of water.  

My doctor told me that one of the most important remedies is wear the compression stockings.  If they cause a lot of pain, perhaps they aren't fitted properly.  You might want to talk to her doctor about making sure she's measured and has the proper size stockings.

One problem could be that the valves in her veins aren't working properly, which allows the blood to flow backwards and pool in her feet/legs.  Again the compression stockings are key  or there are procedures they can do to remedy this if she's a proper candidate (they did them on me), but that's something for her doctor to decide.  

The best thing to do is  talk to her doctor and be sure to let them know that current treatments aren't alleviating the swelling and pain so they can try to come up with something different.
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Thanks for your response.  I certainly with advice her to go more low sat, and drink more water, yes. As for the compression stockings I think they have helped as the swelling has reduced, its just that they remain in pain.  She will get remeasured for new stocking every six months, which does seem like a long wait, especially since in that time the swelling might reduce or increase, but she she cannot get soon any quicker unless she went to a private doctor, and  the cost would be too much.   I have advised her to contact her doctors and ask for them to increase the pain relief more,  and I am wondering if she should invest in a foot spa.  But certainly I will tell her about the dietary advice.
Do talk to the doctors about the compression stockings because if they don't fit right, that's not good either.  Perhaps the doctors can help get new ones sooner than 6 months if necessary.

She should talk to the doctor about a foot spa; that may not be the proper thing and could do more harm than good.   A healthy diet, with less salt and lots of water, if that's what her doctor recommends.  

I know she's in pain, but sometimes just walking around the house a little bit helps me and it might help her, if her doctor okays it.
Avatar universal
YSI
Elevate her legs as high as possible till the swelling reduces (which does not solve the problem but helps with the neuropathy.)

If you live in a country with open-minded healthcare, see if she can donate [or have drawn off but not donated] some of her plasma monthly to reduce total body fluid.  

Historically known as blood letting.  Plasma, which constitutes 55% of blood fluid, is mostly water (92% by volume) [according to Wiki.]

Aging women begin to experience lymphadema after menopause.  You can keep yourself dehydrated, drink less sweat more, you can take diuretics the dr prescribes which sometimes are a misunderstood part of your blood pressure pill,  or...  

I happen to believe in bloodletting.  Know anyone in America that will prescribe it?!

Women have extra blood shed every month during their childbearing years-that extra blood is crucial during pregnancy/childbirth.  

Men have a similar situation but I believe theirs is an evolutionary component of survivalist loss of blood?

Why do men begin to have heart attacks as they age? Possibly they also would benefit from bloodletting?

After menopause, do our bodies know how to naturally reduce blood volume, or does this explain lymphadema and high blood pressure?

Fluid reservoirs such as your blood become filled to overflowing and gravity sends some of the excess into the lower extremities.

How much of high blood pressure is narrowed arteries and how much of it is too much liquid?

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Thank you for the response. I have not yet heard of blood letting,  and neither her GP nor her Lymphoedema specialist mentioned it either, but I will research it, thanks.
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