I don’t know, “What to do?” I have Edema or as the Medicine.net medical dictionary defines it, “Edema: The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess fluid accumulation. Edema is 
often most prominent in the lower legs and feet toward the end of the day because fluid pools while people keep up an upright position.” I have been seen by both my pain specialist (PS) for chronic back pain and by my Primary Care physician (PCP) for this and the latter is saying it is caused by the nerves in the lower back being damaged and not allowing the muscles in my legs to compress enough to push the fluid back up once it gets to my feet, so the excess fluid remains in my legs and eventually into my abdomen and eventually it can press on the lungs causing major breathing and heart issues. Now my pain specialists is on the other side of the fence and is saying how can your back effect fluid build up in your legs? No much for a specialists and by the way he recently quit “HIS” practice without telling anyone except the two doctors who bought him out. I’ve been with this guy for fifteen (15) years and not a word.
Here’s my main issue, I have been prescribed Lasix (5, 40mg pills a day) and I wear compression socks 24/7 and may take a break from them once every week or so for just a day to give my legs breathing room. With this I sleep with my legs propped up about 2/3 of the night and usually twice a day for about an hour, hour and a half. I only do 2/3 because raising my 
legs puts extra pressure on my back which relates to extra pain. Reduced my fluid intake to 1 to 1-1/2 liters (34-52oz) of fluid a day, not every day but I try to even increased my walking to a point that my pain level is quite high. Even with all of this, I weigh myself morning and night wearing the same style cloths and over the past two weeks, I’ve weighed in at between 202.2 lbs. – 207.6 lbs. in the morning and 208.7 lbs. to 212.6 lbs. in the evening. The largest difference from morning to night is 10.1 lb., the scale is saying I gained 10.1 lbs. in from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm and this was on a day where I had only taken in 47 oz. of fluids, I know more than that came out (sorry trying to be tactful), ate less than I normally do. I did so due to from Friday to Saturday I went from seeing my kneecaps to not seeing them. Trish even commented that on Friday they were looking good and then yesterday, not so much. I can’t blame her, I noticed a major difference when I woke up.
Well, I’ve spoken to both my PS and my PCP, with each giving me a different reading on my situation. That aside, what I have been provided to correct the issue or just support it, is not working. I have even been put on two water medications together, Lasix and Metolazone which dehydrated me causing a black out and badly spraining both feet, I am not going there again. The amount of Lasix I’m on from what I’m reading is considered high (200mg a day) and does not seem to be doing anything. Does anyone have any ideas on questions I can be asking my PCP? I believe I’ve asked them all via appointments, emails, etc. but you know if you step back from an issue and put a second, third or even fiftieth set of eyes on it something might be seen that I missed. I would be interested in hearing any suggestions you may have. Thank you for taking the time to read my blogs.
Richard0593
iCareTalk.net 