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Help

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:34 am
by Ctaylor1
Does anyone know if ms can cause calf swelling in both legs when sitting or standing for a few hours ....I have many other symptoms but this is one that happens every time I sit or stand for periods of a few hours please help no MRI yet have had blood test doctor has scared me but haven't read to much on calf swelling

Re: Help

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:37 am
by Ctaylor1
Also I have had a vein doctor look and scan everything normal

Re: Help

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:27 am
by jimmylegs
personally have not experienced that. found a link with some possibilities to consider - does not mention ms.
http://www.zocdoc.com/answers/3012/what ... s-to-swell

more detailed info
http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Swollen-Legs.htm

Re: Help

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 6:25 am
by Ctaylor1
So not a typical ms symptom?

Re: Help

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:47 am
by jimmylegs

Re: Help

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 11:31 am
by Ctaylor1
This is how my problems started sat one night having a few beverages at a bar stool and when I got down after a few hours my calves were definitely swollen and thighs felt heavy....went home put them up and next day they just felt funny....Next night went back and did same thing and legs did same thing so went back home put up for about 30 minutes and swelling went down...I went to the doctor who told me that to keep in the back of my mind if could be MS so then after that I had burning feet for about 2 days...pins and needles all over for a couple days then numbness feeling in feet and also still the swelling in my calves that started this whole mess.....I can't get an MRI done yet because Health Alliance won't approve it yet and can't get into a neuro for another month and my doctor seem to ignore all my complaints and so when trying to make an appointment with another doctor they told me he was filled up til into August. I am stuck and scared and have been looking non stop in the internet for 5 + weeks and don't know where to turn. I had the doctor put me on Lorazapan for anxiety which helps a bit but they won't help me figure out what this is. I am average weight...I walk 3 miles everyday...but I am a nervous person which runs in my family...I just keep going back to the swollen calves and can't find why this part is happening if it has to do with MS like my doctor told me...I am also on blood pressure medicine for the past 6 years due to heart palpatations and called today to see if they could be making me swell and they said NO....I am at a lost what to do

Re: Help

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 6:41 am
by jimmylegs
a few things to consider:

alcohol drains magnesium from various tissues [among other things] (1),
magnesium loss screws with your electrolytes: potassium goes down, calcium goes up [not good], sodium goes up too [also not good] (2)
excess sodium is linked to orthostatic edema [position-dependent swelling of lower extremities] (3)

1. Magnesium homeostasis and alcohol consumption (2008)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19271417
Abstract
Clinical and experimental evidence indicates alcohol consumption as one of the major causes of magnesium loss from several tissues. As a result of this loss, serum magnesium tends to decrease while urinary magnesium excretion increases 2-3 fold. Experimental data confirm that chronic consumption of 6% ethanol in the Lieber De-Carli diet for 3 weeks results in a marked decrease in total tissue magnesium content in rats.

2. The production of secondary potassium depletion, sodium retention, nephrocalcinosis and hypercalcaemia by magnesium deficiency (1958)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1196693/

3. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension and orthostatic edema may share a common pathogenesis
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9566401
The orthostatic retention of sodium and water and the consequent edema is very similar in IIH and OE patients, suggesting a common pathogenesis for both disorders.

your body needs lots of mag, 400mg per day for maintenance when healthy, more when deficit results in symptoms.

things you can try:

track what you eat from this list each day, get as many of these servings as you need to achieve 600mg of magnesium per day.
list of healthy magnesium dense food sources: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... #foodchart

if a pure diet solution is not feasible, consider boosting diet via oral magnesium glycinate supplement or external magnesium products like Epsom salts, magnesium bath flakes or concentrated topical solutions (used only according to package directions).

avoiding diuretics like coffee and alcohol can help. avoiding dark colas can also help your body hang on to magnesium.

mag is just one thing depleted by alcohol, but it's a good start for something to work on wrt edema. other nutrients to investigate where edema is concerned include
zinc, selenium, vitamins A, C, E, and the B-complex vitamins.

Re: Help

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 1:02 pm
by Ctaylor1
Thank you doctors have scared the crap out if me and can't get into neuro for another month and a half

Re: Help

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 1:25 pm
by jimmylegs
do you have a copy of your bloodwork? if not, see if you can get one.