swelling in the legs and feet?

NewMomofType1 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 07:35 AM

Oh Questions Questions.

My son has been diagnosed type 1 for a week now. We where at the hospital from Tuesday to Saturday night. Everything seems to be going fine except one little thing. His lower legs and feet are swelling up. He can walk on them, but it's just really odd. I called the doctor but there wasn't much concern from her about it. What can I do to help that out?

After Christmas of this year, my son shot up quite a bit and thinned out. Being that his dad, at 20 years old, was 6'1 and 118lbs soak n wet I wasn't to concerned about the thinning out. (At 35, his dads only just broke the 150lb mark.)

As long as he was eating and drinking, I wasn't worried. He was really packing the food in too. When he knew I was getting off of work, he'd call me and ask me to bring him a cheeseburger or two home as just a snack. Ya know, the boy was eating.

But about two weeks ago he got worse, he seemed to get even more pale and loose even more weight. The doctors said he had Lyrangitus and put him on the zpack.

He did alright through out the weekend, he seemed tired but the zpack is a pretty heavy antibiotic that can cause really harsh cramping at times so when he said he had cramps on that monday and came home from school, I took him off the zpack and told him to get some rest because that was making him hurt.

He wasn't puking, or sick like that. Just achy and tired. I told him that if he wasn't any better by the next morning, that we where gonna have to go to the hospital.

So of corse, the next morning he wasn't better, he seemed worse to me. Much worse. I got the little ones off to school and helped him get ready so we could go to the hospital. At this point he could hardly function. I mean, he walked himself but you could tell it took a **** of an effort and he had to lean on me several times.

Once we went to the hospital and I heard the doctor say his blood sugar was over 500, I knew. Hit me like a ton of bricks. Out of all the things I thought they would say (infection, ect) I didn't expect that. In hindsight now, I see it, he was suffering from some major excessive thirst. He'd drink two gallons of water a day, sometimes more. And I know that's a sign of diabetes but it never dawned on me that my son could have it.

Anyway, the local hospital transfered us to Columbus Childrens where we spent ALOT of time.

So here I am. Nice to meet ya all.

art · #2 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 07:58 AM

Welcome and ask anything you want here.
You may now begin to breathe again.

Your son is being treated and he'll get his sugar under control. It won't happen overnight so relax.

The thirst will go away. The swelling will abate somewhat but he may just have to switch to wide width shoes.
There are several meds that will help with the swelling.

One other thing.
Take care of yourself. You're no good to him or anyone else if you're tired and over stressed.
He's in good hands. Your role in his life now is to educate yourself. Each one of us is different. There are few universal treatments that work for everybody.

He's going to live a long productive life.

Again, ask questions, a lot of them.

Art

NewMomofType1 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 08:25 AM

Your telling me, I still haven't had a full night of sleep. I'm working on it thoe.

Im returning to work today. Makes me a little nervous but we have to get back into the swing of things. So he started back to school yesterday and I'm going to work. I'll call him a few times this evening to check on him and ask his father to stop by too.

Ahhh I really must get ready for work now. LOL.

HollyB · #4 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 01:08 PM

Hi, and welcome.

Your story sounds a lot like ours. How old is your son?

Sorry to hear about the swelling. I'm guessing it's an adjustment to dropping blood sugar (his body's gotten kind of used to running too high) but don't really know. If it doesn't improve over time I'd definitely be asking about it again.

I hope everything is going as well as could be. It's sure a lot of get a grip on all at once, isn't it?

Do you work an evening shift? I was pretty nervous about Aaron being home along for a while after dx.

Janlaton · #5 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 01:43 PM

Welcome, Do not knock yourself out. THe way teens eat and drink you were right to assume he was a normal teen! The thing is you took action as soon as you knew something was wrong. Keep tuned in. Be sure he is drinking plenty of fluids if not his body will retain them and the first place to swell is the legs and feet.

You did not say is he seeing an Endo?

George83 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 10:57 PM

I found that when I started on insulin treatment my feet swelled up, on further reading I found out that this was a normal thing when on insulin, give it 1 to 2 weeks it will go away, just make sure he wears his shoes loosely.

Funny at one stage my feet looked like puffa fish, I had tankles instead of ankles, my toes couldnt even touch the ground from how puffy my feet were.

fingledopple · #7 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George83

I found that when I started on insulin treatment my feet swelled up, on further reading I found out that this was a normal thing when on insulin, give it 1 to 2 weeks it will go away, just make sure he wears his shoes loosely.

Funny at one stage my feet looked like puffa fish, I had tankles instead of ankles, my toes couldnt even touch the ground from how puffy my feet were.

Yeah, exactly, it's interesting the way changes in blood sugar can affect that.

My wife's grandmother is diabetic, and her feet swell up like that at night after her insulin. When she takes it earlier in the day it does the same thing but not quite as much. She has to be careful about what shoes she wears while taking medication now! At any rate the doctors have said that this isn't a serious thing, although it has been like this for several months.

George83 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 03:34 AM

Yeah I found it was worse not long after I would take my insulin and also after a warm shower at night, elevating my feet did nothing, I was worried about it at first but when I found out it was to do with insulin it eased my mind.

NewMomofType1 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George83

I found that when I started on insulin treatment my feet swelled up, on further reading I found out that this was a normal thing when on insulin, give it 1 to 2 weeks it will go away, just make sure he wears his shoes loosely.

Funny at one stage my feet looked like puffa fish, I had tankles instead of ankles, my toes couldnt even touch the ground from how puffy my feet were.

Tankles. HA HA. Yep, that's about right. We were told that it could be a fluid retention from all the hospital IV's and an effect from the insulin. Kinda like a double whammy for him.

If I can get him to pop them up they do get better but this seems like it's gonna be a waiting it out thing.

Janlaton · #10 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 01:21 PM

A teen goy, prop his feet up? You got to be kidding! Have you found a video game that calls for him to be in that position or something? Just kidding glad you found some answers.

thomaca77 · #11 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 02:53 PM

I had the swelling thing...actually I had it just before I was diagnosed, and I put it off to the heat (summer outdoors in Florida can be fierce).

Then, I had it again near the end of my hospital stay. Actually, they pumped me so full of IV Saline that I gained ten pounds and the clothes I wore to the hospital didn't fit on the way home. This went away after a few days, and the swelling in my feet left after about a week.

I wonder if it just has somethig to do with rapid blood sugar rising and lowering?

In any case, though I have the diuretic in the med cabinet, I haven't needed it since then (and didn't seem to actually help then anyway!
-risa