I am in such need of a good answer for my leg swelling?

Question

Hi I have so much to say but will break it down so its not a book. I have left leg swelling from the knee down. it has been going on for a couple weeks, but just recently it swells more and I get sooo much anxiety about a dvt blood clot. I had an ultrasound about 3 weeks ago was negative, but I am scared that now it seems to swell more that maybe it is a blood clot NOW. I get sore easily but no extereme calf pain it comes and goes and i can walk on it. Sometimes the leg feels cold and get muscle spasms when i lay down. i have some spider veins on feet and blue toenail which doc says he thinks thats fine. Bottom line I got no answers from the doctors they dont really help me they just ran ultrasound. when i lay down swelling goes down a little. That just sums up most of it please help with some good answers what can it BE. ty all

Answer 1

I had some of the same symptoms, calf swelling,temperature change, and burning sensation. In 2000 I was diagnosed with a chronic illness called RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), it is extremely painful 24-7. The pain was so intense I could no longer walk and had to get a wheelchair. I was diagnosed by an orthopedics doctor and immediately referred to a pain management doc.

I am not saying this is what you have, but please get it checked out soon. if it turns out to be RSD you need to start therapy right away.  I answered this because not alot of people are aware  of this disease. Good luck to you.,  

Answer 2

Are you hypertensive? Any heart problems? Any pre-existing disease? Or have you had a recent muscle strain?

What does your toes look like? Is there enough circulation on your toes? If the nail is colored blue, it simply means circulation problems on your toes/ lower part of your body.

Don't massage the part, if it's really a dvt. It could get worse. Rest the body part. Elevate the affected leg. You can use prescribed analgesics to control the pain.

Haven't the doctor explained WHY does your leg swells? If the finding is negative, at least he should explain.

Answer 3

Um... that doesn't sound good.  If your leg is swelling up, then it's because fluid is entering your leg but not leaving it.  This could be for several reasons.  You could have impaired circulation (this is actually fairly likely with spider/varicose veins) which means that blood enters your legs easily and then your body has trouble pumping it back up to the rest of your body.  Have you tried propping your feet up as much as possible?  If the problem is impaired blood circulation, then elevating your feet should help.  It could also be a problem with lymph fluid circulation; again, elevating your feet should help.

The parts that really concern me are the bit about how it's been getting worse, your leg feels cold sometimes, your toenail is blue (which generally means your foot isn't getting enough blood circulation), and your doctor seems fine with this.  I think you really need to get a second opinion (find a different doctor, preferably from a different clinic, and ask them what they think).  This is especially important if you're diabetic, because diabetics are more prone to leg and foot injuries to begin with.  If you're really worried about DVT (especially if you have high cholesterol and/or a history of atherosclerosis), then the doctor should be able to put you on some sort of a clot-thinning drug.  Bear in mind that these are serious medications with some pretty strong side effects, and anyone on them needs to be carefully monitored to make sure they're getting the correct dose.

Bottom line: if you think something's wrong and the doctor's brushing you off, it's worth your time and effort to find and ask another doctor.  If they think you're OK, then you can probably stop worrying.