Hello I am currently in the UK from Australia and am 22 years of age

I feel this is my last resort until an appointment with a dermatologist in november!

Over the past few months i keep having swollen ankles that are so sore that I can not even walk on them for a few days. recently however when this happens it has spread to the underside of my feet where what appear like little spider veins break out all over the swollen part of the foot. Whenever this happens i also get little red spots and sometimes larger ones on my legs, on one occasion even on my thigh. when it occurs on my ankles it is proceeded by the feeling left by cramps in my calfs without getting the cramp in the first place and in another instance i had a large sweeling on my lower leg that was in extreme pain. Today my feet are in extreme pain as once again it has happened and I can not go to work. So far the only link i can see is that as a child I had to wear authotics as i have extremely flat feet. I have been to the doctors whose only suggestion so far is to wait for my dermatoligist appointment in november and then if they can not work out what is happening, to then see a vasular specialst. I am also in the process of getting some new authotics to help my walking but also to see if it makes any difference what so ever.

My main concern is that I am not sure of just what to do. I have to take days of work and put my feet up, the doctors have never seen the symptoms i am having before and my appointment is not until early november. Should I wait until my appointment or is there something else i should be doing now??

I hope to hear from somebody soon.... :confused: :confused:
Please don't hesitate to reply..

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There are a number of different things you could try. My hubby has some of the same symptoms as you, although not as severe.

First, limit your sodium/salt intake as much as possible. Drink plenty of fluids (9-11 8 oz. glasses of water a day). Remove all alcohol from your diet. Watch how much processed sugar you eat. If you have diabetic tendancies, some of these symptoms could be related & a change/healthy diet could bring immediate relief.

Second, consider buying both support hose/socks and arch supports (the elastic kind which covers all but your toes and goes up past your ankle). That will help with the swelling. If your swelling is very severe, go get a massage. It will push the fluids back in to the veins and provide moderate termporary relief.

Third, do a little research on your job/lifestyle and the best way to reduce stress on your lower body. If you spend a great deal of time sitting at a desk, there are "riser" supports that help with circulation & proper body alignment. If you drive a lot, there's an ergonomic support for your car seat that reduces blood pooling.

P.S. When I was pregnant, I had the same issues related to an estrogen (allergic) reaction. Lavender foot spray (with rubbig alcohol in it) was my constant companion...very cooling, soothing and keeps the skin from cracking.

Hope something helps!