I too have edema in feet, legs and also hands along with my idiopathic pn. I did have it before my pn. Now that my feet are totally dead, I wear Merrill shoes so that I am familiar with how feet hit the ground. I also do not know if shoes fit correctly any more and it helps by sticking with a familiar brand.
I notice when I remove my clog type Merrills how funny my feet look because yes the part in shoe is smaller than my swollen looking ankles above it. I can still feel how tight my legs are when they are swollen tho.

My doctor back in late 90's told me to lie down two hours in morning and then again two hours in afternoon. Good luck with that. But when I have done so, it did help. I have also slept with my feet and legs raised at night time. I never turn on sides and have scared two different sleep specialist because I never move during the night. I even warned the last one and he still had to check on me to make sure I was okay.

That same doctor did recommend that I wear compression stockings. I tried too many times but they were so hard to get on that I seldom wore them. They did help when I could manage to get them on but by the time I managed I was usually to tired to go anywhere.

Hey Melody,

Please refer to my previous post #5 concerning Lymphedema. It is not the same as edema. And that pump is for Lymphedema not for edema.

Thanks.

I have no problem with compression socks which I have used on occasion.

They are called foot pump slippers which help prevent DVT. They felt wonderful after my surgery.

My friend (a long time ago) had some kind of leg surgery. She was in the hospital and when they sent her home she had to wear these long things on her legs that compressed and de-compressed. Can't remember anything else.

The reason I ask is that it makes complete sense to me. No amount of pain meds (which he hasn't been on for years because they don't work), no amount of lidoderm patches wrapped around his toes (again, didn't do a thing), no any kind of med did any good. The only thing that helps his PN is when I take the Homedics massager and run it up and down his back and he goes AHHH. And he has used it on his thighs and it makes the pins and needles in his feet go away. But he has burned through massager after massager. So, in my mind, I say "what about those big old lymphadema pump things" Why wouldn't they accomplish the same thing as the massager? I mean, he's sitting on the couch anyway, and he keeps tapping his foot like someone with parkinson (but he does it because he says it brings the blood into his foot), and anytime he is sitting at the computer he is always tap tap tapping his right foot. He has had PN for 20 years now.

Oh don't know if I mentioned this before but years ago we got him a similar item from one of those Harriet Carter kind of catalogues. You lay down and put these things on the legs and it compresses and de-compresses. I remember him saying "This would work if it would do it harder"

So then I go on the internet and see this lymphadema pump thing.

See how my brain works???

Melody

I agree. I have edema and take Furosemide and Spironolactone daily to keep it under control. I purchased from medical pharmacy, compression knee hi stockings. Unfortunately, the ones I purchased were pretty expensive. After a short time, the pain from PN became overwhelming and cannot keep them on. All my shoes are slip ons (no backs). The shoes I wear in the house are slip on velcro sandals (no backs either). At least they can be adjusted to the swelling.

(Gerry)

i sweated when i fractured my ankles each time that they would want to cast it because that would drive me out of my mind. i cant stand to even have anybody touch my feet never mind massage them. back in october 2001 i was getting a foot massage from a volunteer in downtown manhattan and the pain should have been a wake up call to me then.

The skin over edema is very sensitive and prone to blistering from friction or other tactile activity.

Hence squeezing into shoes that seem too small, may lead to sores on the feet. Once a sore develops in a limb with edema, healing is typically poor and impaired. Preventing sores and injuries to the feet for patients with PN is a very important part of life therefore.

Kit.

I'm obviously not making myself clear. I'm not interested in the lymphedema pump for Alan's edema (which is not bad whatsoever). I'm interested in the fact that they compress and decompress and the fact that they do THAT, well maybe it will stop the burning and pins and needles in his feet, because the massager does the same thing. But we can't run the massager all day long.

It's like you have a gadget that is made for one reason and you find "wow, I can use it for this too". Like when they found out that anti-seizure meds which are originally prescribed for seizures, also helped with PN (in some people).

Melody

Hi,

You did make yourself clear. I do hope that you find the answer.