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Swollen feet in summer, post kidney transplant

Posted by caretakermom @caretakermom, Jul 31, 2023

Post kidney transplant members, have you ever experienced mild swollen feet during the summer months? I notice today my husband's feet are more swollen than normal but it could be because of the heat. It's hot here in SoCal and we don't have the AC blasting all day, it comes on when the internal temp is 83 deg(I know that's hot but we're trying to conserve and not run it all day long because of high util bill!). It can also be that he is on Amlodipin(2.5 mg daily) which can cause swelling for some, though he has been on it for about 4 months now and did not swell up before. He is urinating normally and no dramatic weight gain. His latest labs do not show anything remarkable. He does sit an awful lot as he works remotely at home on a computer - more than 12 hours a day!! He is on sodium carbonate because his sodium level is normally on the low side. I don't cut back on his sodium intake for this reason(neph in the past has said it's OK to contiune with current sodium intake) His next appointment with the neph is not till October and will be sure to bring this up, if the situation doesn't get improve. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you!

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Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Jul 31, 2023

@caretakermom Although not a transplant patient, I was on amlodipine until recently. I achieved a lot of leg and foot swelling, to the point where my nephrologist decided I must have lymphodema. As a result, we switched away from that medication, changing it to lisinopril over the course of two months. Also, I added in lymphatic massage from a local gal here, who then taught me how to do that myself on my legs. Added in even lower sodium intake, and more moving around. The result is that my legs have regained their normal size and function in those respects, in fairly quick time.

Weather and the heat definitely have played a factor in my edema issues, but I was really surprised to see the effect of medication change! Hope this helps?
Ginger

REPLY
1 reply
caretakermom | @caretakermom | Jul 31, 2023
In reply to @gingerw "@caretakermom Although not a transplant patient, I was on amlodipine until recently. I achieved a lot..." + (show)
@gingerw

@caretakermom Although not a transplant patient, I was on amlodipine until recently. I achieved a lot of leg and foot swelling, to the point where my nephrologist decided I must have lymphodema. As a result, we switched away from that medication, changing it to lisinopril over the course of two months. Also, I added in lymphatic massage from a local gal here, who then taught me how to do that myself on my legs. Added in even lower sodium intake, and more moving around. The result is that my legs have regained their normal size and function in those respects, in fairly quick time.

Weather and the heat definitely have played a factor in my edema issues, but I was really surprised to see the effect of medication change! Hope this helps?
Ginger

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@gingerw
Thanks for chiming in. May I ask how long you were on amlodipine before you notice the swelling? What was your amlodipine dosage? My hubby's is 2.5 mg(lowest dosage) daily so that's not very much. I wouldn't think this tiny amount would have much effect? I will certainly discuss this issue with neph. Thank you!

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Jul 31, 2023
In reply to @caretakermom "@gingerw Thanks for chiming in. May I ask how long you were on amlodipine before you..." + (show)
@caretakermom

@gingerw
Thanks for chiming in. May I ask how long you were on amlodipine before you notice the swelling? What was your amlodipine dosage? My hubby's is 2.5 mg(lowest dosage) daily so that's not very much. I wouldn't think this tiny amount would have much effect? I will certainly discuss this issue with neph. Thank you!

Jump to this post

I was on it for over a year, at a higher dose. My leg/feet swelling issues started slowly and built up. Apparently that side effect is a known one, but not real common. I have other co-health issues they were attributing to the effect. It was a student dr who asked my neph if that might be the reason, that caused her to look at things differently!
Ginger

REPLY
1 reply
caretakermom | @caretakermom | Jul 31, 2023
In reply to @gingerw "I was on it for over a year, at a higher dose. My leg/feet swelling issues..." + (show)
@gingerw

I was on it for over a year, at a higher dose. My leg/feet swelling issues started slowly and built up. Apparently that side effect is a known one, but not real common. I have other co-health issues they were attributing to the effect. It was a student dr who asked my neph if that might be the reason, that caused her to look at things differently!
Ginger

Jump to this post

@gingerw
I am/was aware that amlodipine can cause endema even before my husband got his transplant. It's actually one of the more common side effects. My husband has been on it since April this year but not seeing the endema until now. I will ask his neph if he can prescribe an alternative medication.

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