swollen feet and ankles all day long

[patty2233]

swollen feet and ankles all day long and even as soon as i get out of bed,
i have RA and need a hip replacement , im on humira and methotrexate , are my symptoms normal ?
thank you

[John Kenyon, CNA]

Hello --

These symptoms are often seen with RA, and especially in the morning, but most often are accompanied by some local redness or heat. Assuming you have no other significant medical history (especially heart or kidney disease) then I think we can safely assume this is due to RA. If you do have either of the other problems as well, then you would need a doctor to make a differential diagnosis to be certain this isn't caused by any additional systemic problem.

One thing you could do which might help in eliminating heart or kidney problems from the list would be a simple self-test wherein you press on the swelling on each ankle or foot fairly firmly, then release. If a dent remains in the swollen area (pitting edema) then there's a greater chance this is due to something besides RA, and you should have yourself checked to make sure everything is in order. If there is no pitting then this is very likely due to RA.

I hope this is helpful to you. Good luck with this. Please follow up with us as needed.

[NightBulb]

When I press on the swelling on the top of my right foot which at times swells up to the knee, it remains indented and turns white. What kind of doctor should I check with? I've had this chronic swelling for years. Compression socks help for a few days but then the condition seems to adapt to the socks and the swelling occurs even with them on. What kind of doctor should I see? I want this to stop. It is disfiguring in appearance and very uncomfortable. I am on no medications. I've had some soft tissue damage to the legs over the years but I am in no pain. I'd like to thank you for your service online.

[Tom Plamondon PA-C]

Hello Nigthbulb,
A visit to your family physician would be in order as pitting edema (pressing on the swollen leg and the dent stays) can be caused by problems with the liver, kidney or heart.
Your family physician should be able to give you the proper time and attention to find out why you have pitting edema and how to best treat the cause.

Take care.