Possible heart Disease from OSA...:(

[Kahfree]

So I go to my doctor today because for the last several years I have had bouts of edema in both legs and feet and this week, its bad. Both my legs are swollen and when pressed, leave finger prints. My doctor was aware of this as I have made complaints and have been treated for it in the past, (over two years) but he found no reason for the swelling. In the past, my Cardiogram was great, blood work great, etc. However, today he tells me that with the new found OSA diagnosis, then its possible that my heart has sustained damage in the chamber and wont pump as great anymore due to the untreated Apnea for who knows how long. He said I need an echo-cardiogram, which will be done Monday. If the heart is fine, he is going to check my legs because maybe the Capillaries? have malfunctioned. He said sometimes as we get older, the two way valve inside those things stops working properly. He did not say what the solution is to that though. I dared not ask for fear he say they will amputate! (Sorry, wild imagination here!)

I asked what happens if I do have a problem with my heart...will I need a heart doctor? yes...he said, but he will cross that bridge when it comes because he knows I will freak out if he talks about things that may not even come to pass. (Yes, I am a worry wart) So, taking a fluid pill for now (and I already do in my blood pressure pill each day) and potassium pill. I am not old, but sure do feel like old age is working its magic on me.

I am going to be upset if due to untreated OSA (I never knew nor suspected OSA in my life) has damaged my heart. I am worried, but as of now, I have no clue why my legs and feet are balloons.

Thanks for listening, and I hope anyone who may have OSA get it treated. All the more reason to keep using the machine when I go to bed each night!

[scrapper]

You are being a worry wart--I can assure you that the first step, or even the second one, will NOT be amputation! Nor will they remove your heart!

I understand and hear your concerns....you will be in my thoughts and prayers. There's lots of possibilities here--the grand majority are not even remotely life threatening! Hang in there.....do your research........and see the positive side of OSA: it's taught you to be your own health care advocate!

[HoseCrusher]

Let me see now... Where was it... Oh yes, here it is. In the 1817 journal of Frankenstein Medicine in Germany there was a reference to frontal lobotomy as a remedy to edema...

Oops, I misread it. Edema is a side effect of frontal lobotomy.

You may want to examine yourself in a mirror to see if any scars might reveal "late night hanky panky" while you were trying to sleep. (and you wonder why you are not feeling totally energetic when you wake up in the morning.)

OK, now that I have put to rest your wildest ideas as having no merit...

Echo cardiograms are very informative. Be sure to ask for a copy of the study before they start. You should end up with a CD being sent to you that allows you to play back the highlights of the data they collected. There is nothing, in my opinion, quite as wonderful as watching your heart go through its motions.

It has been awhile since I had one, but as I remember the procedure was straightforward and there was no more than the normal discomfort of having some poke and prod you.

Good luck and have fun.

[Slinky]

Let's see. I've had so many tests .... isn't the echocaridiogram the ultrasound of the heart?? That one is a piece of cake. Just lay there and let them run the ultrasound wand around your chest. Watch the monitor. THE ONLY CATCH: ask if they can please warm the gel before applying. I don't know about you but I am extremely ticklish when it comes to cold and my ribs. Even when I know its coming I can't help but jump when cold gel hits my ribs!!!! Heck, even when they apply the thigamajigs for the lead wires for an electrocardiogram I involuntarily jump.

Its amazing what that simple echocardiogram can tell them that their precious stress tests, chemical stress tests, etc. etc. can't find or tell them. So much easier, cheaper, simpler ..... its a great little test.

[vtcpa]

I am a 52 year old female in pretty good health, but I also have the same unexplained bilateral lower leg/ankle/foot edema. It has gotten progressively worse over the past few years...many tests, no cause found. Finally, my doctor ordered some comprehensive cardiac tests to "rule out" heart issues. I had cardiolite heart imaging/echocardiogram and a lexiscan stress test done in November. Also, all of the blood tests that could be markers for heart disease.

Good news: everything with my heart was okay. Cardiologist suggested an overnight pulse oximetry test to screen for potential sleep apnea...the next day, I was told I was going for hours with oxygen at 80%. This, in turn, led to the sleep study...and now I am using the hose for 4 weeks now. I'm not a big snorer, just a little overweight (20 lbs, which I'm working on...), but did many nights wake up gasping, feeling like I was dying. Just assumed it was nightmares! I also had a horrible time staying awake during the day. If not for the heart tests, I would have possibly gone 10+ years before getting diagnosed.

My cardiologist tells me that he believes I will get relief from the edema once my body heals from all the years of sleep apnea. He thinks the edema is a result of my body going into survival mode. I have my fingers crossed, and actually, the edema does seem somewhat better hear lately...

So, you need to have the heart test to see if there is anything going on, but maybe your sleep apnea could be contributing to the edema? I'd love to hear from anyone else who has had this symptom and found relief because I've been at my wit's end for years.

Good luck on your healing journey!

[deerslayer]

calm done girl. i tell my wife all the time"you are your own worst enemy"....
imagination can be a good thing if not taken to extremes. look on the bright side- cpap therapy should over time improve your overall health significantly !
i haven't let a heart valve regurgitate affect my activities that much.sure don't drag any deer up the mountain anymore. i think cpap has helped me begin to reverse the mild c o p d , besides having no reumatoid flare ups in a few years, which means no methatrexate & no prednasone ......Try & stay positive . be thankful you are getting the necessary tests.

[Randy32]

i hear you i am 32 and i have had vein stripping in my right leg when i was 21 ever since i have nothing but problems i got a staff infection and caught MRSA i bad circulation and they want me to do lymphodema therapy and both of my legs my right leg is problem 1 1/2 time bigger than my left but you'll be ok maybe you can benefit fom lymphodema therapy as well the tell i just have excess fluid in my legs

[Big S]

Leg swelling and edema are beginning to become familiar terms with me as well. They come and go but I always blame my heart. My legs and ankles are one of the first things my doc checks every time I see him. I also believe the years of not treating the severe sleep apnea (1 event per minute, oxygen sat down to 55% several times) will take time to heal. You are certainly in my thoughts and prayers as you go down this path.

[HoseCrusher]

I just ran across this. It seems that there is a "loose" correlation between edema and dehydration. Before doing anything drastic, you may want to explore drinking an extra liter of water for a couple of days and see if that helps. This seems counter intuitive on the surface, but this is supposed to have something with the bodies response to a survival situation. Obviously, this needs to be checked out, but the down side is zero.

[sydneybird]

I just ran across this. It seems that there is a "loose" correlation between edema and dehydration. Before doing anything drastic, you may want to explore drinking an extra liter of water for a couple of days and see if that helps. This seems counter intuitive on the surface, but this is supposed to have something with the bodies response to a survival situation. Obviously, this needs to be checked out, but the down side is zero.

I agree, good advice HoseCrusher. The more water you drink the less the body will store as a reserve since it knows a ready supply is coming it's way.

[sydneybird]

Regarding the water, I have to caution you in that if you are on meds to control water retention or other meds for high blood pressure, or whatever, that may be an issue. You should confirm our advice with your doctor. I still think it is ok; doctors don't seem to ask or care about the "how much water are you drinking" question. Did your doc talk to you about how much water you are drinking?

[Kahfree]

Regarding the water, I have to caution you in that if you are on meds to control water retention or other meds for high blood pressure, or whatever, that may be an issue. You should confirm our advice with your doctor. I still think it is ok; doctors don't seem to ask or care about the "how much water are you drinking" question. Did your doc talk to you about how much water you are drinking?

My doctor did in fact ask me how much water I drink. I told him I do not drink near enough, but do drink coffee. He said good, he does not want me to over do the water because he said that I can become over saturated with water when I am having edema and he said thats not good. He said drink normal amounts, not the 8 glasses a day type of water. My blood pressure pill is part HCT and it removes fluid from me, but it is doing an excellent job of controlling my blood pressure. Yesterday, it was 120/82. My doctor does not want to take me off of it. I did suggest that maybe I should not be on a water pill and that its doing the opposite and holding the fluid and not releasing it. He said that is not correct.

I have never heard of the issue with the legs not functioning as well as we get older and the two way valve stops working. I have no idea what that is called, but that's what he said could also be an issue if it is not my heart. He is testing the heart really to rule out anything with the major organ of my body, which is wise. The test will let him know and if its not that, then he will begin other investigations.

Can OSA cause water retention in the legs and feet? I just feel like at my age I should not have to stay home because my feet and legs are so swollen I am in pain and cant socialize.

[scrapper]

Can OSA cause water retention in the legs and feet? I just feel like at my age I should not have to stay home because my feet and legs are so swollen I am in pain and cant socialize.

Pregnancy did this in a major fashion for me years ago.........so count your blessings! At least it's not that.

[kteague]

When my edema was relentless I was on furosemide (lasix) and the more they increased it the worse it got. Sometimes meds just quit doing as they've always done. The problem was the med in relation to me, not me, cause the metolazone works just fine. I have not had weeping edema since then. I do take care to keep my legs up in the recliner much of the time or I'm sure I'd find myself in trouble again.

Several years ago tests showed my heart to have a slightly thickened wall and I carry the diagnosis of cardiomegaly. The last time I had an echo done, it reported no enlargement.

[Big S]

Are there any exercises that are recommended to help this condition (leg swelling and edema)?