Travel

[BExplorer]

I just wanted to pop in and say THANKS!  I ended up wearing the compression socks (not the ankle ones) and they actually worked!  I didn't have to take the water pills!  I did have a little swelling one day, and then wore another pair of compression socks to bed that night and the swelling did not get any worse.  👍

[VaBelle35]

I have had the problem when flying coast to coast.  I ended up having to wear flip flops for a week at a conference because I couldn't get my feet into shoes.

I now use Andrew Lessman's Circulation & Vein Support and I don't have that problem anymore.

[BExplorer]

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@VaBelle35 wrote:

I have had the problem when flying coast to coast.  I ended up having to wear flip flops for a week at a conference because I couldn't get my feet into shoes.

I now use Andrew Lessman's Circulation & Vein Support and I don't have that problem anymore.

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I did try that supplement a year or two ago. I started taking it about a month or two before a flight, but unfortunately it did nothing for my swelling.  😕

Glad ad it helps you, though,  😊

[TW]

Air Travel is notorious for causing deep vein thrombosis escpecially in older people.  One of my friends in his early fifties collapsed after getting off a flight.  He had developed several blood clots and wasn't allowed to fly for over a year.  It's also recommended that everybody over 50 wears compression stockings on flights.  During long flights you should get up every couple of hours and walk around.  There are also leg exercises you can do while seated. 

[JeanLouiseFinch]

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@BExplorerwrote:

I didn't want to derail Miss Shelly's thread, so...I am flying to NYC Saturday and have a prescription for water pills.  I have never taken them before.  I requested them because the last several years I have had horrible swelling when traveling any long distance either by plane or car.

And I don't mean the normal swelling from traveling, I am talking huge ankles, calves and feet for an entire week afterwards.  I have tried all the obvious preventative measures--low sodium intake, no alcohol, keeping feet elevated, moving around often.  Nothing has worked and it's the only time I swell.  

I guess am am asking two things.  First, does anyone else have this swelling issue that lasts so long?  Second, any advice on when to take the water pills and what to expect?  Will they be as effective if I wait until after I begin to swell (after landing)?  How long after taking one should I expect to be near a bathroom?  I have asked my doctors office and can't seem to get a solid answer.  

TIA!

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@BExplorer- Swelling occurs from sitting or standing too long and it's blood that's actually pooling at the ankles rather than fluid retention.  It sounds counterintuitive but you need to increase your water intake - plain ol' water, not a flavored water, sports drink, coffee, tea, etc. and purposely move around, get out of your seat and walk some.  Personally, I wouldn't recommend starting a water pill just because you're flying.  You don't know how your body is going to react to it.  A diuretic could actually make your symptoms worse by dehydrating you.  When you arrive at your destination, see if you can schedule a leg & ankle massage or even do it to yourself, to get your circulation and lymphatics moving again.  Elevate your feet when you can

I take a water pill (hydrocholorothiazide) daily for high blood pressure.  Even so, I still get swelling when I sit too long or if it's really hot and humid outdoors.  I was concerned about it with flying a couple of weeks ago.  Yes, it did happen even though I took my pill in the morning as usual. 

I still don't recommend it, but if you are still insistant about using a diuretic, take your water pill first thing in the morning. I suppose you can wait until you arrive at your destination but since you don't know how you're going to react to it, it could always disturb your trip at inopportune times. Taking it at night will definitely interupt your sleep. Depending on the strength of the diuretic, you could start "going" withiin an hour of taking it and need to go often or you may settle into a regular schedule but have more volume.  With hydrochlorothiazide, my bathroom habits haven't changed a whole lot, I just have some extra volume.  However, when I was on lasix for a period of time, I could barely go anywhere.  If we were on a long car ride, I'd have to ask my husband to stop often, like every 45 minutes, which was for the birds!  

I really hope you'll rethink this whole idea.

[BExplorer]

Hi @JeanLouiseFinch, I appreciate your detailed and insightful reply.  I did end up getting a prescription for water pills but decided I would wait to take them until I reached my destination and the swelling began.  For the first time, I wore compression socks on the flight.  I did have swelling a couple days after the flight but it was nowhere as bad as usual so I did not end up taking the water pills!  I hope it was the socks that helped and that it wasn't just a fluke.  😊

[Stray]

I would not take water pills for swelling from flight.  Compression stockings, walking around on the plane and even while seated move your feet around like flexing and rotating your ankles.  Since I've gotten older, we travel business class, so I elevate my legs the entire trip.  If your problem is that severe, I might consider that if you can.  

Diuretics are not innocuous and to take them for travel is not a good idea imho.   I lived in NYC and worked there 28 years & never had a problem finding a bathroom.  There are department stores, restaurants ( stop in for a soft drink)  and many hotels have street level bathrooms and allow you to use them.