Slight pressure makes legs weep water - advice needed

Noorza

Registered User
Jun 8, 2012
6,541
0
I know I put on our fabulous posters knowledge so much but I need your help again. I have started a new thread as if I put it under Noorza's News it might get lost.

I have seen most things with mum but this is new. She was taken to hospital with swollen legs, hugely swollen, they were infected, they've sorted out her infection and the angry red is reducing, the itching is being treated, they've put her on intravenous diuretics and she had stopped weeing, now started again after intravenous drip.

But her legs are so swollen if you rub a finger gently down them they weep water, it's clear, not infected, just clear water. I've never seen anything like it. If you rub them again more water is leaked from her legs.

They are transferring her to a heart ward asap. She's had 5 heart attacks, a stroke, has degenerative heart disease and kidney function seriously compromised.

Why are her legs leaking water. I fear organ failure, we know it has been coming but is it here? Am I being to over dramatic or do I need to prepare myself.

Does anyone know what is happening?
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
73,998
0
72
Dundee
My mum's legs used to swell with water retention. She had heart problems too. The skin on her legs was paper thin. If she bumped her leg even slightly the skin would break and water would pour from them. I used to have to get the district nurses to come and dress her legs on a daily basis. She often had cellulitis

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cellulitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

It was a never ending problem with mum I'm afraid.
 
Last edited:

angelface

Registered User
Oct 8, 2011
1,085
0
london
I have seen this before, when my mother was very poorly with heart failure. She also had very swollen arms and fingers, and was blue round the mouth.

Hope your mum does not have these symptoms too?
 

Noorza

Registered User
Jun 8, 2012
6,541
0
I have seen this before, when my mother was very poorly with heart failure. She also had very swollen arms and fingers, and was blue round the mouth.

Hope your mum does not have these symptoms too?

Not yet angleface. I am so worried, leaking legs is new to us which normally means a deterioration.
 

tiggs72

Registered User
Jul 15, 2013
142
0
Is it cellulitis? My friend had this after a lymph node operation? Really swollen, red and itchy with weeping?

Not sure what causes it - believe it is some form of infection???

Guess not helping you really but may be worth asking the question?

X
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
73,998
0
72
Dundee
As I said my mum's legs poured with water if the skin was broken. Once the district nurse dressed them - always from toe to knee even for the smallest puncture - they eventually healed. Until the next time she bumped one. The build up of water was partly due to her immobility.
 

turbo

Registered User
Aug 1, 2007
3,852
0
Hello Noorza, I am so glad you have had some helpful replies. You must be so worried about your mum.


turbo
 

PeggySmith

Registered User
Apr 16, 2012
1,687
0
BANES
Hi Noorza,
MIL can be the same and has had infections too. She was admitted to hospital last year for something else, but did have infection in her leg and the DNs were coming in to change dressings. The hospital got rid of the dressings and told us she needed to keep her legs up for part of the day, cream her legs to keep the skin viable and, once the sore bits healed, she has to wear compression stockings. That has helped a lot as long as she can be persuaded to put her feet up.
 

Noorza

Registered User
Jun 8, 2012
6,541
0
Mum has lost control of her bladder having an accident this morning and is still now weeing excessively, she says it's not stopping. I want to get her to the doctors now, as we know she has heart failure and kidneys are not functioning properly.

The problem: My sister a retired CPN has told her to wait until she speaks to her community heart nurse, who is currently out on calls and (will in all likelihood) tell her to go to the GP when we won't be able to get her seen today.

Last year mum's hands and feet went blue my sister told her not to worry the colour would come back. I had to persuade her she needed an ambulance which was all the harder because of the reassurance she had been given.

I've just called the surgery but they are closed until 4!
 

PeggySmith

Registered User
Apr 16, 2012
1,687
0
BANES
Is there an out of hours service you could call? Or is it one of those where you get a stranger? Fingers crossed for you, I know how awful it feels just having to wait.
 

Noorza

Registered User
Jun 8, 2012
6,541
0
She needs to be seen but won't go as is waiting for the nurse because my sister tld her to. 111 are useless..... Someone said some areas still have NHS Direct, I'll check it out for us.
 

lilysmybabypup

Registered User
May 21, 2012
1,263
0
Sydney, Australia
Oh dear. My FIL had congestive heart failure, and heart working at very minimal capacity after years of the condition. He would get a huge build up of fluid in his legs and they would need to be elevated, and the fluid would literally weep out of his skin and into puddles on the floor. He was given a course of a diuretic called Lasix to reduce the fluid build up. It's not unusual with heart conditions but definitely get some medical attention. You may need to just try and override your mum's wishes, try to impress upon her the importance of not waiting. Easier said than done.

Hope you get some quick and effective help.

Stephanie, xxx
 

Nebiroth

Registered User
Aug 20, 2006
3,510
0
This sounds very much like fluid retention in the legs, which is not uncommon in people with poor heart function. You say your mum has had fiv eheart-attacks and a degenerative heart disease too.

It will be compounded if she is immobile or sedentary, because the pumping action of the leg muscles when we move around helps the blood move from the lower extremeties, evolution uses this to it;s advantage to reduce the load on the heart. But it becomes a problem when people are immobile, our bodies are really evolved to function best when moving around.

Reduced kidney function will not help as it may mean fluid is not being eliminated properly.

I think you should ignore your mum's wishes and call the emergency services. Explain to them why you are calling. When they arrive tell her you called the heart nurse and she told you to call for help.

It is simply not worth waiting to see what would happen. It is better to summon help it turns out you do not need, rather than to wait and not call help it turns out you did need.

Th eincessant weeing coul dbe a sign the diuretics are working as I think you said she is now back on them but it really sounds as though medical help is required.

If it helps an elderly family friend who lives close by called me about a month ago as she had had another fall. She was absolutely certain she had not hurt herself but I was not taking the risk, also she is on the large side and I cannot lift her safely. I alled 999 and an ambulance arrived with three operatives. They took her blood pressure as part of the routine for falls - it was over 210! she was admitted right away because of the high risk of strokes.

It is just not worth the risk in the elderly and frail, even innocuous seeming things can move on to complications quickly.
 
Last edited:

angecmc

Registered User
Dec 25, 2012
2,108
0
hertfordshire
Noorza, so sorry to hear about your Mum, you must be so worried, I hope you manage to get something sorted to put your mind at ease. xx

Ange
 

Noorza

Registered User
Jun 8, 2012
6,541
0
Noorza, so sorry to hear about your Mum, you must be so worried, I hope you manage to get something sorted to put your mind at ease. xx

Ange

Thank you it is a roller coaster, as we all know too well.
 

BeckyJan

Registered User
Nov 28, 2005
18,971
0
Derbyshire
I am sorry to read about your Mum's present situation. What a worry for you.
I hope your Mother will accept your advice soon and some medical relief is found.
Take care of yourself whilst all this is happening.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
138,135
Messages
1,993,257
Members
89,791
Latest member
debbie1968