PLD Pain

Swelling

With kidney cysts there is an alteration of the renin - angiotensin - aldosterone system can cause us to retain sodium. It is possible for this to result in noticeable leg, ankle and thigh swelling. Anything one can do to eliminate salt might prove helpful. With PLD, with liver cysts, sometimes the liver cysts squeezes a blood vessel. It is this stricture that can lead to swelling. Prolonged sitting like at a desk or computer and simultaneously crossing the legs can contribute to an increase in leg swelling. Some have tried rocker shoes available at a medical supply store or a rocker plate under the desk available at office supply stores.

Rocker shoes, a stairmaster, anything to squeeze your calf muscles will pump returning blood back to the heart when there is edema and swelling of vessels from a constriction caused by a cluster of liver cysts squeezing a blood vessel.

Working with our doctors, the following list are a few things we have tried that were successful in relieving edema:

Exercise

Food

When the Swelling Got Really Bad

Juices & Vegetables & Diretics

	Exercise
daily walks	Continuous exercise for ten minutes or more allows enough time to elapse for lactic acid to be eliminated through the lungs.
water	Keep your kidneys well hydrated to dilute any acids that are created.
stairmaster	Use of the stairmaster enable a coaxing of new blood vessels widening the lumen of existing crimped vessels.
food	I ate foods which stimulated the body to lay down new blood vessels such as chilies, saffron, and cabbage.

	Food
low sodium diet	For a week (a short duration) I ate only brown rice, sweet potato, chicken broth, beef broth, squash, vegetables,and fruits. I prepared everything myself so I knew there was no added salt. I eliminated all other foods (for only one week). I avoided milk, dairy, breads, tortillas, rolls, cakes, prepared foods, meat, eggs, wheat, corn, soy. These are common allergic foods. This is a variation on the allergy elimination diet. It is called the Duke Rice diet for lowering blood pressure; by eliminating all sugars, honey, fructose, etc. After a week all swelling disappeared without the use of any diuretics
albumin	Chicken broth, beef broth, and cabbage juice were foods I consumed to assure that I would get adequate amounts of daily essential amino acids. When my liver was a bit wonky, it was not manufacturing sufficient albumin. Albumin is a protein that is necessary to keep the (blood) fluid contained within the walls of the blood vessels so it does not seep into the tissues causing edema. If this were to happen today, it is likely I would take leucine supplements

Food

low sodium diet

For a week (a short duration) I ate only brown rice, sweet potato, chicken broth, beef broth, squash, vegetables,and fruits. I prepared everything myself so I knew there was no added salt. I eliminated all other foods (for only one week). I avoided milk, dairy, breads, tortillas, rolls, cakes, prepared foods, meat, eggs, wheat, corn, soy. These are common allergic foods. This is a variation on the allergy elimination diet. It is called the Duke Rice diet for lowering blood pressure; by eliminating all sugars, honey, fructose, etc. After a week all swelling disappeared without the use of any diuretics

albumin

Chicken broth, beef broth, and cabbage juice were foods I consumed to assure that I would get adequate amounts of daily essential amino acids. When my liver was a bit wonky, it was not manufacturing sufficient albumin. Albumin is a protein that is necessary to keep the (blood) fluid contained within the walls of the blood vessels so it does not seep into the tissues causing edema. If this were to happen today, it is likely I would take leucine supplements

	When the Swelling Was Really Bad
rocking	While sitting, I would alternate by pushing off on the tips of my toes, resting on the balls of my feet, rocking back and forth, and raising up on my heels. This stretches the Achilles tendon and squeezes the calf muscle forcing the blood back to the heart. I have a footrest that helps me to do this when sitting at my computer.
walking	I would get up and walk every hour for five minutes, if possible I would use the stairs.
leg elevation	I was told to elevate my legs above the level of the heart. Initially I would drape my body across the couch with my head and shoulders resting on the floor and my feet stretched high around the back of the couch.
zero gravity chair	This is a massage chair which tips you backwards so your feet are elevated comfortably above the level of your heart. It provides heat and a gentle massage. Available through warehouse stores as a patio chair for about $39 or through the Relax the Back Store. While traveling I find a relax the back store and try out this chair for an hour or more.
baths	My naturopath physician explained if I could soak in a jacuzzi or bath tub at a temperature near to body temperature, this would keep the fluid within the vessels.

	Exercise
	Vegetables & Fruit Juices With Diuretic Effect.
parsley	Parsley (carrot beet) juice. Available at airports from Jamba Juice.
nettle	Nettle juice. Available as a non-alcoholic organic extract. High in potassium and has diuretic properties while lowering uric acid (elevated in PKD).
grapefruit	Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice eliminates leg swelling while traveling.CAUTION grapefruit interferes with many medications. Try to avoid bottled juices. Instead drink mineral water with a lemon slice or hot water with freshly squeezed lemon.
diuretics	There are certain diuretics that cause the creatinine to rise due to the dehydration effect. This is a temporary decline and hopefully this will correct itself once you come off diuretics. Certain diuretics contribute to kidney stone formation. I made sure the ones I took did not do this. I had asked my doctors if they could not push up the dose of the diuretics to help diminish the edema. They told me no. My climbing creatinine was an indication that I was at my maximum diuretic dose.