New symptom: swollen feet??

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Jannine
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:46 am
Location: Maryland, USA

New symptom: swollen feet??

Postby Jannine » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:39 am

I've noticed that my feet are swelling up by the end of the day, and when I go to bed my normally skin-and-bones feet look all puffy. By the time I wake up, my feet are mostly back to normal although my ankles are still a bit swollen. It's not nearly as bad as it was after I went home from a week in the hospital; my blood pressure is normally low and they didn't like how low it was getting, so I was on fluids most of the time I was there. It took days for my legs to recover from that. I had never had this problem before surgery.

I'm about to get my 12th and last dose of FOLFOX early next week, hopefully.

Is this a common symptom with FOLFOX? Should I be propping my feet up overnight so more of the liquid will get out of my legs? Is this likely to fade when I stop getting chemo? Is this something I should tell my oncologist about ASAP, or should I just wait until next week?

Sorry about the barrage of questions, but it's really bugging me that I've got this showing up so late in the game, when I still have a couple more weeks to go before I'm through with chemo.
DX: sigmoid colon cancer 5/2018. 48 F
laparoscopic sigmoid resection (24 cm removed); no stoma.
7.5cm adenocarcinoma -- mod. diff.
1 noncontiguous tumor deposit removed; 0/31 lymph nodes
T3 pN1c M0
5/18 before surgery, CEA 11.2
6/18 began FOLFOX
7/18: CEA 1.9; added neulasta post infusion
9/18: CEA 2.8
10/18: 25% chemo reduction
11/18: CEA 1.8
7/19 CT scan clear

Gravelyguy
Posts: 382
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:03 pm

Re: New symptom: swollen feet??

Postby Gravelyguy » Thu Dec 06, 2018 10:43 am

Hi Jannine,

I did not have that problem but I know they checked me every office visit for swollen legs and feet so it must be a side effect of some kind. Might be worth a call to you oncologist and let them know.

Dave
6/17 dx mRC t3n1m1 very low rectal tumor 2 liver Mets 1.3 cm and .9 cm

6/17 begin 4 rounds Folfox w/Vectibix
9/17 short course radiation
10/17 rectal and liver resection LAR with coloanal anastomosis (no rectum left)
11/17-3/18 8 rounds Folfox
6/18 still NED!! Takedown
8/28/18 still NED! CEA .8 new low for me
10/18/18 colonoscopy clear
12/12/18 CEA .9 still NED!
6/11/19 CEA 1.0
12/19/19 CEA 1.0 still NED!
6/17/20 CEA 1.1 still NED!
12/15/20 CEA 1.1still NED!
12/16/21 CEA 1.2 still NED!

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mobrouser
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 1:44 pm
Location: Ontario

Re: New symptom: swollen feet??

Postby mobrouser » Thu Dec 06, 2018 11:33 am

First of all, congratulations on being one step away from being finished chemo!!! That is such an accomplishment.

I had the opposite reaction as you. For years now I have had very mild edema in my legs that drained every night, but during the 1 week in hospital on IV fluids while being diagnosed I had no swelling at all.
But, for about 2 weeks after surgery it was bad, even in my hands, and I slept with a pillow under my feet to help. I attributed it to being less mobile after surgery.

Once I started chemo, on infusion day in the chemo suite I was in the bathroom every half hour which carried on right through for a couple of days after disconnect day.

I wonder if the water retention could be related to steroid usage? I was on a very low dose just on the first infusion day, and in the end stopped taking it because I didn't like the mood side effects.

mob 8)
CC Dx 102017 age 58
Lap. right hemi-colectomy Dec 2017
Adenocarcinoma ascending colon – 6cm x 6cm x 2cm, Low Grade, penetrates to peritoneum
T4a N2a M0, Stage IIIC
lymph nodes 6 positive out of 18
FOLFOX start Jan/18 end Aug/8 (felt like a year)
CEA - 01/15/18-2.8; 07/29/18-5.3; 09/19-2.4; 03/20-2.7; 09/20-2.9
CT scan 08/18 - Clear; 10/19 - Clear; * 10/20 - 8mm & 6mm nodules in liver
PET scan 09/18 (thought about bringing the cat :wink: ) - Clear
Colonoscopy Dec 7 2018 - Clear - Next in 3 years?

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: New symptom: swollen feet??

Postby NHMike » Thu Dec 06, 2018 4:29 pm

My toes and toenails turned black and I developed callouses and blisters (from walking) and I'm not sure whether or not I had swelling but I had to buy shoes 1/2 size bigger and also wider. These shoes are somewhat big on me now.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

Ron50
Posts: 699
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:04 pm

Re: New symptom: swollen feet??

Postby Ron50 » Thu Dec 06, 2018 6:16 pm

I would be asking my gp to check a sample of my urine for protein loss. Protein is what virtually keeps your blood in your veins . If you are losing too much thru your kidney filters you can suffer protein -urea. Years after chemo I started blowing up in the legs . I was tested and I was losing just under 3grams of protein a day. It was causing peripheral and pulmonary oedema. My protein loss went up to nearly seven grams a day and I have been on cyclosporine for around three years to control it. My doctor (nephrologist) said that uncontrolled it can lead to blood clots forming. I am also on 40 mg of lasik (diuretic) a day. Early diagnosis can save you a lot of drama, it really is worthwhile getting it checked Ron.
dx 1/98
st 3 c 6 nodes
48 sessions 5Fu/levamisole
no recurrence cea <.5
numerous l/t side effects of chemo


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