Swollen Ankles - Side effects of Cruising?

[innlady1]

I mentioned to someone today that throughout our recent cruise and since returning home from FL, my ankles have been swollen...really swollen. This happens every year so that for the last three, I've done the low sodium menu for dinner (but who knows how much sodium is in the food at the Lido at lunch or breakfast!).

She thought it would be a good topic for CC as it happens to her, too. So I'm throwing it out here.

We went from 18 degrees in MA to sunny FL and then 80 degrees throughout our cruise...plus the humidity. When we returned to FL for a few days, it was in the mid 70's.

 

I've started increasing my water intake and that seems to ahve helped today. I drank lots of water while sitting by the pool on the ship but perhaps with the increase in temps, it wasn't enough.

Has anyone else had this happen while cruising the Caribbean (or other warm climates)?

[sapper1]

I find that I drop several pounds of weight gain within a few days after returning home from a cruise. Since I am very sparing with the salt at home I have come to the conclusion that those pounds are due to fluid retention caused by eating more salt than I am used to. The heat and humidity will cause you to retain fluid as well.

Of course, after you lose the fluid gain weight you then have to walk many miles to get rid of the real weight.

[dirtgirl]

I got swollen ankles on two cruises, but only because I also had a bad sunburn on my legs. No sunburn = no swollen ankles. I just slather on the sunscreen now!

[bepsf]

It happens to me every time I take a longer cruise nowadays:

IMO, it's from too much drinking, too much salty food & sauces, too many fancy breakfasts, not enough fresh veggies & fruit and not enough water.

[operafan]

Sheila, it hasn't happened to me for the last several years but I remember one cruise in the Caribbean where the only shoes that fit were my flip flops. I saw a lot of women carrying their shoes instead of wearing them.

[TrolleyGirl]

Happens to my DH every time too. We can't figure it out either. He normally has a high salt diet at home (he practically salts his salt!). So we don't think the amount of sodium in the ship meals would be higher than at home. He also decreases his caffeine intact onboard. I thought caffeine was supposed to reduce the effect of water. My ankles never swell at sea. Did notice that mother in law's, and my fathers ankles swelled too. MIL's didn't go down for months, even went to the dr about it.

[cruisinggranmama]

I too have the same problem on cruises especially if I'm doing a lot of walking on excursions. My doctor told me to make sure my shoes have good support and fit well and to get my feet up when possible. I was told that a diuretic (with doctors' permission) and increased water intake help too.

 

The ship's doctor on one cruise told me it's very common and sometimes includes a rash around the ankle area that can last a long time.

[elycelynne]

This happened to me on the last cruise I was on. I did find something that helps (temporarily). I don't know if all the cabin sofas on all the HAL ships have these, but on mine there was a bolster pillow that elevated my feet quite nicely. I tucked it under my ankles when I went to bed and when I woke up, guess what I had again? Noticeable ankles!

[luxurysailer]

Some people, my wife included, has difficulty with her feet swelling while on long flights. If you've ever noticed this, your problem may well be beginning before you ever board the ship in which case compression stockings worn during flight might help.

[IRL_Joanie]

Some people, my wife included, has difficulty with her feet swelling while on long flights. If you've ever noticed this, your problem may well be beginning before you ever board the ship in which case compression stockings worn during flight might help.

 

Happens to me whenever we are on vacation and extended times here at home.

 

Let me explain. Altitude swells body parts (particularly ankles and shins). I live at a higher than normal altitude at over 5,500 feet above sea level. So sitting for any extended time here at home will cause my ankles to swell dramatically, and causes my shins to not only swell, but turn fairly whitish. It almost appears as if my llower legs have lost all the blood supply.

 

When we fly, of course we are at an even higher altitude for more than 2 & 1/2 hours, at minimum. I must mention here that I am also on fairly high levels of Warfarin (Coumadin) a blood thinner. I am not supposed to sit for more than 30 minutes at a stretch. But when you fly, Homeland Security kind of frowns upon passengers getting up and walking around:(

 

Add to the fact that when we cruise, I use a scooter so am not walking much at all. Not that I do anyway, even at home due to my mobility problems. So by about 1/2 way through our cruise, my ankles are so swollen it is impossible to wear anything but open backed shoes:(

 

Added to the above is the higher humidity in places like Florida and the swelling is even worse. By the time I get home it is nearly impossible to walk more than 10 steps without extreme pain for about 3-5 days.

 

So in my opinion, the swollen ankles, feet and lower legs is due to lack of enough walking, at least for me it is.

 

Joanie

[odleka]

My husband and I have noticed this to after a few days on board. Our theory is the salt in the water used to soften it after the desalination process. We have started to buy large bottles of water to drink in the cabin as we both like to drink a lot of water and at dinner and minimizing drinking the tap water and we have found that has noticeably reduced the swelling of our ankles. We do a lot of walking while on board and use the stairs to help get enough exercise so we can enjoy the food without feeling guilty. We avoid the elevators except when we are dressed up for the evening. It is a simple experiment to try the next time you cruise.:)

[innlady1]

Thanks everyone...what a great group this is!

What had me concerned was that I started PT yesterday and the therapist was concerned and asked me to call my MD and ask for a diuretic. I did, but my doc wanted me to come in first just incase it's "something else" (i.e., blood clot, etc.). That made me nervous, so I totally forgot to tell his nurse that it happens every year...this is nothing new!

But you've all made me feel better. Brian, we were on the 14 days Maasdam cruise, then spent 3 days pre and 6 days post in FL! I think all of the things you've mentioned contribute. I hadn't had a drop to drink since before my surgery on 12/17 and before then, I have a glass of wine every now and then. But on the cruise, I tend to have a drink at the pool or in port and have a glass - maybe 2 - of wine before/with dinner.

dirtgirl, my ankles and feet were also sunburned and rashy...I wondered if I was allergic to the sun! Only the last two years have I sunned and gone in the pool because I've been doing pool exercises...usually, we sit in the shade on our balcony...so I was exposed to the sun much more than I usually have been.

elycelynne, I did the same thing with the pillow, as I'd been doing it at home on doctors orders post surgery...and when I woke up in the AM, they were back to normal...then got progressively worse throughout the day.

I wore compression stockings on the flight down (and home) as I'd had surgery and had to wear them the first two weeks at home...and the surgeon suggested that I use them. I stopped Coumadin once I got to FL (only 1 mg. taken before, during and after surgery).

I never use table salt at home...ever...with one exception: corn on the cob! And even though I did the low sodium thing at dinner, I'm sure I got plenty during the day with lunch...and even breakfast.

Thanks everyone...it's nice to know I'm not alone! ;)

Edited February 23, 2011 by innlady1

[innlady1]

Thanks for all the great tips, everyone. Good point on the water, odleka! Next time I'll bring water aboard. I was drinking what they offer at the pool which, of course, is the desalinated water.

[sapete]

All this advise is good and I agree with a lot of it--but please do not use it in place of advise from your Doctor, who knows your own medical history. Swollen ankles is a symtoms of a wide range of illnesses-some serious.

[cp556]

I, too, develop swollen ankles during cruises. I eat very little salt at home, so yummy cruise ship food is probably a culprit. But we try to walk a lot and drink LOTS of bottled water, and that definitely helps, as does raising the ankles with a pillow when we sleep.

 

I spent a week at my DH's side in the hospital last year and after eating hospital cafeteria food for that long, my ankles were HUGE. Raising my legs while sleeping helped, but the cure was returning home and eating non-cafeteria food. Don't know if it was the sodium or the MSG, but that hospital food really swelled the ankles.

[Cruising-along]

I had the swollen ankles only on one cruise, the Panama Canal cruise. It's also the only cruise we've taken where the humidity was high! I drank extra water and elevated my feet, and the problem was gone after a few days -- before the end of the cruise. I was baffled, as I've never had the problem before on land or sea.

[NMLady]

I mentioned to someone today that throughout our recent cruise and since returning home from FL, my ankles have been swollen...really swollen. This happens every year so that for the last three, I've done the low sodium menu for dinner (but who knows how much sodium is in the food at the Lido at lunch or breakfast!).

 

She thought it would be a good topic for CC as it happens to her, too. So I'm throwing it out here. ...

 

 

Has anyone else had this happen while cruising the Caribbean (or other warm climates)?

 

I've had swollen ankles -- and feet down to my toes -- on almost every cruise I've taken. It's worse in the warm climates of the Caribbean, but still happens in other climates too. I have no idea why.

[peaches from georgia]

For me it is more salt and wine than usual. A lot of cruise food is quite heavily salted.

[frbob]

Happened to me too...twice in the past year. Strange! I didn't eat or drink any differently than any other cruises. The swelling was gone and all was back to normal as soon as I got home.

 

I'm blaming it on high excursion prices. What d'ya' think? :D

[jiminyC_fan]

I'm glad to read that it isn't just me. I look back at pictures from all of our cruises and I look horrible.

[ncgolferette]

I sure was glad to see this thread - I thought it was only me with swollen ankles!!! After seven cruises with swollen feet I too thought it might be my diet while cruising but then came to the conclusion after doing some research that it was the Bonine I took for motion sickness. We went to Alaska this past July for the 14 day cruise on the Amsterdam and I used the patch for the very first time - not one swollen ankle for 14 days.

[Ontario Cruiser]

Me too but I have just bought herbal diruretic to take with me this time 14 days on the Summit Feb 26 & 28 days on the Veendam Mar 18 so I hope the work

Ontario Cruiser

[SilvertoGold]

Interesting thread.

Is this why I go on a cruise with one bag and come home with three? The extra two are under my eyes. Being so young I never, ever have this problem at home! Even if we don't fly to the cruise, I get these really puffy bags under my eyes and they stay put for the whole cruise!

Edited February 23, 2011 by SilvertoGold

[cruzn single]

My ankles were even swollen in Alaska last year. My Mother used to have swollen ankles in the Caribbean, even though at that time we lived in Florida. I have always felt that the "regular" ship's water (even though it is very safe to drink) contains added salt even though it has been through the desalination process. My ankles never swell on a trip to Florida, even though we now live in the SW Desert.

 

So, last year, when my ankles started swelling in Alaska I resorted to drinking strictly bottled water, and VOILA! my ankles quit swelling!!!

 

Also know that some medications can cause swelling--we spent one 17 day period in Hawaii with me having horribly swollen ankles the whole time! Had started on the plane, and had to be given diuretics after returning home. (I had just changed a high blood pressure medicine).

 

So, now, and on future cruises, it will be strictly bottled water for me.

[theragirl]

Oh this does not bode well for me, but looks like there will be lots of others in the same boat. My feet started swelling about 3 years ago and seem to get worse whenever I travel. Walking seems to make it worse as well as the humidity:( I am traveling this time with some good support hose while flying and I plan on wearing them as I sleep as well to hopefully make the days better. I'm too vain to be wearing them with my shorts and dresses but I'll have to see how it goes. If it gets really bad I may have to go for that look:eek: Nothing says sexy than support hose:D