Both ankles swelling and gaining weight

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MichelleF78

MichelleF78

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
Help please guys. Diagnosed T1 December. Started insulin. Both my ankles are swollen and painful. I have gained about a stone in 3 months on insulin and I’m totally miserable. I have emailed the diabetes team and awaiting a reply. Honest to God I feel like coming off all this. Insulin will make you feel much better they said.

Did this happen to anyone newly diagnosed?

Thanks as always Michelle
 
Hi Michelle,

I am not on insulin but from what I have read on here, I believe insulin can encourage weight gain in some people, but that is only from what I have read and it is very much needed to control Type 1, this is because insulin helps the body absorb sugar, which can be converted into fat but it could be that your diabetes nurse will advise to change your dose or alter your diet. It may be a coincidence that the weight has gone on since the medication though and having bloated ankles sounds more like water retention.

Someone more knowledgeable will be along to respond to you, but just wanted to say hello and also how lovely your profile photo is

x
 
I have just read these tips on preventing edema in ankles when diabetic. these may be helpful while you are waiting for a response from you diabetic team.

To prevent edema, do your best to avoid factors that make it worse. It may be challenging or impossible for diabetics to completely prevent fluid retention and swelling, but you can minimize it by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and following the doctor’s recommendations.

Here are some things you can do.

  • Stay active; stand up and walk around every hour, even on flights or during work
  • Elevate the legs above heart level whenever you’re relaxing and sitting down
  • Minimize your sodium intake, not just salt intake
  • Drink a lot of water and eat lots of fresh low-glycemic fruits and vegetables to reduce water retention
  • Have regular foot massages to improve circulation and reduce swelling
  • Wear compression garments according to your doctor’s instructions
  • Talk to your doctor about alternatives to edema-causing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Watch your blood glucose levels and stay within recommended levels
  • Manage your weight
 
MichelleF78 said:
Help please guys. Diagnosed T1 December. Started insulin. Both my ankles are swollen and painful. I have gained about a stone in 3 months on insulin and I’m totally miserable. I have emailed the diabetes team and awaiting a reply. Honest to God I feel like coming off all this. Insulin will make you feel much better they said.

Did this happen to anyone newly diagnosed?

Thanks as always Michelle
Click to expand...

No, definitely not. That sounds unusual. Sensible to email your team, but you could also speak to your GP re your ankles. It could be totally unrelated to the diabetes.

As for the weight gain, I lost a lot of weight pre-diagnosis, but once diagnosed I put the weight back on plus more. However, the ‘more’ gradually disappeared as my body settled down. I think the body rightly believes it’s starving when undiagnosed, so once on insulin stores extra fat in case it will be starving again, but once it realises it’s not needed, it shifts it and settles down.
 
How’s your blood sugar @MichelleF78 ? And did you have your kidneys, etc checked at diagnosis? What insulins are you taking?

Edited to add - you were going high overnight, I see. Have you increased your basal? And have you now got the Fiasp to try?
 
Last edited:
MichelleF78 said:
Help please guys. Diagnosed T1 December. Started insulin. Both my ankles are swollen and painful. I have gained about a stone in 3 months on insulin and I’m totally miserable. I have emailed the diabetes team and awaiting a reply. Honest to God I feel like coming off all this. Insulin will make you feel much better they said.

Did this happen to anyone newly diagnosed?

Thanks as always Michelle
Click to expand...
You need to contact your GP regarding ankles swelling.
Insulin does not make you gain weight, if it did all the type1 population would look like overweight Teletubbies 😱 The weight you have gain is probably what you lost before diagnoses or you are just eating more as in correcting hypos 🙂

Please do not stop your insulin it will cause your body major trauma or even death :(
 
Inka said:
How’s your blood sugar @MichelleF78 ? And did you have your kidneys, etc checked at diagnosis? What insulins are you taking?

Edited to add - you were going high overnight, I see. Have you increased your basal? And have you now got the Fiasp to try?
Click to expand...
@Inka oh still on the NR so far. Fiasp still not came through. Still rising through the night ( on 26 Levemir now in evening) I am just struggling with everything. One day great next day god awful. The swollen ankles I just don’t get ‍♀️
 
Pumper_Sue said:
You need to contact your GP regarding ankles swelling.
Insulin does not make you gain weight, if it did all the type1 population would look like overweight Teletubbies 😱 The weight you have gain is probably what you lost before diagnoses or you are just eating more as in correcting hypos 🙂

Please do not stop your insulin it will cause your body major trauma or even death :(
Click to expand...
I hear ya @Pumper_Sue it’s just too overwhelming I really can’t cope at times x
 
Jenny65 said:
I have just read these tips on preventing edema in ankles when diabetic. these may be helpful while you are waiting for a response from you diabetic team.

To prevent edema, do your best to avoid factors that make it worse. It may be challenging or impossible for diabetics to completely prevent fluid retention and swelling, but you can minimize it by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and following the doctor’s recommendations.

Here are some things you can do.

  • Stay active; stand up and walk around every hour, even on flights or during work
  • Elevate the legs above heart level whenever you’re relaxing and sitting down
  • Minimize your sodium intake, not just salt intake
  • Drink a lot of water and eat lots of fresh low-glycemic fruits and vegetables to reduce water retention
  • Have regular foot massages to improve circulation and reduce swelling
  • Wear compression garments according to your doctor’s instructions
  • Talk to your doctor about alternatives to edema-causing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Watch your blood glucose levels and stay within recommended levels
  • Manage your weight
Click to expand...
@Jenny65 bless you that cheered me up.
Jenny65 said:
I have just read these tips on preventing edema in ankles when diabetic. these may be helpful while you are waiting for a response from you diabetic team.

To prevent edema, do your best to avoid factors that make it worse. It may be challenging or impossible for diabetics to completely prevent fluid retention and swelling, but you can minimize it by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and following the doctor’s recommendations.

Here are some things you can do.

  • Stay active; stand up and walk around every hour, even on flights or during work
  • Elevate the legs above heart level whenever you’re relaxing and sitting down
  • Minimize your sodium intake, not just salt intake
  • Drink a lot of water and eat lots of fresh low-glycemic fruits and vegetables to reduce water retention
  • Have regular foot massages to improve circulation and reduce swelling
  • Wear compression garments according to your doctor’s instructions
  • Talk to your doctor about alternatives to edema-causing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Watch your blood glucose levels and stay within recommended levels
  • Manage your weight
Click to expand...
@Jenny65 thank you Jenny. I appreciate you taking the time to message me. All over the place with it all. Are you T2? How are you getting on?
 
MichelleF78 said:
@Inka oh still on the NR so far. Fiasp still not came through. Still rising through the night ( on 26 Levemir now in evening) I am just struggling with everything. One day great next day god awful. The swollen ankles I just don’t get ‍♀️
Click to expand...

Google tells me that water retention/swelling is a rare side-effect of insulin treatment @MichelleF78 but if it was me, I’d want other causes ruled out first.

Type 1 is a pain in the bum because so much can affect your blood sugar. What I do when I’m struggling, is try to remove a few variables. So, for example, I’d eat the same evening meal at the same time of day, go to bed at the same time, get up at the same time, and see if that helped me work out my basal.

I think you have a Libre? Can you see on that when exactly you start to rise? Sometimes it’s the timing of the basal that needs adjusting as well as/instead of the amount.
 
Always about 3am it starts. I can be sitting around 5 and gradually you see it shift upwards. When I wake I can be sitting around 10/11 and BG can then rise 2-3 by just getting up. I take Levemir usually 12 hours apart so if I’m up earlier it could be about 6am/6pm. Today it was 8am/8pm.
 
Hmm, perhaps that’s Dawn Phenomenon @MichelleF78 ? Mine starts around 3-4am. A pump would help, if that’s the case. But, you could also try gradually moving your Levemir later. When I take a pump break, I find that if I take my evening basal too early, my Dawn Phenomenon is worse. Levemir does have a slight peak of action so ideally you’d want that when your blood sugar is starting to rise. So, taking it at bedtime might be something to try (move the time gradually).
 
If you’re having swelling perhaps some of that weight is fluid retention? Definitely speak to your gp about it
 
Inka said:
Hmm, perhaps that’s Dawn Phenomenon @MichelleF78 ? Mine starts around 3-4am. A pump would help, if that’s the case. But, you could also try gradually moving your Levemir later. When I take a pump break, I find that if I take my evening basal too early, my Dawn Phenomenon is worse. Levemir does have a slight peak of action so ideally you’d want that when your blood sugar is starting to rise. So, taking it at bedtime might be something to try (move the time gradually).
Click to expand...
Thanks @Inka i did think of that. But others on here take it 12 hours apart? So maybe I should wait to bed time then as it takes a few hours to kick in?
 
Lucyr said:
If you’re having swelling perhaps some of that weight is fluid retention? Definitely speak to your gp about it
Click to expand...
Thanks Lucy, diabetes’ team say nothing to with them (ankles) so I’ve called GP and it’s 3 weeks for appointment. Got the nurse calling me tomorrow afternoon. Is it just water tablets i need you think? But my ankles are painful. That’s what’s worrying me.
 
I usually take my Levemir as soon as I wake up, currently 6.30-7am and my evening dose (when I need one) at bedtime which is usually 11pm ish. If my levels start to show a pattern of rising on an evening after my meal has digested then I sometimes bring the evening injection forwards to help tackle that, but generally wake up and bedtime works well for me and it is convenient.
 
Hi Emma yes I am. They put me on a statin when I was mis diagnosed T2 and I’m on a blood pressure tablet also. Thanks @EmmaL76
 
rebrascora said:
I usually take my Levemir as soon as I wake up, currently 6.30-7am and my evening dose (when I need one) at bedtime which is usually 11pm ish. If my levels start to show a pattern of rising on an evening after my meal has digested then I sometimes bring the evening injection forwards to help tackle that, but generally wake up and bedtime works well for me and it is convenient.
Click to expand...
Barbara I was just about to ask you and you replied. Should I take as late as bed time then? I was sticking to 12 hours apart. Do you know peak time of Levemir?
 
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