Hi Helen,

Now you know I go to the Dom Rep on a regular basis, well 2 years ago when I went by the 3rd day of our holiday my feet, ankles and calves swelled so much I could just about walk, it was so painful, my feet looked like pigs trotters lol !!! I was nearly in tears with so much pain. Went to the Dr at the clinic attached to the resort and he checked me over, prescribed me water tablets,(had to laugh me with water retention, no way, I am always going for a p**) and you can guess I was forever running to the toilets for a p** even more than normal, good job there was toilets right by the beach. Well they worked all the fluid went and had no problems for the rest of my holiday. Never had any problems on our last 2 long haul flights, so dont know why it happened that year and no others.

Angie.

have pmd as well Helen
For the future invest in proper flight socks. They dont look wonderful on but they really made such a difference to me. I used to have twice as many shoes or sandals as some were for the first few days when my feet were really swollen.

Fiona,

You say about investing in proper flight socks, I have always used proper flight socks and cant understand why it happened to me that particular year, never had it before and touch wood it has'nt happened again.?????????

Angie.

Both hubby & I used proper flight socks too. Angie when I read about "pigs trotters" it reminded me of my sister in laws feet when she too came back from the Dom Rep. When she got out there she had to spend her whole holiday in a pair of flip flops. All her nice sandals stayed in the case. I've never seen a pair of ankles like that.

Helen what got me was the size of my toes they were like cocktail sausages before you cook them

Angie.

Hers were still like that when she got back, & she's already said she's not going long haul next year.

Has she gone to the Dr's over here.?

helent It wouldn't surprise me if dad had tendonitis in the knee too. I remember going to sleep on a NZ flight feeling fine, and when I woke I couldn't move my left arm. The last 2 hours of the flight were agony. As soon as I got out of the airport we went looking for a doctors surgery. I was in a sling for a week and had tablets for tendonitits, something i've never suffered from. It took months for it to get back to complete normality. If it was a DVT more often than not the pain and swelling would be below knee in the calf, or above knee in the thigh. I presume he did tell the doc he'd been on longhaul flight.

No he didn't Marlou - he forgot

I always get it even on short Haul Helen but only ever on the way back . Nothing that serious but i have puffy legs for up to a week after my return .

Must be something to do with laying on a sunbed for 2 weeks with no exercise . I always put it down to bad circulation .

I also get it on shorthaul too - this year though i took some water tablets and it did reduce the swelling alot quicker than usual so I'll be sticking to that in future. My hands/fingers always swell too for some reason.
Hope your hubby gets it sorted out soon Helen.

I've never had it on flights but coming back from Italy by coach some years ago my ankles swelled up very badly and it was almost a month before they went down and I could wear my normal shoes.

I used to have problems with swollen ankles and stiff legs when flying but over 20 years ago now - long before DVT was recognised as a travel problem - I had major surgery which meant that I was going to be immobile for some days afterwards. Prior to the surgery I was measured and fitted up with full length elasticated stockings - thick and white with great elastic silicone garters at the top! I had to put them on before going down to theatre and keep them on for a week - was allowed to take them off to shower on Day 3 but had to put them back on again immediately afterwards. I hated the things but on being discharged the nurse told me to keep them and put them on whenever I was flying, especially longhaul.

Being a dutiful patient and thinking that she must be advising this because of the surgery I did so and wonder of wonders, I've never ever had problems with swollen ankles etc when travelling since. So very holiday or whenever I know that I'm going to be sitting immobile for long periods - eg the train from were I live down to Cornwall, out they come. With hindsight I now realise that this had less to do with my surgery and everything to do with the nurse knowing that they would help prevent DVT and swelling etc as a result of sitting still for so long. Not exactly the sexiest hosiery and it does mean that I never travel in anything other than full-length trousers but if you ever see a middle aged women sloping off to the loo just before boarding or making a beeline for the loo as soon as the seatbelts sign goes off and who then emerges with what looks like thick white socks on with her sandals, that there's a good chance that's me

SM

You paint a pretty picture my dear and I'll keep my eye out for you.

I put mine on as soon as I sit on the plane. Thick ribbed fawn socks & toe post sandals this year - sexy!!

It could be me ............. i have a pair that sounds very similar to yours Sm , but my flight socks came from my local health authority after surgery . i wish they would make them in skin tone colours tho rather than white . i suppose aslomns as they do what there supposes to , colour doesn't matter.

A nice "natural tan" colour would be nice - especially for the return journey off topic a little

Mine are like a thick pop sock and are a natural colour. Think I bought them on e-bay. I don't use them much though. So far I've done 3 long haul flights and never had any problems with swelling. I went on my first long haul before I bought flight socks but heard so many stories that I thought I'd better buy some for the next time. The last twice, I've worn them for the middle few hours of the flight (about 4 or 5 hours). I don't find them very comfy.

Mine are like a thick pop sock and are a natural colour.

I have a pair like that and tried them for a shorthaul flight once but agree that they are really uncomfortable and was really glad that I'd taken the others with me and could change into them. I found that they dug in at the top and put it down to having fat calves but perhaps it's a more general problem. Ugly they may be but the full length post-surgery stockings don't feel so tight like that and are graduated anyway fitting the tightest around the ankles (but not uncomfortably so) and then are really stretchy at the top so not that different from wearing ordinary 'hold-up' stockings. Beginning to wonder what I'll do when they get past it - having major surgery in order to get another pair seems a bit over the top

SM