Swollen ankles and feet on a cruise?

[MHS4]

This happened to my husband on our second flight to Paris. Swollen calfs and some red rashiness. When he got home, asked his GP. Doc's advice -- take an Aleve. It works. We've done that for flights since. Of course, this assumes that you are otherwise in good health.

[gjules]

I, too, had this problem on my last cruise. I was so bloated, I had to buy a new pair of jeans to wear home! By the time I got home, the jeans were too big!! This cruise I am taking bottled water with me. Crystal Lite has little flavor packets to add to bottled water and I am taking a couple boxes of those, too. I especially like the Raspberry Ice! There is no sodium or any calories in these. I drank a lot of tea (like contiuously all day long!) and won't do that this time. We'll see if it helps! I'm leery of taking any diuretics...I seem to be in the bathroom all the time as it is, don't want to be there the entire cruise!!!:eek:

[FunCruiser56]

oh those crystal lite packs are so handy, you can also get the walmart brand for about $1.50 less a box.We really like the orange sunrise- tastes like tang and the peach ice tea is good also.

 

I was going to just refill my water bottle from the tap, now after reading this I will be stocking up on bottle water! Hope I can find somewhere close to our hotel to find some....

 

Funcruiser

[pammeyk1]

I was told by one of the girls in the spa that the reason we swell on cruises is: 1. We are at sea level and if most are not used to it swelling can occur, 2. There is so much moisture in the air (salt moisture) while at sea that our bodies literally soak it up and cause swelling. I stayed away from salt and soft drinks. I did drink Vodka and Cranberry juice and actually the cranberry juice helped me to get rid of a lot of fluid, but I still swelled. I do the same thing when I go to Myrtle Beach in the summertime, and that's only 4 hours away from where I live. My swelling after the cruise a couple weeks ago started to go away when I got back to the pier to come home. By the time I got home on Sunday morning, my swelling was gone.

[ladycaveat]

This is an old post that I started after returning from my cruise last May. I still believe . . . as my doctor told me . . . the reason for the swelling of my ankles and feet was due to the water on the ship (via the iced tea and lemonade that I drank tons of during my cruise). This last cruise was the only time I had a problem and the only time I didn't buy the soda card and drank the water (or whatever was made from the water) on the ship. I have no idea if that is what caused the swelling, but I plan to bring bottled water (Propel . . . love the Peach) on my next cruise in April . . . and, I plan to buy the soda card and not drink anything made with water from the ship.

[DesrtDrmr]

I get this too, but my hands also swell when I'm in the Caribbean. When we have taken cruises off the west coast, I haven't had any problem. Could it be the salt AND the humidity? It sure is weird, anyway.............and all I drink is bottled water!

[zebster15]

I remember a few cruises when my DH said he felt like he 'gained weight' just walking up the gang plank on the first day! His hands swell. Mine do too, come to think of it.

 

We now live in FL and are 'aclimated' to the humidity (is that possible??) and live 3 miles from the beach. So I guess we are pretty much at sea level.

 

 

I don't use salt to cook. DH only occasionaly uses salt on his food. I never do. So salty food may be the reason for us.

 

It will be interesting to see if this happens this time.

 

Lady, remember that soda card means fountain soda...made with ships water. And then there is the ice.

 

So in addition to my 14 cases of wine, I better bring 14 cases of water, 24 cases of beer, few cases of gatorade, 12 cases of soda, a keg or two, my keg cooler and tap, some water pills and a partridge in a pear tree....I'll be the one with the tow motor. Moving my stuff onto the ship all in boxes marked...Medical products :eek: Hmmmm, I wonder if I can pull this off???:rolleyes:

[Chexmix]

I have DVT in my legs. This causes my legs to swell alot after sitting or standing for long periods. My trick it to elevate my legs above my heart using pillows, life jacket or what ever is handy. Actually used our small carry on bag with a pillow placed on top of it last time. Doing this for at least an hour a day along with the other tips posted will keep the swelling to a minimum. Also, don't cross your legs or ankles. If you find yourself sitting for long periods of time (over an hour) make sure to get up and move for at least 10 minutes. With your knees bent against the chair it cuts the circulation off and causes swelling.

 

Thanks for the tip about the ships water. Will be bottled water only for me.

[momofmeg]

I don't know how I missed this thread before-just was going to say along with parsley and lemon juice-another good durietic is dandelion. You can get it in capsule form. I buy mine at Vitamin World. I take it daily as I tend to retain water-I think it is more of a problem for us that have reached middle-age. I also take parsley and I add lemon juice to my drinking water.

 

I like Propel fitness water too-but even though it is low in carbs I still have to count them so I can't just drink buckets of it. The Propel is put out by Gatorade and it does have sodium in it along with potassium so you really should not drink buckets of it unless you are out in the heat a lot. It is a good replacement for gatorade for those who are diabetic and need their sodium and potassium replaced after working or being in the heat for a long time.

 

There is another flavored water I found called Fruit 2 O.-but it also has a little sodium in it-but no carbs. Normally though when at home I just drink filtered tap water with a tad of lemon juice added.

[momofmeg]

Somehow I missed this thread before. I was just going to add another great duiretic is dandelion. You don't have to drink it in a tea. You can buy it in capsules. I get it at Vitamin world and take it in capsules daily. I also take parsley in capusles.

 

I like Propel fitness water too-but I would never drink "buckets" of it. It is put out by Gatorade and like Gatorade has sodium and potassium-just not sugars-so it is great for a diabetic to drink when out in the heat-for ex. like spending a day at the beach.

 

There is another flavored water I like callled Fruit 2 O-you find it in the same area as Propel. It has no carbs in it but still has sodium-so I won't drink alot of it either.

 

At home I drink filtered tap water and I add a little "Real Lemon" lemon juice to it-as I have a problem with retaining water all the time-no worse on cruises-this is just the norm-though I did used to notice this worse when traveling when I was younger. I have had my heart checked and my kidneys so it is nothing like that. (Having diabetes those are always regularly checked)

 

I really think it is just middle-age. But I can say this-taking the herbal duiretics helps and I look much younger and better when I am not all "puffy". I actually hate the puffy face much worse then the legs or feet-nothing looks older to me then a puffy face. Also when puffy you have weight gain but not a true weight gain-real fat does not look near as bad as puffy does in my opinion.

[retiring soon]

Hi! Thank you all for your hints & remedies. I just returned from a fabulous Ancient Wonders cruise of the Med. & also suffered this problem. My swelling went down already on the long car drive home! I usually drink no water & a lot of cola & tea at home but did vice versa on this & previous cruises where I suffered the problem.

Thanks again & here's to swell free cruising!

 

Jo :)

[JolieMadam]

The exercise I do for combating JetLag works very well for swollen feet and stiff legs. Lie on the floor or bed and get your legs up along the wall. Obviously, some of us will be more nimble than others....stay this way as long as you can. I am usually comfortable this way for 20 minutes. A long time ago this was recommended by airline personnel so after arriving at my destination, this is what I do and it is very refreshing. After, take a shower and go explore your surroundings!

 

Also, avoid the soups (yes, they are delicious) on cruise ships as they are loaded with salt and remember, they also fill you up too much. Actually, all the food is highly salted (could this be why it tastes so good). Also, lose the sodas....they bloat and are especially bad when you are in an airplane at high altitudes. Traveling involves sitting for long periods with your legs hanging down, eating in airports and fast food places and not being properly hydrated. These are most of the the causes along with imbibing more alcohol while vacationing, which is very dehydrating. Drinking even more water is necessary to combat the effects of those cocktails.

 

The salt air has nothing to do with it either....people have been living near bodies of water for centuries and don't suffer from swelling.

[wraithe]

Okay, gonna get flamed again probably, but here goes. There isn't any appreciable amount of salt in the tap water on ship. I have 20 years experience making salt water into fresh water using an evaporator on a ship. I also specifically asked the Chief Engineer on Grandeur last week if they added salt back in to the water anywhere along the process and he said "absolutely not". An evaporator puts out water with <50 parts per million (ppm) total dissolved solids (tds). So, it's probably more pure than what you're getting in the bottled waters you buy, which are usually filled from the tap. Many spring waters have a higher concentration of tds than shipboard water. Here's my deal, I don't want you thinking that it's the water that's causing you to get more salt than you normally do, it's most likely the food, and if so, drinking bottle water isn't going to help. If you really do need it, you might need to ask about a low salt or no salt diet while you're onboard. I'm not trying to over rule anyone's doctor, I'm not a doctor, but then doctors don't run evaporators either, and I have done that and supervised the operation for months at a time. FWIW, thanks for listening.

[spotcat]

What an interesting thread! I'm so glad to have all of this info. My feet and hands swelled up so much! My wedding ring was killing me and I had to wear flip flops on the flight home. Our cruise was only three days long. Guess I will print out some of these remedies before taking a longer cruise.

 

Wraithe, DH is a retired Naval officer and has been a chief engineer. Your explanation was much easier to understand than his. Thanks!

[Colette]

For me it's not the cruise, but the flight. I went from Maine to Disneyworld in February, changed flights, but had the worst swelling in my feet and legs, ever. I have always had swelling, but never this bad. Of course, I hiked many miles that week, then flew home and my legs were so hard, up to my knees, that I went to the Dr. the next day. A prescription for lasix took care of it,in a couple of days, but it was scary. I have been on 6 cruises and never had any trouble-I think that menopause played a role. I am cruising next March and have compression stockings to wear and lasix to take. I will make sure too get up and move around more, on the plane.

[cheerdee57]

Hello everyone

I have been on 10 cruises. Each and everytime my ankles, legs and feet swell. I have tried everything from the compression socks, water, water pills, lower my salt intake and etc. I was told by crew member on the ship that the ship has compression just like on an airplane, therefore there is not much that can be done. My husband does not have this problem. And as weird as it might sound I started looking at everyones ankles on the ship to see if it was happening to everyone. It wasn't. It is just the make-up of some people that this happens to. I did wear compression socks on the plane and that gave me "good" ankles on the ship for about two days. I have learned to just live with it, bring thong type sandels and enjoy myself. I do elevate my ankles on the railing of my balcony whenever i get the chance. I used to wear compression socks at night when sleeping, but that was no fun. If you drink at all on the ship that also contributes to the swelling, HOWEVER I am going to do some drinking, wear my thong type sandels and just have a blast. It is was it is and there is not much that can be done. The ankles will go down a couple of days after you get home, so just enjoy the cruise and "pretend" like you have skinny ankles, a couple of those fruity drinks and you won't care LOL. We are taking our 11th cruise in November of this year. Can't wait. I have my "fat ankle" shoes ready for packing.

[Schoifmom]

Hello everyone

I have been on 10 cruises. Each and everytime my ankles, legs and feet swell. I have tried everything from the compression socks, water, water pills, lower my salt intake and etc. I was told by crew member on the ship that the ship has compression just like on an airplane, therefore there is not much that can be done. My husband does not have this problem. And as weird as it might sound I started looking at everyones ankles on the ship to see if it was happening to everyone. It wasn't. It is just the make-up of some people that this happens to. I did wear compression socks on the plane and that gave me "good" ankles on the ship for about two days. I have learned to just live with it, bring thong type sandels and enjoy myself. I do elevate my ankles on the railing of my balcony whenever i get the chance. I used to wear compression socks at night when sleeping, but that was no fun. If you drink at all on the ship that also contributes to the swelling, HOWEVER I am going to do some drinking, wear my thong type sandels and just have a blast. It is was it is and there is not much that can be done. The ankles will go down a couple of days after you get home, so just enjoy the cruise and "pretend" like you have skinny ankles, a couple of those fruity drinks and you won't care LOL. We are taking our 11th cruise in November of this year. Can't wait. I have my "fat ankle" shoes ready for packing.

 

I'm loving your attitude! I'll remember it when I lose my ankles and wrists this week :eek: I've already packed my "dressier" flip-flops ... even for elegant night (and anyone who doesn't like my comfort ought to try it sometime)!

[suezyq50]

I started getting swollen ankles on my 4th or 5th cruise. Now I get them all the time. They will go down each evening. I wondered if was salt in the water.

[klauer]

Caffeine doesn't make you retain water --it's a diuretic, which is what is in the the PMS pills that someone mentioned a few posts back. If you drink tons of caffeine, it could make you dehydrated, which then might make you retain water.

[Maxine]

Hello everyone

I have been on 10 cruises. Each and everytime my ankles, legs and feet swell. I have tried everything from the compression socks, water, water pills, lower my salt intake and etc. I was told by crew member on the ship that the ship has compression just like on an airplane, therefore there is not much that can be done. My husband does not have this problem. And as weird as it might sound I started looking at everyones ankles on the ship to see if it was happening to everyone. It wasn't. It is just the make-up of some people that this happens to. I did wear compression socks on the plane and that gave me "good" ankles on the ship for about two days. I have learned to just live with it, bring thong type sandels and enjoy myself. I do elevate my ankles on the railing of my balcony whenever i get the chance. I used to wear compression socks at night when sleeping, but that was no fun. If you drink at all on the ship that also contributes to the swelling, HOWEVER I am going to do some drinking, wear my thong type sandels and just have a blast. It is was it is and there is not much that can be done. The ankles will go down a couple of days after you get home, so just enjoy the cruise and "pretend" like you have skinny ankles, a couple of those fruity drinks and you won't care LOL. We are taking our 11th cruise in November of this year. Can't wait. I have my "fat ankle" shoes ready for packing.

 

 

Do you realize that you resurrected a thread that was four years old?

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

The seven-night cruise I took last week was my best ever for not having swollen feet and hands. I remember a ten-night cruise to the Panama Canal when even my face swelled!

 

I have decided food is the culprit because the chefs use excessive sodium to make meals taste so good. So this cruise my strategy was to short-circuit the whole process by eating mostly salads and fruit. I didn't even butter the bread. I allowed myself a little non-veggy, non-fruit each day, but only a modest amount. My ankles and feet never swelled the entire cruise.

 

This strategy probably will not be pallatable to most folks but it worked for me.

[SATOWN]

My feet and ankles were swollen for our cruise a few weeks ago - that's the first time it's happened to me. I could not get my feet into my shoes - I really wanted to wear those shoes you know how you search high and low to find the perfect shows to match your dress and you finally find them and then your feet swell up- and I ended up wearing sandals on elegant night. I really tried to wear my shoes but it was too painful. My hubby says that my toes looked like sausages they were so swollen.

[marti2282]

Skip the olives in the martinis (try a twist instead)--trust me--it helps!

[Chigirlcruzin]

I struggle with this same problem. I just got back from Hong Kong. A friend suggested I wear compression socks for the LONG flight (16 hours from Chicago O'Hare to Hong Kong; luckily I was in business class). I was fine the first couple days, then the swelling started. Ugh! I'm sure it's the sodium in the food...I rarely eat out at home. Anyways, I put on the compression socks for the flight home. When I got home last night and took off the socks, my calves, ankles, and feet were normal size! Yay! Going forward, I'm going to sleep with these things on. I'm only 33, so I refuse to wear them when I'm out and about (and I want to wear cute open toe shoes), but in the cabin, I'm cool with wearing the compression socks. I bought mine at a running store for $45.

[Maxine]

I struggle with this same problem. I just got back from Hong Kong. A friend suggested I wear compression socks for the LONG flight (16 hours from Chicago O'Hare to Hong Kong; luckily I was in business class). I was fine the first couple days, then the swelling started. Ugh! I'm sure it's the sodium in the food...I rarely eat out at home. Anyways, I put on the compression socks for the flight home. When I got home last night and took off the socks, my calves, ankles, and feet were normal size! Yay! Going forward, I'm going to sleep with these things on. I'm only 33, so I refuse to wear them when I'm out and about (and I want to wear cute open toe shoes), but in the cabin, I'm cool with wearing the compression socks. I bought mine at a running store for $45.

 

I have seen them in certain drugstores too. Do they come sized?