Kankles?

[mabones]

Ok! On several trips my DH & I have had our ankle swell up to 3X their size. His feet swelled so bad that he couldn't wear his dress (slip-on) shoes to the Restaurant. Does anyone know what causes this? We don't use salt & are very careful what we eat.

[halos]

Ok! On several trips my DH & I have had our ankle swell up to 3X their size. His feet swelled so bad that he couldn't wear his dress (slip-on) shoes to the Restaurant. Does anyone know what causes this? We don't use salt & are very careful what we eat.

 

I think this happens to a lot of cruisers. :(

I believe that the cruise lines cook with a LOT more salt than some of us use at home.

I think we may drink more alcohol than what we do at home

We usually cruise to islands into humid weather.

 

Any combo of the above causes swelling. I think the major factor is the food though.

You can request a low sodium cruise the next time. They will accomodate you.

[Hopes4]

I've also heard the ship's water has a lot of salt in it, I'm sure others can confirm or debunk this.

[che5904]

I agree with Halos. I get this on every warm vacation I take by land or sea. Most restaurants use a lot of salt (watch any cooking show).

 

Contact the cruiseline a head of time as suggested requesting a low sodium diet, avoid a lot of alcohol and drink plenty of water. If it is not actually a medical problem, this should help to make it not as severe.

[Beaver1975]

I've also heard the ship's water has a lot of salt in it, I'm sure others can confirm or debunk this.

 

This is sort of correct, as purifying sea water, for consumption, does not remove all of the sodium while it removes the salt taste and other impurities.

 

John

[WeBeCruisin']

One of my cruise roomies is a doctor and she said that she thought that the ships might be using a lot of MSG in the food which, if true, would heavily contribute to water retention and swelling.

[esp13]

I had this happen on a cruise to Mexico. Once I realized what was happening, I drank a lot of water (with the wonderful side effect of frequent bathroom trips) and tried to keep my feet up when I was in the cabin. It definitely helped. On my next cruise, I made sure to drink extra water from the beginning and keep a closer eye on my feet and ankles. They still swelled a bit, but nothing like the first time.

[OceanDreaming2]

This happens to both DH and myself. That's one reason we like sea days. We can take a diurectic to help with the fluid retention.

[sippican]

I've also heard the ship's water has a lot of salt in it, I'm sure others can confirm or debunk this.

 

I used to expereince a great deal of swelling of my feet and ankles during cruises, which did not occur when i switched to bottled water. Having read that there is no salt in the ships' water, I've done a bit of "armchair research". Ships use a reverse osmosis process to purify water, which removes all minerals and other trace elments usually found in tap water. However, they then usually use some sort of "softening" or treatment procedure to bring the water back to a "normal" state. Sodium is one of the additives during treatment (Morton Salt is a major supplier of water softening additives.)

It probably really depends on how much sodium is in the water, in conjunction with the salt in the food.

[halos]

One of my cruise roomies is a doctor and she said that she thought that the ships might be using a lot of MSG in the food which' date=' if true, would heavily contribute to water retention and swelling.[/quote']

 

That seems like the most logical explanation.

I do wish they wouldn't use it.

~~~~~~

I drink only bottled water on the ship, so I know it's not because of the ships tap water that I swell up.

It could be the ships Grey Goose however :D

[mabones]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll heed all your advice.

[RuthlessBoss]

I think we all eat and drink differently when cruising. Just look at the quantity of food we consume, we don't do it at home. I don't have a major problem with swelling, but water is the answer. Most say bottled water has helped. The water helps rid of the built up sodium and that's the culprit that causes fluid retention.

[RareBird]

Take a diuretic. Ask your doc to prescribe. Problem solved.

 

Edit: full name: Hydrochlorothiazide, abbreviated HCTZ, HCT, or HZT

[Hikini]

I don't seem to have the ankle swelling problem as much as the whole body swelling on a cruise! :D

 

But really, the last 2 cruises I gained 9 pounds both times. But 6 pounds came off right away so I know it was a lot of water weight.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[sdmike]

Armchair chemist here...

 

Folks...it's the food, not the drinking water. Ships purify their water using reverse osmosis or distillation. Both remove sodium from the water. Even if they "soften" the water afterwards, in general (depends on the amount of calcium and magnesium they start with) the water will have less than 15mg of sodium per 8 ounces, which is qualifies for an FDA rating of "very low sodium". I read a few month back (the last time this issue came up) that ship water has about 5ppm sodium, while most bottled water has 50 or more (sea water is 11,000ppm) :)

 

I would echo what others have said here. Most restaurants use very high amounts of sodium in cooking, primarily for flavor. Since most of us don't eat out 3 (or more) times per day, we don't normally get that level of sodium in our diet. If it's an issue make a special dietary request or ask your doctor for a diuretic (or both). Eating fresh fruit and vegetables as a large part of your diet on the ship will likely help too.

[marelind]

Interesting conversation... Yes, I think the food has much more sodium than I ususally consume and that acounts for some of the swelling. The last cruise we were in an OS where you can get all the bottled water we want. When my ankles started swelling I cut out the bottled water and that seemed to change things for the better.

[Seanote]

If you sweat a lot on hot weather cruises, you can lose potassium which can cause edema (kankles). And yes, the salt in the food does not help. Try to increase your potassium intake at meal time. Potassium rich foods such as yogurt, raisins, lima beans (yuck!) melon and of course, bananas can help.

[ks]

My ankles always seem to swell after a long airplane flight. It seems to help if I get up often during the flight and stretch and walk around a bit. I think it is the sitting position and inactivity that causes the swelling for me. When I have too much salt everything swells including my hands and fingers. After an airplane flight it is just my feet and ankles. I am allergic to MSG and have never had a problem with the food on a cruise as of yet.

[kcfoxy]

I get them from sitting/working at the computer during those dreaded 11 hour graveyard shifts as a Telephone Advice Nurse.

 

Get them in hot weather.

 

Get them after prolonged plane rides, long shuttle bus tours and any time the back of my thighs are compressed and my feet in a dependent (read: down) position for too long.

 

Get them after eating in restaurants or places I can't control the sodium, or decide must have some kettle chips, buttered popcorn or...

 

For our last cruise I drank ship's water, bottled water, juices and ate fresh fruits to help with the problem. Vitamin C and foods high in Vitamin C are natural diuretics...one of the best is watermelon for some reason. I also pack time-released Vitamin C capsules.

 

As a water-soluble vitamin, C is lost from our systems with urination, so taking mega doses all at once isn't the answer...you just lose it faster :rolleyes: The time released kind seem to more gently release it from your system over 8 to 12 hours, so 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening help remove the sodium, but in not too too drastic :eek: a manner.

 

Potassium also works like a natural diuretic, but I would not recommend the supplements as this can play havoc with normal muscle contraction, kidneys and so on. But eater foods higher in potassium-unless medically restricted, can help in cases of sodium overload.

 

Potato skins are igh, many fruits and veggies, too.

[Wildcatllamas]

On our cruise in January my feet swelled for the very first time. I was drinking a lot of water and eatting lots of fresh fruit to try and deal with it. Someone suggested elevating the foot of the bed by using the life jackets between the mattresses. That did seem to help some.

[Tiger55]

Drink lots of water and don't be bashful with the cut up lemon wedges in the buffet, it will help. Wear compression socks at night as well.

[monn_a]

I start swelling (everything) almost as soon as I'm on board (some sort of sea water osmosis-:)-happens at the beach too) I drink a lot of water onboard with lemon (when available) and wear compression socks on planes and around the house...I start taking diuretics about a week before a cruise to start the flushing process...Allure was the only ship I didn't swell on....

[crusingalong]

That seems like the most logical explanation.

I do wish they wouldn't use it.

~~~~~~

I drink only bottled water on the ship, so I know it's not because of the ships tap water that I swell up.

It could be the ships Grey Goose however

 

I didn't think they let animals or BIRDS (Geese here) board the ship unless they were Service Animals?!:eek::p:rolleyes:;)

I am so appreciative of the OP(original poster) for starting this thread. I have the same problem.

Almost every cruise, I have ugly "kankles" and loose about 4lbs of just water when I get home. Thankfully capris or shorts on our recent Alaska cruise were not in order, so long pants covered up the "kankles".

I'd like to, once and for all, get a clue on what is the cause before my next cruise! :D