Swelling inside cast

Posted , 7 users are following.

4 weeks post fusion op. New cast two weeks ago.

Last night my ankle felt as though it was swelling inside the cast and this morning feels very tight in it. No pain just squashed and v uncomfortable. First time its felt like this. {except for a few minutes when i first got up in the morning in the past).

Is this worrying or expected?

Thanks

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

Next
  • Posted

    I had similar issues and feelings of swelling when I had my cast

    Keep your foot elevated as much as possible

    If the tightness continues you may want to have your doctor check it

  • Posted

    Keep it elevated. To monitor blood flow, press the tip of your toes for 3 seconds. The skin will go white, then count how many seconds it takes to become pink again. 3 and below is normal. 3 and above is slow and means the blood flow is restricted. In this case, you need to see your dr asap. I'm s registered nurse and this is how adequate circulation is assessed.

    I had my cast split for this reason after a Z-lengthening Achilles lengthening surgery. I have severe sciatic nerve damage that all the drs failed to account for. Day 3 I was screaming, literally, and vomiting due to the pain. I was crying and saying it was 20/10. I actually wet the bed and had diarrhea at the same time. It's a memory I can't get rid of. They took soooo long to get a dr and by the time he came (I was in ICU), I was trying to break the cast to get relief. 😢

  • Posted

    Many thanks.

    Melissa, i'll certainly want to avoid your experience!! Not forgettable.. Hope all good now.

    Am squashing toe, ok at mo, and elevating. Fingers crossed.

    • Posted

      Blood flow is OK. Still tight and uncomfortable but leg elevated and doesn't seem to be getting worse. Taken ibuprofen to help reduce inflamation /swelling after phoning hospital.

    • Posted

      believe it or not they say to drink a lot of water also. The prob is having to go to the bathroom so much,

  • Posted

    when in doubt call doc. Elevate your foot above your heart for a while to see if it goes down.

  • Posted

    I'm 7 weeks post op Achilles reattatchment/bone debriedment and the 6 weeks I was in a cast I went through 6 casts. They would feel just snug there and the next day would be be crazy tight. I had one that made my toes purple, so that was replaced, another rubbed my ankle bone raw and bruise, that was replaced, another had a dent underneath that was horrible...they extra padded me and it didnt matter I still had swelling and nerve pain so a total of 6 weeks I had toes above nose with half the time in ice. Now in a boot w crazy nerve pain and still swelling. My Dr said the cast should be comfortable, I honestly don't think hes ever been in one, that's far from my description of it.If you have any issue with your cast have it checked which really means you will probably get a new one. I like the nurses response above with timing circulation for toes. Ice definitely helps even through the cast, but elevation is key. Hang in there, seems alot of people deal with this and we aren't prepared for it. I had no idea about all the nerve pain Ive been dealing with the whole time and I'm hoping PT has some answers since my Dr said it's not his issue but from the nerve Block I had for surgery...nice. Make sure your sleeping with it elevated and iced if needed. Good luck and I hope you heal fast.

  • Posted

    Many thanks.

    Melissa, i'll certainly want to avoid your experience!! Not forgettable.. Hope all good now.

    Am squashing toe, ok at mo, and elevating. Fingers crossed.

  • Posted

    Elevate! My husband bought me a wedge for my legs and to elevate a bit more comfortably. I love it. But I also I went through 2 casts due to uncomfortable and tightness. It doens't hurt to call where you had the surgery and ask them to speak to the casting room. They will guide you. When in doubt, call.

    Good luck! ******

    • Posted

      When I had a total ankle replacement apart from elevation I found that iced bandages made a huge difference. Obviously you cannot do that with a cast but how about using a hair dryer to blow cold air down there. Should work! Cheers, Richard

    • Posted

      Trying frozen peas now! Resting on the cast and cold seeping through.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.