CPAP causing SWELLING in lower legs/ankles/feet

[KellyTheChef]

Started on CPAP about 6-7 weeks ago. Wearing it each night, and getting great "scores" and low amounts of mask leakage and <1 event per hour like they want to see. Overall seeing an improvement with my sleep, so that's a good thing. Prior to CPAP machine, I was waking up 99% of the time in the middle of the night with migraines, and that has almost disappeared. Thank the Lord!


BUT I am having horrible swelling in my lower legs/ankles/feet. 

Working with my primary care Dr as well as the neurologist who prescribed my CPAP machine, but no one knows what in the world is happening and my neurologist/sleep study doc swears all day long it's not from the CPAP. Nothing else has changed - no medicines that could be causing this, either.
My PCP is ruling out anything to do with my heart, has checked my bloodwork and nothing is out of normal ranges, and after I get my heart echocardiogram - if that comes back negative - I don't think she has any other ideas.

Did you have swelling? What did you do to get rid of it?

I have had to go buy new shoes - and at times it's almost painful to walk because my ankles are so swollen they don't want to flex.

Additional info: I am not on any new medications to cause this, I am consistently wearing my CPAP machine and getting a good 8 hours sleep per night. 
I took 2 nights off to see if that would help with the swelling, but it immediately brought back the night headaches, so I got right back on using the cpap.  Those couple of nights off didn't make any big difference in my swelling, but maybe that is because the swelling is soooooo much it's not going to leave in a day or two. 

Thanks for any direction here. 

[OpalRose]

Welcome to Apnea Board!

I can relate to what you are experiencing with ankle/feet and leg swelling.  I too blamed my swelling on Cpap use, but you will be hard-pressed to find a doctor that has the knowledge to link swelling with Cpap use.  You're pretty much on your own.  

Ask your doctor to send you for lab work that focuses on your kidney function.  If he/she sees an issue, you should be referred to a nephrologist.  Also, venous insufficiency could cause leg swelling.  I had to see a Vascular doctor to finally be diagnosed with venous insufficiency.  Although, as I said before, they won't/can't link it to Cpap use.  

This is an older thread, but very informative.  Read through its entirety, you might find something that will help.

https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread...6#pid14436