Swollen feet and ankles from walking in the heat at WDW...

[Fromeurope]

Hi everyone,
Last year we were at WDW in september and we're planning to return that time this year. We loved it soo much.
There is only one thing I would like to solve if it is possible.
I had some problems with my feet/ankles. No blisters, because I am use to walking a lot. But my ankles became swollen very badly from walking in the heat, so I didn't fit in my shoes/sandals anymore. Probably it was from walking all the time in that hot, humid weather, because I don't experience it here at home.
Maybe there is a good medicin against this, but here in the Netherlands we're not quite used to the Floridian climate
Who can help?

 

[beattyfamily]

I have read that Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin) is an anti-inflammatory medication and will help with that and of course, it also helps with the pain of walking all day at WDW.

So I take two each morning and sometimes again in the evening.

Another tip, soak your feet at night if you can. I stay in a one-bedroom at the BWV and fill up the whirlpool each night and soak my feet. It really does help a lot.

Good luck.

 

[OhioTony]

Try drinking alot of water. If you become even slightly dehydrated, the body tends to hold onto all of its water and gravity pulls it into the extremities. Drink adequate water and the excess fluids leave the body.

 

[Bob P]

Good points above! Further to soaking your feet, I would also get some ice in plastic bags and spend about 15 minutes icing your ankles when you get back to your room at night.

Bob

 

[Fromeurope]

More water really?
I had the idea I drank so much water it got stuck in my ankles
How much water do you think you will need on a hot humid day?
Cooling with ice sounds wonderful to me. And the Ibuprofen sounds good as well. Does that really work for you? Your ankles don't swelll up anymore?
The funny thing was when I went to sleep my ankles were huge and when I woke up they were normal again.During the morning they began to swell already, but I cannot sit with my feet up high all day at WDW ofcourse.
Thanks for the tips

 

[OhioTony]

On a regular day you should drink 64 oz of water. If it is a hot/humid day or you are sweating alot/ exercising you should drink 2-3 quarts a day.

 

[daisy2]

I agree with the ibuprphen I take it because of my tendinitis I also take along with aleve because it helps with the pain. Check with your doctor before taking the medicine. Some people the medicine bothers them. Another thing I would do is soak my feet in the pool or if you are at a resort where they have a hot tub. I thought I had new feet!!! Also drinking a lot of water.

 

[dmslush]

More water really?
I had the idea I drank so much water it got stuck in my ankles
How much water do you think you will need on a hot humid day?
Cooling with ice sounds wonderful to me. And the Ibuprofen sounds good as well. Does that really work for you? Your ankles don't swelll up anymore?
The funny thing was when I went to sleep my ankles were huge and when I woke up they were normal again.During the morning they began to swell already, but I cannot sit with my feet up high all day at WDW ofcourse.
Thanks for the tips

My understanding is that you should drink a MINIMUM of 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water on a normal day. For instance, let's say that you weigh 150 pounds, you need to drink 75 ounces to stay hydrated. If the climate is hot and humid, you will need more because you are sweating our your fluids.

 

[jjan]

I would elevate your feet as much as possible at night... even put a pillow under them in bed if you can. Limit the amount of salt that you take in which can be very hard at Disney and remember that it is in soft drinks too. I had this happen a little bit in May, but in June when we went again I took Motrin everyday and didn't have any problems so I don't know if that was it or not, but it wouldn't hurt to try it. I would think that you could take any over-the-counter Woman's PMS-type anti-bloat med and that might help... if it is really bad, I would ask your doctor for a prescription for Lasix or a similar med.

 

[Fromeurope]

Thanks for all the info!
Maybe I really need more water the next time. Last september I drank about 2 litres a day, but your advice is more, 3 litres or so. I will try that.
Most of the time I stick to water, Diet Coke and apple juice. Is there salt added to Diet Coke as well?
And is Motrin some kind of painkiller like Ibuprofen?
Here in Europe there aren't many medications you can get without a prescription, but Ibuprofen is sold over-the-counter.

 

[beattyfamily]

And is Motrin some kind of painkiller like Ibuprofen?
Here in Europe there aren't many medications you can get without a prescription, but Ibuprofen is sold over-the-counter.

Yes, Motrin, Advil, Nuprin etc... are forms of Ibuprofen.

 

[pampam]

When I pack I go to the dollar store, and buy a plastic basin. I pack it and epson salts so I can soak my feet while watching tv. It works great. then, when I pack to go home and if the basin doesn't fit, I just leave it behind, knowing I've just wasted only a dollar. The basin is great for hand washing, and I leave it at the door for a holder with my keys, park passes, umbrella or anything else I want to take with me to the parks the next day.

 

[fran99999]

It sounds like you and I have the same problem. I have no problem with the walking part but my ankles and feet seem to swell up. Just my ankles to about 4 inches above my actual ankles. I asked my Dr. and he said drink more water to flush your system. So I drank more and my ankles just got bigger and bigger. Then I spoke with a friendly nurse who told me to drink cranberry juice it has a natural diraretic. My ankles have been much better since then. I now drink 16 oz of cranberry juice a day in the summer heat (even here in New England). It has helped a lot. There are also Cranberry pills at some health food stores I take these with me when I go to WDW in case I cant find cranberry juice. If you drink the juice very cold with lots of ice it really is pretty good. OK im from New England its kind of a staple around here.

It really helped me after I had my son I looked like I had elephantitus in my feet and ankles. 2 days later I was back down to my normal size even with them filling me up with the IV drip.

Try it it doesnt cost that much and if it works its all natural.

 

[keishashadow]

Got back from vacation 2 days ago (very long car trip due to road construction) and my ankles and legs were quite swollen despite the fact that I take 800 mg of Rx Motrin/day.

Decided to pick up a diruetic @ drug store. Beware, most of the brands have both caffeine & acetaminophen listed as active ingredients. Don't think it would be a great idea to mix acetaminophen & Motrin.

 

[Marseeya]

I had horrible swelling on our last trip despite drinking a ton of water and taking at least 800 mg of Motrin several times a day. After a day or two, I went to a Walmart and bought an over the counter diuretic, which worked like a charm. My swelling went down within hours, so I took one of the pills every morning with the Motrin. The only difficult thing was, when I had to pee, I had to find a bathroom immediately! It always seemed to sneak right up on me.

To the poster who mentioned not taking acetaminophen and ibuprofin together, there's not a problem there. One is broken down in the liver (I think... or is it kidneys?) and the other is broken down in the stomach. I've had more than one doctor explain this to me for various ailments. Anyway, I'm not a doctor, so if you have a concern, it's best to consult one.

 

[experiment626mom]

Sounds like alot of us have this problem!! Soaking them in warm water definitely helps. This trip I also used Dr Scholl's cooling peppermint foot lotion. Rubbed it on elevated my feet for about 15 - 30 minutes and my feet felt great. Look for any type of foot lotion or gel that has peppermint oil in it.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Reduce your salt intake.

Also potassium causes the kidneys to expel salt.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Is there salt added to Diet Coke as well?

Yes and they even have some salt in Dasani water (served at WDW).

 

[Marseeya]

Reduce your salt intake.

Also potassium causes the kidneys to expel salt.

OMG, can you even imagine how much sodium is in all the food you're eating while there? I'm really big on salt and I hardly ever picked up the salt shaker while I was there. That food had to be packed with sodium.

 

[Fromeurope]

Reducing my salt intake at WDW is rather difficult
We eat as healthy as we can and never add salt to anything, but you cannot take it out of the food. And they put a lot of salt in it....
The cranberry juice is a good tip. Actually last time we stayed at PopCentury they sold cranberry juice in bottles. Maybe it was mixed with apple juice, but I know I tried it and I even liked it. Didn't notice my ankles didn't swell up that day, but okay I tried it only once.
I am waiting to try out all of these tips and even if my ankles will swell again I will be happy to be at WDW