Down 65 pounds and tendinitis isn't any better :(

So about 6 years ago I developed tendinitis in my left ankle. I weighed 265 at the time and my doctor said it would get better if I lost weight.

I just hit under 200 this morning and if anything it's worse because I am more active. I wrap it up before I walk or ride my bike but at the end of the night my ankle is so swollen I can barely move!

I do ice/heat but that's only temporary. Is this something I'm going to suffer with forever?

Replies

  • harper16
    harper16 Posts: 2,564 Member
    Have you followed up with your doctor?
  • pippywhippypipps
    pippywhippypipps Posts: 7 Member
    harper16 wrote: »
    Have you followed up with your doctor?

    I'm waiting until they're seeing patients again. Right now it's only phone appointments except for dire needs because of covid.
  • harper16
    harper16 Posts: 2,564 Member
    I hope you get some answers soon. Congrats on losing 65 lbs that's awesome.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,388 Member
    Might be worth asking for referral to rheumatologist as well - and getting this checked up properly to start with.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    harper16 wrote: »
    I hope you get some answers soon. Congrats on losing 65 lbs that's awesome.

    +1 on the above. FWIW, most of my chronic ankle issues were caused by over-pronation - some good OTC orthotics really helped (protalus - expensive but worth it).
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 310 Member
    65 pounds is a lot of weight. you may have changed your gait which could be aggravating it also. you need a referral to a specialist. you may also want to see a chiropractor to help you align yourself but that is a personal choice.
  • Mithridites
    Mithridites Posts: 595 Member
    Congratulations on losing 65 pounds! That is impressive and inspiring. Tendonitis is an inflammatory process. I imagine you’ve been following the RICE protocol. How about anti-inflammatory diet? Have you changed your footwear?
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    edited June 2020
    What kind of tendonitis?

    I have peroneal tendonitis, losing weight definitely helped. But only when I got all the way to down to a healthy weight.

    Mine still flairs if I do the wrong things. It is a chronic condition, but it can be managed, at least in my experience.

    I did see a chiropractor when it was bothering me. I use KT tape (well TheraBand tape, it's better IMO) when it is bothering me and take anti-inflammatory meds.

    I also bought supportive shoes and wore them exclusively for probably a year. I now wear whatever I want for shoes. I bought Vionic shoes. I didn't get custom orthotics, I found a change in shoes was sufficient.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
    Look at your diet. You might be eating something that is causing inflammation in your joints. For my some people it’s dairy and for others it is gluten. I recently had pain in my neck and shoulder and it went away with the help of a spray with magnesium, menthol and glucosamine in it. Brand is called BetterYou. Also worthy definitely visiting your GP as well.
  • breanamock
    breanamock Posts: 28 Member
    Have you gotten new shoes recently? I found out a few months ago that the support in athletic shoes actually dies after a few hundred miles. And of course the soles wear down, too. I just fixed all kinds of pain by replacing my well-worn walking shoes.

    Also, have you tried complete rest? Annoying as all get out, but tendonitis is an overuse injury, and sometimes it doesn't get better until you quit using that body part. Maybe give it a few days of just sitting on the sofa doing nothing? (Or doing floor exercises that don't require weight on that foot, if being completely sedentary does terrible things to your calorie goal.)

    Hopefully you're able to see the doctor and maybe some specialists soon, but in the mean time, congrats on the weight loss, and I hope you find relief!
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Only your doctor will know what kind of injury you're dealing with. I think it's time to seek a second opinion. Medical offices are opening up here. They're actually desperate for business including the hospital. So many are staying away that they're going broke and laying staff off.
  • digestibleplastic
    digestibleplastic Posts: 27 Member
    edited June 2020
    I'm sorry you've had to suffer this type of discrimination! While it's true that injuries will occur more often if you're overweight, your doctor should have treated your injury like any other patient *and then* maybe said, now lose some weight so it doesn't get worse.

    Sounds like you have an awful doctor. Get a doctor who doesn't discriminate against fat people and will treat them like any other.

    I speak from experience. I was shooed out of more doctors offices than I'd like to recall with "just lose some weight" when in reality I needed serious medical treatment, having NOTHING to do with the extra fat I was carrying.