I was prescribed thigh-high 20-30 mmHg compression stockings that were fitted by a professional. Minutes after putting them on, my legs felt as if cold water was rushing through them, mostly from the knee down. Is this normal? If not, what could be going on?
One thing that you need to be aware of is that even though your stockings were fitted by a professional, unless you have a custom made stocking, most compression stockings are designed to fit a leg that is relatively proportioned. By this I mean, the stockings are designed to fit a conical shaped leg. Therefore, if your thigh is much larger than your calf or you have large calves relative to your ankles, the stocking may not fit well. As a result, the stocking can start to compress more in one spot than another. Something that it was not designed to do. The result can be localized pain or discomfort in specific parts of the leg that you may or may not have ever experienced due to rubbing or excessive tightness from the stocking.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
This sounds very unusual. Consult with your treating physician.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
If you have venous insufficiency (failure of valves in the saphenous veins) and varicose veins, there is a "pooling" of warm blood in these veins. You don't notice the difference, as this is something which starts gradually over years. When you apply compression hose, there is often an instant feeling of the legs feeling cooler. Ensure that the hose are well pulled up through the ankle and knee area and not bunching. Did the prescribing doctor check you arterial pulses during your evaluation?
Published on Jul 11, 2012
The stockings are most likely OK and just need some getting used to. If the feeling persists and you have risk factors for arterial disease (diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol or high blood pressure), your provider can consider arterial testing.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
If the symptoms started soon after applying the stockings, then it seems that most likely it is related to the compression stockings. They may be either not fitting properly or the compression is too tight for you. Try wearing them for 2- 3 days to see if the symptoms improve, otherwise return to be refitted.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
You may need to talk to your doc to make sure the size is right and that there are no circulation issues.
Published on Jul 11, 2012