First, how do you determine the cause of swelling?
Gradual swelling in your legs and feet might not be obvious, but if you have imprints from your socks or puffy legs, or you have what’s known as pitting edema (where you can make an indent in your leg with your thumb), those are all signs that you have some extra fluid in your limbs.
One clue that your medication could be the cause is if you have edema on both your right and left legs (or feet). Other causes of leg swelling are usually, but not always, one-sided. If swelling is not a side effect of your medication, it could be caused by a deep venous thromboembolism (DVT) where a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your leg, so fluid begins to pool. It could also be a result of disease in the veins or lymph vessels, or heart failure. Or, simply sitting or standing for long periods of time could also cause your legs to swell.
If you do start to have lower extremity edema on both sides of your body, look at this list and make sure you aren’t taking one of these seven medications.
1) Amlodipine (Norvasc)
Amlodipine is a medication used to lower blood pressure. The higher the dose, the more likely you are to have swelling in both of your legs and feet. One in 10 patients experience swelling when taking amlodipine at a dose of 10 mg daily. And women are almost three times more likely than men to have this side effect. Other medication options exist for lowering blood pressure that don’t cause swelling in the legs, so if swelling is a problem for you, ask your doctor about switching it up.
2) Gabapentin (Neurontin)
Gabapentin is used to treat nerve pain, which often occurs after shingles (known as postherpetic neuralgia) or as a result of nerve damage from diabetes (diabetic peripheral neuropathy). This medication is known to cause lower leg swelling. In studies on patients with shingles, swelling appeared in 8% of the patients taking gabapentin.
3) Pregabalin (Lyrica)
Pregabalin may also cause swelling in the feet and legs. Lyrica, similar to gabapentin, is prescribed for nerve pain, but it’s also used in patients with spinal cord injury, seizures or fibromyalgia.
4) NSAIDs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) are popular over-the-counter medications used for pain and inflammation, and they are a well-known cause of swelling due to salt retention. In this case, the swelling is typically mild and will subside when you stop taking the medication.
5) Oral contraceptives
When it comes to swelling with oral contraceptives, it’s a two-way street. On the one hand, these medications prevent dangerous swelling caused by a DVT, which will usually show up in one leg only. On the other hand, the estrogen component of oral contraceptives can also cause leg swelling, but the swelling with be in both legs if that’s the case. If you experience swelling with oral contraceptives, look into a progesterone-only option after your doctor has determined you don’t have a DVT.
6) Oral steroids
Oral steroid medications like prednisone are often prescribed for asthma, worsening COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder), severe allergic reactions or other autoimmune diseases. Prednisone causes salt retention, which may lead to swelling in the legs and feet.
7) Pioglitazone (Actos) and rosiglitazone (Avandia)
Pioglitazone and rosiglitazone are medications used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Leg swelling is a well-known side effect of these two diabetes meds, so if you experience swelling while taking them, ask your doctor about switching to another medication.
Hope this helps.
Dr O.
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