Get your doctor to prescribe them, use your insurance to help pay for them. They should be fitted for you.

I totally agree with @Tropical_Willie about getting the right fit and pressure.

I have worn them for years. Love them. Couldn’t get along without them.

My husband wears them. He’s had very bad swelling—weeping edema, in fact. That led to wounds where essentially the taut skin burst, which led to nasty infections and horrible long courses of treatment best avoided.

He didn’t like them at first, but after he bought a little device to help him put them on, he got used to them. Eventually he declared them “comfortable.” He is really grateful for their help with the swelling.

He bought two pairs (actually one pair each of two different sizes, one brown pair and one black, so he can tell which one goes on the thicker leg). I wash them by hand.

They were very expensive, though, and insurance didn’t pay anything.

@Jeruba Did his doctor write a prescription ?

We prescribe these to our patients constantly. See a MD to get a prescription for the right level of compression and get measured for the proper fit. They are effective in reducing edema if worn as directed. They can also reduce the chances of getting blood clots in your deep venous system (DVT) that can trigger all kinds of problems, including a fatal pulmonary embolism—especially if worn during prolonged periods of sitting (such as during a flight, or long car rides).

We like the brand Sigvaris, but there are cheaper/worse quality options out there.

@Jeruba Has he ever been to a Phlebologist? Often sores like you are describing are caused by vein disorders. It might be worth getting a consult (many offer free consultations for new patients).

@gorillapaws, he has had numerous trips to the wound care center, has worn an Unnaboot, got the compression hose per prescription, has been seen by a vascular specialist, has had several ultrasounds, has had bilateral iliac stents inserted, and has a follow-up appointment pending for a lymphedema pump. Phlebologist, no, but hematologist also coming up, and pulmonolgist and cardiologist are on the calendar. I don’t think we’ve missed much, but I remain alert to any new and pertinent information, so I thank you. Prolonged periods of sitting are basically his life, and I can’t do a thing about that.

@gorillapaws I have been using Mediven for edema control. Is that considered better/worse than Mediven? Similar pricing?

Oh, wait, the vascular specialist is a phlebologist. Sorry.

@elbanditoroso I don’t know the answer. That’s definitely a great question to discuss with your provider. I imagine the answer may depend on many factors, including your medical history.

@Jeruba It sounds like you’re doing all of the right things. Sometimes we see patients who have been fighting chronic wounds for many years with an undiagnosed venous disorder that is the source of the problem. Once that is treated, the wounds heal much better. Glad he’s been checked by someone who knows what to look for. Best wishes to his recovery. Wounds are a tough problem to resolve that can be debilitating.

Thanks, @gorillapaws. It was the wound care center that called for the vascular consultation, which led to a whole new avenue of treatment. It’s been much better in the six months since the surgery. The daily care regimen before that was debilitating to both of us.

What is your office or clinic’s specialty?

We run a Vein Center. A lot of leg swelling and leg ulcers are venous-related (though sometimes it is an arterial issue or a lymphatic problem and sometimes it’s multiple issues). Compression is a big part of treatment and prevention.

I wear compression stockings for edema in my legs (due to a heart defect). My doctor prescribed them and, no, insurance doesn’t cover them. So even with a doctor’s prescription be prepared to pay out-of-pocket.

My dad wears them. My mom actually helps him take them on and off. He has bought various different brands and types to find the ones he likes best. He is under the care of a doctor, and as others jellies mentioned above I would recommend seeing your doctor so he can run some blood tests. Check your kidneys, and some others.

Also, try to keep your feet up whenever you are sitting.

As a side note: my dad had a wound on his foot that wasn’t healing. He has bad circulation, heart disease, and borderline for diabetes, but never treated for diabetes. He saw his doctor for the wound, he tried treating it, but eventually my dad was referred to a wound clinic. The doctor at the wound clinic saw him, and then ongoing wound clinic nurses who checked on his wound.

Not healing not healing.

Finally a friend said, “go see my podiatrist.” Luckily, my dad did, and it took the doctor 20 seconds to say, “pretty sure that’s cancer.” It was. Had to take a huge chunk out of his foot and get grafts to repair it. That cancer was growing for 9 extra months!

Moral of the story the same as always, second opinions and when a treatment isn’t working there is probably good reason.

I’m not a doctor.