Why does my man have twitchy feet?

MY HUSBAND is a longdistance driver working seven days a week, so he doesn’t get much opportunity to exercise. Recently, his feet and hands have been twitching all night. I know deep vein thrombosis happens when you sit still for a long time – is this his problem? DEEP vein thrombosis, otherwise known as a blood clot in the leg, affects one in 1,000 Britons every year. When we sit still for a long time, the movement of blood from the legs to the heart becomes sluggish.

This is because blood is helped through the veins with the movement of leg muscles. Without the muscles squeezing the veins in the legs, encouraging blood to move, a clot can form.

The worry is that part of the clot can break away and travel to other areas of the body, including the heart and lungs, causing a potentially fatal blockage.

DVTs are more likely if you are dehydrated or immobile during an operation, a flight or an illness. Long car journeys only slightly increase risk as there is some movement of the legs and feet. Clots are more common in people with cancer, clotting disorders and those taking certain medications.

In these cases, patients are normally prescribed bloodthinning tablets or stockings to prevent clots.

Maintaining a healthy weight will reduce the risk as the condition is associated with obesity. Small leg movements will also reduce risks. Formal exercise isn’t always necessary, rather taking short walks or flexing the ankle.

DVT and twitching at night are not usually related. Repetitive twitching in the legs and arms is known as periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) and is often related to restless leg syndrome. It can be triggered by alcohol, lack of exercise, nutrient deficiency, stress and medicine such as high blood pressure tablets. Massaging the legs or taking a hot bath can help to ease twitching. I HAD a heart attack in November and had two stents fitted. Then, in January, I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. My oncologist wants to operate as soon as possible, but my heart surgeon says another operation so soon after my heart attack could kill me. How long should I wait? TRYING to balance two lifethreatening medical conditions at the same time is incredibly difficult – particularly as the earliest treatment for cancer yields the best results. But heart disease is also associated with a high mortality rate. In other words, it can, and does kill.

Any surgery puts some degree of stress on the heart, both from physical and emotional pressure, which can be fatal for someone with heart disease. The general anaesthetic and the surgery will affect heart rate and blood pressure, both of which must be tightly controlled after a heart attack. Bowel-cancer surgery involves blood loss and the movement of fluid around the body, which strains the heart and increases the risk of complications after surgery.

No surgery is risk-free. There will be an assessment and if the benefits of the surgery are deemed to outweigh these risks, doctors authorise surgery.

Indeed, there would be little value in removing a tumour if the operation caused a fatal heart attack.

Some cancers grow faster than others. Bowel tumours, for instance are often slow-growing and therefore considered less aggressive. In this case, waiting two to three months will not add to the risk. It would be fair to suggest to the specialists that they come to an agreement, particularly if the situation is causing worry and distress, as it probably will.

If it’s tricky getting through to them via their secretaries, then a GP should be able to help.