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75 year old stoic, known IHD and hypertension on calcium channel blocker. Mild ankle oedema presumed secondary to this and no clinical cardiac failure or anaemia. Was told by an old lady at home (in Bulgaria) to "beat his feet and ankles with stinging nettles three times a day" which, being a no nonsense sort of bloke he duly did for a whole week. So today in a rather pythonesque consultation he hoiked up his trousers and with an uncanny Palin-like smile he pointed shamelessly at his shapely ankles "Look doc - all gone!" These sort of stories make it all worthwhile, because already I can think of one or two patients who don't yet have ankle swelling but to whom I might recommend this as an option ... just in case. Laurie