Sprained ankle…?

[abbey44]

Last Friday I slipped down some steps while I was out walking my dog. Painful (we had to get a taxi back home as I couldn’t put weight on it) but as I could still just about wiggle my toes I thought I’d just sprained it and some ice and rest would sort it out, as it has before. But it’s nearly a week on, still swollen badly and the bruise covers my whole foot up past the ankle and I can’t easily put any weight on it. I don’t like making a fuss, so haven’t been to A&E or anything as I really thought I’d just pulled the ligaments, but I don’t remember previous sprains being so slow to improve. Am I just being a forgetful wuss, or is there anything else I can try to help it along…?

Ouch. It was worse than childbirth for me. Ice, rest and elevation. I couldn't walk on mine for the best part of 2-3 weeks. Took months for the swelling to go properly.
Nurse in triage did some basic tests but I can't remember what was a sign it wasn't broken.

www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ankle-sprain-vs-broken-ankle

Assuming it doesn't fit any of the above I'd give it another week at least.

Only way to tell if it is a sprain rather than a break is get an x ray. If you still can’t put weight on, I would go to a and e. No point going to gp first - they won’t be able to tell without an x ray. You can walk with a broken ankle (or broken foot) so best to get checked out if no or little improvement a week later

Even if it 'just' a sprain, still go and get it checked. I put it off for days thinking I'd just be a nuisance, got a good telling off from the A&E doctor when I finally did go and ended up on crutches for the best part of two months! When he confirmed it wasn't broken I said "oh that's good at least" to which he replied "oh, no, breaks sometimes heal faster than sprains this bad!" I was that I'd been trying to hobble along and get on with it for days.

I went over on my ankle 2 weeks ago. Couldn't put any weight on it at all so went to A & E, had cracked a bone in my foot.
Now, the pain in my ankle is worse than the broken bone, not sure if I need to do anything apart from elevate and rest

Thanks for those replies. I did have a broken ankle a few years ago (the other one) which I knew was broken as I heard it snap as I landed on it, and it ended up being pinned and plated. This one isn’t anything like that, and I think the pain is in the soft tissue bits, but I will think about getting it x-rayed to make sure.