I somehow managed to sprain my ankle last night - too much beer, don't remember how it happened. In a lifetime of clumsiness and drunken sprees, I've never done this before. Is there anything I can do to fix it, besides keeping weight off it? It doesn't hurt too badly if I don't move it, but it's pretty swollen, and I don't want to be off my feet for very long.

Anybody know how long it usually takes for these things to heal? Is there anything a doctor could do, or does it just need time? This is embarassing; I'm trying to figure out how to keep my family from noticing it when I go to Mothers' Day brunch (I'm sick of showing up at family functions with drunk-related ailments, and I'm sure they're sick of it too).:guitar:

With a simple sprain cooling and taping would be sufficient, but there are lots of possible damage, which should be professionably treated. Please have at least your GP look at your ankle.

If you are sure its just a sprain and you didnt break anything? can you bear weight on it?
the common thing i do for patients who come in with sprains is RICE
Rest Ice Compression Elevation
this helps get the swelling and inflammation down in the beginning right after the injury happened.
you can buy those ace bandages at local pharmacies,
when you ice it do it several times a day for about 10 -15 minutes each time,
also some ibuprofen if you arent allergic to nsaids, will help the inflammation.
but resting it a bit, icing it and wrapping it tightly will help,
this is what your doc will tell you.

Hey, hey... I've got a sprained ankle, too... I did it nearly 2 weeks ago, fell off a racehorse :p, and bunged up apparently 2 of the 3 major ligaments in the area. I did it on a Friday, and didn't go to the ER until Sunday night. I walked (hobbled) on it all day Saturday at the KY Derby. The ER docs took like 10 x-rays, but nothing was broken, just a bad sprain, so they told me to be on crutches for a couple days, but I just couldn't get the hang of them, so I just walked on it. Taking a couple Motrin (Ibuprofin) every few hours can help with the swelling. They also gave me a prescription for a pain med, Hydrocodone, which helped some when it was particularly sore. Went in for a re-check just the other day, and the doc gave me a splint to use - it helps keep the ankle from re-rolling over and re-stressing the ligaments.

The main treatment is: ice and elevate as much as possible, wrap with ace bandages (support and helps get rid of some swelling), gradually increase weight bearing (or if youre me, exercise another racehorse after it happens then walk on it for two days before getting it checked out; then climb up and down three flights of stairs about forty times to move out of the school dorms... but hey), and use motrin and pain meds as is needed.

A note on the drugs though: ibuprofin wreaked havoc on my stomach. I constantly felt like I was going to throw up. Bleugh. Taking it with food helps, but when you're on it for an extended time, it's not exactly nice. And I'm a smidge allergic to codeine (which is in hydrocodone); it actually makes my skin (especially my nose, for some reason) itch/crawl. Weird, eh? LOL. Don't get addicted to any pain meds. :D haha You might even be able to get by with Tylenol.

Thanks for the advice. I don't think it's a particularly bad one; the swelling is already coming down a bit and I can hobble around. Maybe I should have gone to the doctor, though - it's always nice to have prescription painkillers lying around, even if they're not medically necessary :shifty:

ETA: HorseGal, that's a much more exciting injury than mine! Hope you're feeling better now.