Are Diuretics The Best Medicine To Treat Water Retention?
Diuretics are the best medicines to treat water retention caused by heart, liver or kidney problems. They are not very effective for water retention caused by other types of water retention, including
- chronic venous insufficiency
- premenstrual water retention
- idiopathic edema
By causing dehydration they can actually make these problems worse. Dehydration is dangerous and your body will learn to hold on to water in order to avoid it.
Before buying diuretics (even natural herbal diuretics) get your doctor to check your heart, kidneys and liver. If these are ok then you should not treat your water retention with diuretics, or you will almost certainly make it worse.
Addiction to diuretics
Some people become addicted to diuretics, and swell up with water retention immediately they stop taking them. This swelling is caused by the addiction, it does not mean that the drugs are necessary. In fact the opposite is true.
Here is a message from one of my readers
Dear Linda
I have been physically addicted to diurectics for 18 years. I have been taking a combination of lasix and moduretic for this time, and lasix on its own prior to that. I cannot get off the drugs as when I don’t take them I swell up and up and up, more every day. Nothing helps, not herbal supplements, nothing. Avoiding salt only helps to stop the rapid rise in water retention, but the swelling and weight gain is simply unbearable.
I would give anything to be back to normal, but I cant see how this could ever be possible. I am desperate for help. Many years ago I used to abuse these drugs, sometimes taking up to 5 or more in one go. For a while now – probably three years or more, I take no more than one lasix per day and half a moduretic. I am not abusing them anymore as such, just totally dependent upon them not to swell up. I am desperate, this has ruined my life, is there any hope for me?
What to do if you are addicted to diuretics
Get a copy of the Waterfall Diet book or E-guide (see panel opposite). Read the book carefully to develop a proper understanding of your condition. Get started on the meal plan as soon as you can.
To avoid swelling up too much, don’t try to come off the diuretics ‘cold turkey’. You should reduce them very gradually. The easiest way to do this is to ask your doctor for low-dose pills and gradually reduce the number of pills you take per week. If taking pills you can also try cutting them up or powdering them to divide the dose, or empty out capsules to do the same.
If you have a serious addiction it will probably take a good six months before you are finally free of your diuretics. In the meantime the Waterfall Diet will be working hard to treat the original causes of your water retention.
Good luck and do keep in touch by leaving comments for us all.
Linda
Related posts:
- Can diuretics cause worse water retention?
- How Do Diuretics Cause Water Retention?
- Natural Diuretics
- Water Retention Treatments
- Water Retention And Water Pills
