I'm sitting here with pitting edema up to my knees I have venous insufficiency, aka varicose veins. Plus I have to take a lot of painkillers and NSAIDS which cause the kidleys to retain fluid. I don't have blood pressure problem though, thank goodness. Nonetheless, it's a real p*sser when the shoes won't fit or there's so much swelling I have pins and needles in my feet from the pressure.

My darling doctor just says "You're obese .. lose the weight and the problem will be solved" Yeh right .. so how come I had this when I only weighed 140 lbs??

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Diuretics can cause rebound fluid retention when you go off them. Yes, it's best to taper, don't just stop cold turkey.

Cutting down on salt and salty foods is a good idea, and maybe use a little No Salt substitute .. it contains potassium chloride which is helpful to balance sodium and water in the body. Don't need much .. 1/8th of a teaspoon has 325mg potassium in it. Don't use potassium if you're taking ACE inhibitors or other diuretics that can make the kidneys retain potassium. Check with your pharmacist to be sure.

Cut back on coffee .. regular or decaf, doesn't matter. Even decaf contains xanthines and other compounds that act like a diuretic at first, but end up causing you to retain. Tea and green tea may be preferable. I agree with you about the various herbals and supplements .. they don't work, or else they're very mild and only work a bit. A mere tap, when what you need is a sledge hammer!!

One thing I've found that is helpful ... a cup of hot (not boiling) water with the freshly squeezed juice from half a lemon. Drink it straight up if you can, or use stevia or some other filler-free sweetener. Have this on an empty stomach, either first thing before breakfast, or mid-morning. Sip it down, then chase with a glass of cold water. And yes, has to be hot water, not cold. Note -- don't use bottled lemon juice, or the stuff that comes in those little plastic lemons. That stuff has preservatives, either citrate or sulphite.

I also find that asparagus seems to have a certain diuretic property, so if you like it, go for it. It's great with fresh lemon juice


Hope you're feeling better soon.

Doreen