I'm having a terrible time with swollen feet and ankles. It gets to where my feet start feeling numb and my shoes don't fit.... ugh. I'm always like this in the summer any way, but this year it's ridiculous. I asked my PT and she said summer swelling is relatively common since your body will tend to preserve moisture in summer's heat even if you are inside with the a/c running. I know about getting 'your toes above your nose' but that's a tough position when I have so much to do- and my GERD doesn't much like it either. I have tried sleeping with my legs elevated, but I tend to roll off the pillows while asleep. I'm already avoiding salt and sodium and drinking plenty of water. I feel waterlogged.
Is there any food, herb, vitamin, etc. that will help drain off this retained water- that works as a diuretic? TIA
Leslie of The Blimpy/Sloshing Lower Extremities & The Furbabies in MO.
I know caffeine is a diuretic along with green tea and cranberry juice. Here's a site with a list of some other foods.
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Be careful though if you're on other medications. A diuretic has the same result whether it's a pill or natural food. Make sure excess water loss (and possibly electrolyte loss) won't be a problem.
Actually, you should cut back on your fluid consumption also. While you do want to stay hydrated, you shouldn't be fluid loading when you are experiencing fluid retention, at least according to my mom's doctors. I suspect, also, since you are post surgery and limited mobility, you need to let your doctor know that you are retaining a lot of fluid.
Tea. Not any fancy herbal kinds, the regular kind. I see some of the tea sites these days claim this isn't so, but it seems to do so for most people I know. Chamomile or hibiscus tea may also work for you. Cranberry, parsley, celery, cucumber, lemon. All of these are quite mild.
Dandelion (root) is an old standard for this, but it is not mild. You should be able to get the idea from the fact that one of its old names is pissabed.
Don't slack on the water either, unless of course your doctor tells you otherwise. Regardless of how much fluid you are trying to get rid of, you still need to maintain your regular fluid balance. Eat your veggies too, you have to concioiusly keep your electrolytes up if you are going to mess about with diuretics.
Leslie Try wrapping a large bag of frozen peas or frozen corn around your ankles for about 15 mins - it will help reduce the swelling. I keep a bag of peas (clearly labeled!) in the freezer, for just this purpose. They are pretty much thawed out by the time your 15 minutes is up, so they kind of time themselves. And the large bags easily conform to whatever shape they need to "wrap".
A "good for you" natural diuretic is cranberry juice. So is cabbage, if you can stand it - as in coleslaw for lunch. Also, try and drastically reduce the amount of salt you're ingesting. And...... try and cut down on smoking.
My doctor suggested just the opposite - namely, drink lots of fluids. Our body grabs on to our fluids if we are not getting enough. He says that we need to keep clear fluids running through our system to eliminate properly.
B6 is good-and especially in conjunction with magnesium if you're not 'regular' due to the enforced immobility. Of course, coffee is diuretic as well. Sorry you're having such an uncomfortable time of it, Leslie! :( chipper
I was so worried about his icky swelling that I guess I never even thought to do an internet search- sheesh!
I *forced*myself to spend over 5 hrs.- this morning- with my legs elevated about 20 in. higher than my body with the rest of me laying perfectly flat. The swelling is down immensely. There is only a little bit left, but I cannot stand to lay like that any longer. ;-)
And thank you to everyone else for the suggestions. I'm going to raid my kitchen and see what I have that all y'all (notice how I am using the 'correct' plural form of y'all? LOL) mentioned for natural diuretics and start using them. I do *not* want to go on prescription diuretics- ugh.
Since I'm in a wheelchair I can have a lot of problems with swelling in my lower legs and ankles. For years now I have been drinking watermelon juice. I have a juicer and just toss in chunks (yup, rind and all) till I get a big glass full and chug it every morning and sometimes twice a day. Or eat a bowl full once or twice a day (not the rinds when I just eat). It works like a charm for me. I read about this a long time ago when researching arthritis and post orthopedic surgical care and I'll be darned if it doesn't work.....for me anyway. Watermelon also has some sort of anti inflammatory thing going on as well as being a diuretic. Since starting this I've also cut way back on aspirin and pain meds since doing this glass or two a day routine. The joints in my hands don't swell nearly as much either anymore and the pain is minimal. I haven't taken diuretics for years now. I also drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.
I have a cadre of orthopedic doctors who've been doing surgery on me for over 15 years and they all say drink lots of water and to cut way back or cut out caffeine. It leeches calcium from your bones. The more water you drink the less you will retain. I know it doesn't make sense but that is what I have been told by doctors, physical therapists and dieticians. I also consume salt at a very bare minimum. No pre-prepared foods, no canned foods, no salt shakers are to be seen, no salty snack foods, no soda pop, not even diet soda. If it's fizzy, don't drink it. And here's a real clincher.......no celery. Apparently celery is loaded with some sort of sodium, according to the dietician at the hospital. She also told me to read the labels on everything and if salt or sodium-anything is one of the first four ingredients listed *don't consume it*.
Hope this will help you out a bit, this hot weather is murder for water retention and post op swelling. Also just flexing your toes or moving your feet and.or legs (sort of an easy flipper type motion) while laying down or sitting will help. When you move those muscles it causes your veins and muscles to expand and contract and that also helps move the fluid out. When you are sitting make sure the chair isn't pressing on the backs of your thighs, the pressure impedes circulation and can make swelling in legs, feet and ankles worse.
Be a little wary of Cranberry Juice, Leslie. It can interact with other drugs you are on (especially blood thinning ones). Worth checking with your doctor if it is ok.
I've been told the same, a dehydrated body is not going to heal well. Fluid in the ankles is uncomfortable, can be a sign of other problems, but in itself is not a problem. Urine retention on the other hand is, but tends to resolve with additional fluids the bladder fills and puts pressure on it's the sphincter and out it comes and hopefully empties fully. As others have said, common drinks such as tea, coffee are diuretics and that can be a problem a dehydrated system can be one that retains water. I had this problem after my first baby was born, I never had swollen ankles before the birth and afterwards I failed to drink enough and my ankles swelled up enormously, I think about 3lb of fluid per ankle, 2nd baby and I was aware I needed to make an effort to drink and I did, no swelling occurred.
Leslie, if I were you, I'd make a list of exactly what you are drinking, then what medicines you are taking and when, look them up and check what common side effects are, then take it all to the doctor and ask for advice.
When you do 'go' and don't feel like you're done..WHISTLE HARD OUT LOUD. Just blowing air out doesn't do the same thing. Nurse told me that after having major hernia surgery and it was important to get it all out. Works for men, also.
I have had this problem to an extreme this year, and am not recovering from surgery. It has gotten so bad my work shoes don't fit, there is only one pair that feels comfortable.
Being in the courtroom I have to be seated a lot. I park my car as far away from the bldg as possible. Go for a walk before court starts, again at noon, and mid afternoon if we are not in session/it's not too hot outside. Get home and walk again, or use my rebounder.
Only have two cups of coffee a day now [down from a whole pot]. Drinking as much as I can. While in session I like cold water, so I fill my thermal cup with icecubes then top off with water. Drink often through a straw. Use 1/4 lemon to 32 oz container. Or diluted Crystal Light when plain water isn't appetizing enough.
Like some> I'm having a terrible time with swollen feet and ankles. It gets to where
Somewhere I've seen a tea for that. I drank it when preggers with oldest DS. Let me see if I can find the name of it for you. Give me a bit, as I'm trying to make dinner, too. Sigh. Think how much other things I could get done, if I didn't have to stop to cook meals!!
Also, that's what my cardiologist says, do *not* cut back on fluids. It sounds wrong, but drinking plenty of fluids helps. My feet swelled up after femoral artery bypass surgery. Salt consumption makes it worse, of course, as does heat, and staying on my feet too long. He finally prescribed a mild diuretic. Worked like a charm. I only take it when I need it.
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