What are the risks of taking "water pills"?
Water pills aren't addictive, but they can be dangerous. When you start taking them on your own without a recommended dosage, however, you could do some serious damage to your body. " [Taking them] can cause worsening kidney function, and lightheadedness or dizziness as a result of being dehydrated," says Lunenfeld.
Are water pills safe and what do they do?
Water pills, also known as diuretics, are medicines that flush excess water from the body. They are generally considered safe if the user takes the medication as directed. Diuretics are used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, edema, heart failure, and other health problems.
Can taking too many water pills harm you?
Water pills, medically known as diuretics, have many legitimate uses, but can cause dehydration and irregular heartbeats if you take them in excess. Abusing diuretics as a weight-control method is not only risky but ineffective, since water weight will re-accumulate when you stop taking the pills.
What do you need to know before taking water pills?
- dry mouth; thirst; nausea; vomiting; weakness, tiredness; drowsiness; restlessness; confusion; muscle weakness, pain, or cramps; fast heartbeat and other signs of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
- blisters or peeling skin
- hives
- rash
- itching
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- fever, sore throat, chills, and other signs of infection
What are the side effects of taking water pills?
“Water Pills” Can Have Serious Side EffectsBloating and constipation.Nausea and Vomiting.Weakness and Fatigue.Muscle cramps.Muscle aches and stiffness.Tingling and Numbness.Heart palpitations.Chest pain.More items...•
Who should not take water pills?
Ask your doctor if you should avoid or be cautious using diuretics if you:Have severe liver or kidney disease.Are dehydrated.Have an irregular heartbeat.Are in the third trimester of pregnancy and/or have developed high blood pressure during your pregnancy.Are age 65 or older.Have gout.More items...•
Will taking water pills harm you?
Kids can safely take them, but they need smaller doses. The side effects are similar to adults. But potassium-sparing diuretics can cause low levels of calcium, which could hurt bone development.
What is the safest water pill to take?
18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Patients taking a common diuretic to help lower blood pressure may be better off with a similarly effective but safer one, a new study suggests. Current guidelines recommend the drug chlorthalidone (Thalitone) as the first-line diuretic.
Can water pills damage your kidneys?
Doctors use these medicines, also known as water pills, to treat high blood pressure and some kinds of swelling. They help your body get rid of extra fluid. But they can sometimes dehydrate you, which can be bad for your kidneys.
What happens when you stop taking water pills?
Conclusion: Withdrawal of long-term diuretic treatment in elderly patients leads to symptoms of heart failure or increase in blood pressure to hypertensive values in most cases. Any attempt to withdraw diuretic therapy requires careful monitoring conditions, notably during the initial four weeks.
Should I drink more water while taking diuretics?
Doctors often recommend drinking less fluid and taking diuretic medications, or water pills, to flush more water and salt out of the body through urine. The goal of treatment is to reduce swelling, which makes it easier to breathe and helps avoid hospitalization.
Why do doctors prescribe water pills?
Diuretics, or water pills, help your kidneys put extra salt and water into your urine or pee. This is how diuretics clear extra fluid out and bring down your blood pressure. Diuretics also help when you have too much fluid collecting because of heart failure or other medical problems.
How do I get rid of fluid retention?
Remedies for water retention can include the following.Follow a low salt diet.Eat potassium- and magnesium-rich foods. They will help balance out your sodium levels. ... Take a vitamin B6 supplement.Eat protein. ... Keep your feet elevated. ... Wear compression socks or leggings. ... Seek a doctor's help if your problem persists.
What is a natural diuretic to get rid of fluid?
Some herbs and dietary supplements may help you excrete water (diuretic) and help with sodium and water retention. Examples include dandelion, ginger, parsley, hawthorn and juniper.
What is the most powerful natural diuretic?
In addition, the herbs hawthorn, corn silk, and parsley can be used as diuretics in natural medicine. Of these, hawthorn, (crataegus oxycanthus) is the most powerful.
How long do water tablets take to reduce swelling?
It treats edema and high blood pressure by removing excess fluid from your body through your kidneys. The drug starts to work within an hour after you take it. And it takes about 2 hours for half of a dose of the drug to leave your body.
What happens if you take a pill and you lose water?
Your heart doesn’t like this. It causes palpitations and the lungs have issue getting air. You might have some brain fog and delirium.
How much weight do you lose when you stop taking water pills?
Dr. Oz explained that when you take a water pill, you pee out about three pounds of your weight. You might look thinner. But when you stop taking the water pill, there’s a rebounding effect. You get those three pounds back.
Why did Natasha get sick?
She went to the doctor and found out that she was getting sick because of the water pills. Her legs were also starting to swell, which really scared her. It turns out that if Natasha had been pregnant, it would have been bad. Side effects from water pills can be quite serious. Natasha was throwing up constantly.
How many times does Alana take water pills?
Dr. Oz talked to Alana, who uses water pills to lose weight. She takes them two or three times per week. She even took one before coming on Dr. Oz to look slimmer on TV. She said she sees results like a flatter stomach and increased definition.
What are the ingredients in a water pill?
Dr. Oz explained that the active ingredients in a diuretic or water pill are caffeine, pamabrom, or triamterene. These don’t burn fat and can cause severe dehydration. They can also short circuit your organs. These pills cause you to pee more often. It’s roughly a liter of extra urine.
Why does Natasha say not to take water pills?
Plus, because your body is dehydrated and your organs were suffering, you get overwhelmed with fluid. This causes your body to have symptoms similar to what happened to Natasha. Natasha urged people not to take water pills. She suggested people lose weight the natural way instead.
Can water pills cause heart failure?
They’re a less potent version of products recommended by doctors for heart failure and high blood pressure. But consumers are using them to slim down fast. The FDA recently issued a warning saying that water pills can have serious side effects and should only be used under the supervision of a health care professional.
What is water pill?
Essentially, Bakshi tells us, “Water pills—also known as diuretics—are a class of medication used to help the kidneys decrease the amount of water in the body.". Typically, she adds, they’re prescribed to a patient by a medical professional to help with high blood pressure, heart failure, and edema.
What is the purpose of water pills?
The term “water pill,” in fact, has nothing to do with the scientific composition of the medication and everything to do with their prescribed purpose: to relieve fluid retention. As we know all too well, one doesn’t have to be recovering from a heart attack to retain some extra water .
How do water pills work?
Water pills "work by having the kidneys remove sodium from the body, and the water then follows the sodium ," says Bakshi. From a nutritional standpoint, Condell notes, “Diuretics are useful for a variety of medical conditions—even for treating acne—but should always be used under the care of a physician.”.
Is water regulated by the FDA?
This is important. Unlike prescribed diuretics, over-the-counter water pills are not regulated by the FDA. In other words, “The ingredients listed on the box may not actually be what is in the pill you are taking,” says Bakshi.
Is water good for you?
After all, water is generally associated with all things good: glowing skin, a speedy metabolism, and the ultimate hangover cure. Yet here’s an interesting tidbit: If not taken appropriately, water pills (known as loop diuretics in the medical community) can actually be pretty dangerous.
Can you take water pills over the counter?
Be wary of over-the-counter options, and don't treat them as a quick de-bloating trick, which can result in dangerous side effects. To best determine if water pills are right for your health needs, speak to your personal physician.
Can diuretics be sold over the counter?
This is the case for diuretics and other medications, like ones for heartburn. That being said, when a medication is able to be sold over the counter, it can lose the oversight by the FDA (as noted earlier) and thereby not need to follow the same regulations as prescribed medication for safety.”.
How long after taking a syringe can you pee?
Side Effects. The water that comes out of your body has to go somewhere, so you can expect to be peeing more and more often for several hours after a dose. You also run the risk of getting dehydrated, and simply drinking more fluids may not be enough. Call your doctor if you're very thirsty or have a very dry mouth, your pee is a deep yellow, ...
What is the best medicine for high blood pressure?
Diuretics (Water Pills) for High Blood Pressure. Medically Reviewed by James Beckerman, MD, FACC on May 07, 2021. Commonly known as " water pills ," these drugs help your kidneys get rid of extra water and salt from your body through your pee. Because you have less total fluid in your blood vessels, like a garden hose that's not turned on all ...
Can you take diuretic in the morning?
If you only need one dose a day, you might want to take your diuretic in the morning so you can sleep through the night instead of getting up to go to the bathroom. Avoid alcohol and medicines to help you sleep. They may make side effects worse.
Can potassium diuretics cause bone loss?
We don't know how these drugs affect an unborn baby. And many pass into breast milk, which can make the baby dehydrated. Kids can safely take them, but they need smaller doses. The side effects are similar to adults. But potassium-sparing diuretics can cause low levels of calcium, which could hurt bone development.
What are some examples of water pills?
Some examples of water tablets are moduretic and lasix. There are some cases where water pills are necessary, but only in cases of quite serious disease, which your doctor will be able to identify. Most people with water retention do not have a disease, they have a metabolic imbalance caused by eating the wrong foods or not eating enough ...
Why does my body keep water?
Eating too much salty or sugary food and not enough fresh fruit and vegetables is one likely cause of water retention. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a good source of potassium.
What happens if you lose potassium?
If you lose potassium it is harder for your body to control sodium, which encourages water retention. Potassium is also needed to make energy in your body, so if you don’t have enough you can start to feel tired and even your heart, nerves and muscles can be weakened.
Can water pills extract water from tissues?
Water pills cannot extract water from your tissues. Your tissues will give up a little bit of water if your blood gets dehydrated due to the water pills, but they will take it back again the minute the dehydration stops.
Can water pills help with water retention?
Water pills don’t cure water retention, they just force your kidneys to extract more water from your blood. However you only have too much water in your blood when you have a serious disease. If you have a metabolic imbalance, the water retention is not in your blood but in your tissues. Water pills cannot extract water from your tissues.
Can you have water retention and dehydration at the same time?
Can you have water retention and dehydration at the same time? Yes. The moment you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. Women need to drink at least two litres of water a day to avoid dehydration and men need even more. These are official figures published by governments.
When are diuretics normally used?
In these conditions, physicians use diuretics to encourage the body to discard some of the fluid it has built up over time. Diuretics are called water pills because they help the body get rid of water by preventing your kidneys from holding on to it. As a result, you pee out more water than usual.
Why are people using diuretics for weight loss?
About two thirds of the human body is water by weight. That means that losing significant amounts of water can rapidly drop your body weight. Realizing this, some individuals saw an opportunity to use diuretics as a short-term weight loss product. Unfortunately, the weight loss isn’t real.
Why is non-prescription use of diuretics dangerous?
Your body normally works hard to make sure there’s enough water in the body to keep your organs functioning. This also includes making sure your body has the right balance of electrolytes in your blood. Diuretics mess with both of these things. They force your body to lose more water than usual and also push out vital electrolytes with that water.
When should I take a diuretic?
Diuretics should only be taken when prescribed by a doctor to you for a specific reason. You should never use diuretics for weight loss and you should never take a friend’s or relative’s medication or supplement for any reason.
What products should I look out for?
Some non-prescription rapid weight-loss pills use diuretics, often illegally. They can do this because the supplement industry has minimal regulations and oversight when it comes to what ends up on shelves.
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What is water pill?
Water pills (a.k.a. diuretics) basically pressure your kidneys into flushing out excess water and salt through your pee. There are actually three classes of diuretics that work in different ways, says Ellen Lunenfeld, M.D., an internist with Summit Medical Group in New Jersey—thiazide, loop-acting, and potassium-sparing diuretics.
What happens when you stop taking a sulfate supplement?
Once you stop taking them, your kidneys go back to reabsorbing the normal amount of water and salt for your body, so you'll go back to your typical body weight soon after you stop taking them. “When you’re weighing yourself, [you’re adding up] bone, fat, muscle and water,” says Lunenfeld.
What is the best medicine for swelling?
1. Water pills are one of the most commonly prescribed medications. Take note of that word: prescribed. Water pills are meant to help reduce blood pressure, prevent fluid buildup, and reduce swelling respectively, says Linda Anegawa, M.D., an internist at Pali Momi Medical Center in Hawaii.
Can you take water pills for bloating?
They're usually given to people with health issues like hypertension, heart failure, and idiopathic edema (unexplained swelling)—not people looking to cure mild bloating or lose weight. Most doctors recommend against using water pills for those purposes. 2. OTC water pills are different from prescription water pills.
Do diuretics make you gain weight?
In fact, they might make you gain weight. Yep, you read that right. If you take any type of diuretic over a long period of time, your kidneys will eventually compensate for their use and you'll end up holding on to more water weight than you did before you started taking them.
Is it safe to take water pills?
Water pills aren't addictive, but they can be dangerous. Water pills aren't habit-forming or dangerous, says Anegawa—again, as long as you're getting them through your doctor. When you start taking them on your own without a recommended dosage, however, you could do some serious damage to your body. “ [Taking them] can cause worsening kidney ...
Is OTC water the same as prescription water?
2. OTC water pills are different from prescription water pills. It might be tempting to pick up an OTC water pill at the drugstore if you’re experiencing mild bloating, but Lunenfeld warns against this. That's because OTC water pills and prescriptions water pills aren't the same thing.
What are the side effects of taking water pills?
Home / General Health / Water Pills Side Effects. Excess tiredness, muscle weakness, frequent urination, and excessive thirst are some of the common side effects of taking water pills. Diuretics, also known as water pills are commonly prescribed for the treatment of edema, a condition that is typically marked by accumulation ...
Can diuretics cause blurred vision?
There have been reports of unexplained weight loss, fever, cough, sore throat, bruising, vision becoming blurred and headache, in patients put on diuretics . These side effects require urgent medical attention and so one must inform the doctor immediately.
Does taking diuretics cause increased urine?
Frequent Urination. Whether you take natural diuretics or synthetically prepared ones, the most common side effect you are likely to experience is increased urination. Taking the pill prompts the kidneys to produce more urine.
Can water pills cause thirst?
No wonder, excessive fluid loss causes unreasonable thirst. Water pills may also lead to abnormal heart rate and fatigue.
What is the name of the pill that helps you get rid of salt?
Find out how they work and when you might need them. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Diuretics , sometimes called water pills, help rid your body of salt (sodium) and water. Most of them help your kidneys release more sodium into your urine.
What are some examples of diuretics?
Examples of diuretics. There are three types of diuretics: Thiazide. Loop. Potassium sparing. Each type affects a different part of your kidneys. Some pills combine more than one type of diuretic or combine a diuretic with another blood pressure medication.
Can thiazide be used for high blood pressure?
When diuretics are used. Thiazide diuretics are recommended as one of the first drug treatments for high blood pressure. If diuretics aren't enough to lower your blood pressure, your doctor might add other blood pressure medications to your treatment plan.
Can thiazide cause low potassium levels?
If you take a thiazide diuretic, your potassium level can drop too low (hypokalemia), which can cause life-threatening problems with your heartbeat. If you're on a potassium-sparing diuretic, you can have too much potassium in your blood. Other possible side effects of diuretics include: Dizziness. Headaches.