Natural Water Pills

Are there any sort of natural or over the counter diuretics out there that anyone knows about?

black coffee will do the trick.

gew, thanks *grin* but anything that will taste better? 

How do you feel about tea? I drink plain hot black tea and that always seems to do the trick.

Green Tea works really well.  If you don't like the flavor of green tea, you can find it in pill form with all of the vitamins. 

There's a pill called Diurex that you can find in most pharmacies. 

OOooo I LOVE green tea.  I'll try the tea and if that doesn't work I will try to look for the diurex.  I'm just tired of my fingers being swollen all the time. It's a little better today because I've been drinking more water but it doesn't seem to help totally

celery, asparagus, fennel bulbs, dandelion, onion, shallots, leek, garlic, parsnips, okra are vegetables that are natural diuretics, also grapes, apricots, melon, peach, orange are natural diuretic fruits.....hmmmmmmm, nature's a medicine cupboard !!!!

The first question that comes to mind is...why? Your body has a natural system for eliminating fluids and it works pretty well. Taking an over the counter diuretic is not healthy for more than a day or two. ..I am not a doctor, this is just my opinion.

Unless you are training for a photo shoot and you need to see your abs better for the shoot tomorrow, or you are a body builder and have a competition tomorrow (and you are already at less than 9% body fat) there is no reason to take diuretics.

Eat healthy, drink water and green tea, stay away from bad liquids like alcohol and soda and your body will do the rest naturally.

I knew a body builder that passed out on stage because he had been taking diuretics and neglecting his fluid intake for 24 hours before the shoot so he'd look more "cut."
 

Mr. Bob

Thank you :-)  I just thought it could help because I retain so much water.  I chug and chug water and I never seem to eliminate enough.  My fingers get so swollen and I ALWAYS weigh more in the mornings than I do in the evenings. My face gets puffy and my ankles get so where you can leave a thumb print in them for more than a few seconds.  So I thought maybe by taking an over the counter it would help a little bit.  I've heard aloe juice helps too.  I hadn't planned on taking it for more than a couple days at a time though.... :-)

 

P.S.  I only VERY rarely drink and if I do get sodas it's one on the weekend.  Which does seem to contribute to the problem so I guess I'll have to cut out that treat too. :-(

sounds like you should ask the doc about it. He may presribe something. Coffee does work and tea and it is natural so I think that's fine.  I just was talking about the pills. Your doctor may say they are OK for you.

You should weigh less in the morning unless you are eating late so there could be a medical issue.

 

Well, I agree that I should see a doctor but time and finance constraints have prevented me from going.  I should soon have medical through my job however so hopefully if I can just stave off any serious illnesses till it comes through I'll be ok. 

Was just reading this and saw that you have problems with your fingers and body swelling...check your blood pressure...really. If your blood pressure is high you will retain water like crazy, and taking diuretics is something you should do under medical supervision. Just check it at a Walmart in the pharmacy section or something, just to be sure that it's not an issue before you take anything...

moonraven, really?  I didn't know blood pressure did that.  I just assumed mine is high because my BMR is so high (or is that BMI?)  40+ *sigh*  The machine at wal-mart has been out of order for a year now lol.  Doesn't being significantly over weight mean you automatically have high blood pressure?  I've been trying to cut down on sodium a lot (I do love my salt... who am I kidding, if one can eat it I probably like it lol).

Thanks for the suggestion moonraven.  I think I can get it checked for free at the local hospital too. :-)

dragoncomet00.... you really should speak to a doctor. i'm in the healthcare field and there are a lot of dangers associated with diuretics or any other over the counter med including natural products. the swelling and puffiness (if related to water retention ) might be edema.

there is a lot to consider, but here are a few thingd to look at...

1)advise the doctor of any other medications you might already be on.

2) they can be particularly dangerous to people with certain health issues such as diabetes of kidney problems and more.

3) there are different diuretics that act differently in the body, while they all cause you to lose water.. some affect potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium levels, uric acid.... just to name a few!

4) improper use can seriously affect your heart ( related to #3) and blood pressure

..just hold off till you can get a proper physical from a doctor to see what the real problem is.

good luck to you!

samiaz,

Thank you very much, I really appreciate the advice.  I guess if I've waited this long for medical a couple more weeks won't hurt till my insurance comes through and I'll just make an appointment for a physical.  Thanks again! 

how much sodium are you getting a day?  Some ppl are more sensitive.  Try tracking it for a few days and I wouldn't be surprised if you're getting too much.

Well, come to think of it I do eat at least two of the frozen diet meals a day.  I remember reading that they have a lot of sodium.  I get so absorbed in looking at the calories I forget to look at all the other things.  I guess I'll do that when I run home for lunch.... Thanks :-)

Ooh yes, frozen meals are loaded with sodium. I tried an experiment one day, and my challenge was to eat less than 2300mg of sodium (which is what is recommended). It was really hard! I didn't even eat anything that was notorious for being salty.

If you're swollen in your fingers, face and ankles, you might be suffering from edema, which is a fancy word for fluid build up where fluid doesn't belong. Edema is caused by lots of things, including electrolyte imbalance (too much salt, not enough potassium), diabetes, high blood pressure, renal (kidney) disease, and a whole host of other conditions. I'm not a doctor, so I can't tell you what's wrong, but it sounds like something that you should follow up with a doctor.

Best of luck!