Fluid overload

 Dealing with obese patients on my medic unit over the years, a common thing I have noticed is that many of them have peripheral edema of the lower extremities.  I am one of them.  My mother has terrible venous stasis in her legs from poor venous return and now I do too, though I don't have the ulcerations like she has yet.

I've been on Lasix ( a fluid pill in layman's terms ) for a few years now to try and keep it under control. My primary care doctor thinks that as I loose more weight around my mid section that the blood return will improve and the swelling will go down.  The dermatologist I saw today said that is true, however there is no guarantee that it will be completely cured with weight loss, especially if I am on my feet a lot.  I guess that gravity would naturally take the pooling fluid to the lowest point which would be the feet and legs.  

Everyone here keeps pushing water water water, sip sip sip .. and I do that but I can't really be drinking tons of fluid when I retain fluid already.  What I do drink is probably discarded after I take my Lasix in the morning anyway with my many trips to the bathroom after wards.

I don't know how this is affecting my weight loss at all but it just doesn't seem like a great idea for me to be drinking so much water when I retain fluid.  

Does anyone else have swelling in their legs and feet and have this concern or any experience with taking a diuretic and having to drink all this water every day?

I have had to take 40mg Lasix off and on for water retention issues, not for a while though (thankfully.)
Every time I was rx'd I was instructed to pound the water.. more water in as it was explained to me, helps flush the retained fluids out of the tissues. Withholding water leads to more retention. I don't know if it's the same for you, but I believe it likely would be.

Edited to add, do you have compression stockings? I don't know if they are called the same thing for guys.. but they work wonders.

 I bought a cheap pair to try on my own since I know compression is the treatment for it, but they didn't do any good.  I need a tigher pair to really help.  

My doc wanted to wait a while before I get any expensive / good ones to see if it gets any better with the weight loss.  It has gotten somewhat better but there is still edema present. 

I'll keep pushing the water then to see if it helps any.  Thanks for your input.  I appreciate it.

 Have you considered massage with an acutal massage threapist? (like the kind who has taken the anatomy classes, didn't just get the certificat) It can do wonders for swelling and water retention. 

 No I cant say that I have.  I would probably need something more then just an hour massage though to keep the fluid out of my legs all together.  Compression and elevation are the main things for this.  But I'm not gonna lay in bed all day with my feet elevated.  Hopefully it will continue to improve over the next few months as I loose more weight.  I was just concerned that its not good for me to be drinking all this water.

Massage might help for a while.  Something to think about anyway.  Thanks for the idea :)

 First you have to find out if it is lymphedema or edema...which I have learned are two totally different things...I took lasix and it really did nothing for me...then I ended up with over 100 lbs of fluid on me with a perfect heart...and the docs hmmm maybe we should consider lymphedema and low and behold things changed dramatically...first they changed my diuretic to bumex and my fluid just flooded off of me...then I started a treatment program of lymphatic massages and compression....really if you have insurance that covers it...the first month or so they don't use compression stockings...they use wraps...which are a bit cumbersome...but the fluid can change so quick that they have to get you to a point where you can use the compression garments a little longer than you know a week...Now they have ordered me farrow wraps which are horribly expensive...but they are velcro wraps...all in one piece so easier to put on and take off...Lymphatic massages are very different from other massages...they only move upward beginning from your toes and they are not a kneading type of massage but rather a very light touch...the kneading massage can actually add to your fluid...so I would suggest you find out if you have lymphedema rather than straight up edema...getting the right diagnosis made a world of difference to me....

 Thank you for the information.  I'll check into it with my doc.

I take lasix everyday, 40mg.  It's part of my high blood pressure meds. When I take it regularly (everyday) I'm only in the bathroom once maybe twice after I take it, then it's like a regular day. If I don't take iit for an extended amount of time my ankles will swell.

I really don't know how someone with a history of retaining water would be afftected. However, I've found that the more water you drink the less water your body tends to retain. Our bodies are built to survive. If its not adequately hydrated, it'll retain water. If it's not receiving enough energy, it will store evergy.

Also it's not just fluids that aid in water retention. High sodium levels can also contribute to water retention. So even though as sleevers we don't eat that much  we should still pay attention to how much sodium is in our diets. I was looking at my food log on myfitday.com and noticed my sodium intake was starting to rise. So now I make sure I look at the sodium content of the foods I eat. I wish they had daily nutrition requirements for those who consume less than 2000 calories a day. In fact I think I'll post and see if anyone has come across anything like that.

Just a thought.  ..or two.

 Something to consider for sure, thanks for your reply!

EDIT:  I'm running to the bathroom for 3 hours after I take it.  I weigh myself too and sometimes I'll drop as much as 2 lbs from my starting morning weight I've lost so much fluid from the pill.

If you try to go the massage route, please make sure you find a massage therapist that has special training in lymphatic massage..not all do. As was explained above lymphatic drainage massage could be very helpful to you, but needs to be done properly or it can worsen the condition. I don't know if this would be helpful too, but small trampolines (also called rebounders) are very helpful for lymph circulation. Good luck.