Learn How Diuretics Help Manage Fluid Retention and Health

The first diuretic was discovered in the 19th century. It was a mercury-based medication which was widely used to treat syphilis. This drug was weak in relation to the disease it was used for but the doctors noticed its diuretic effect. Soon mercury compounds were replaced by less toxic diuretics. Later, the modification of the structure of diuretics led to the creation of more effective and much safer diuretics. The medications are currently widely spread and some of them can be bought without a prescription. The common name for diuretics is also “water pill”. If your doctor prescribes you to use the water pills, you can buy diuretics from our online pharmacy without a prescription and at an affordable price. If you want to know more about how and when these medications are used, continue reading this guide.

When are diuretics used?

The medications that promote diuresis are mainly used for reduction of swelling in cardiac and vascular insufficiency or in kidney diseases, to lower the arterial pressure, and to accelerate the washing out of toxins from the body in poisoning.

Edema or swelling can be a consequence of various heart conditions, diseases of vascular and/or urinary system. This pathology is associated with sodium retention in the organism. Water pill removes excess sodium thereby reducing swelling.

The increased level of sodium affects the tone of the blood vessels. It makes them contracted and therefore narrowed. Diuretics, used as antihypertensive drugs, allow the vessels to expand, which leads to a lowering of the arterial and vessel pressure.

The kidneys remove some of the toxic substances in poisoning. In order to speed up this process, diuretics are used. In practical medicine, this method is called "forced diuresis." Patients are first injected with a large volume of solutions and then injected with a highly effective diuretic, which quickly expels toxins from the body with the liquid.

The precise conditions in which diuretics are prescribed are the following:
- Hypertension, especially in elderly patients.
- Chronic heart failure
- Chronic kidney failure
- Ascites
- Osteoporosis (thiazide diuretics are recommended).
- Congenital Liddle syndrome (potassium-sparing medicines are recommended).
- High intraocular pressure.
- Glaucoma.
- Liver cirrhosis.

Depending on the condition and other health factors, diuretics can be used either for the active therapy, i.e. in high doses for short period of time, or for supportive therapy, i.e. long-term therapy in low doses.

Types of diuretics: how do they differ?

Although the goal of using diuretics is the same, i.e. to eliminate excess water from the body tissues, for different pathologies different medications are used. These are the main types of diuretics that are currently used:
- Medications that influence the function of the epithelium of kidney tubules.
- Potassium-sparing medications that are antagonists of mineralocorticoid receptors.
- Osmotic diuretics.

Based on the amount of washed out sodium, the diuretics are classified into:
- Highly effective water pills that wash out more than 15% of sodium.
- Average potency diuretics that wash out around 10% of sodium.
- Weak diuretics that wash out 5% of sodium.
You can find complete information about when and how each diuretic is used on the product page in our online pharmacy. But it would be wiser to consult your doctor to know exactly what drug to use in your condition before you buy diuretic even though you can do so without a prescription from our online pharmacy.

When are diuretics contraindicated to be used?

The medications are contraindicated for people with hypokalemia, active liver cirrhosis, in intolerance of the active substances of the medications and certain sulfonamide derivatives (antibacterial and sugar lowering meds), respiratory failure, acute renal disease. Besides, thiazide diuretics are prohibited to be used in people with diabetes mellitus as they can contribute to sharp sugar increase in the blood. Osmotic diuretics are prohibited in case of cardiac insufficiency.
Other relative contraindications for use are ventricular arrhythmias, a combination of diuretics with glycosides and lithium salts.

Adverse reactions and possible health risks

Water pills from the group of thiazides can lead to an elevated concentration of uric acid in the blood. Therefore, patients suffering from gout can note deterioration and worsening of the disease.The medicines from the group of average efficiency (Hypothiazide, Hydrochlorothiazide) can have undesirable consequences. If the dosage is incorrect or the patients are intolerant of the medication, they can experience drowsiness, dry mouth, weakness, nausea, possible diarrhea, headache, arrhythmia, muscle weakness, spasms in skeletal muscles, increased blood sugar levels, allergies, decreased libido in men, and others.

Adverse effects that can be caused by the use of Furosemide are frequent urination, dryness in the mouth, nausea, lightheadedness, and decreased levels of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It can cause in hearing impairment, skin rashes, and paresthesia.

Adverse effects of aldosterone antagonists can be diarrhea, vomiting, headache, convulsions, skin rashes, and others. For women, an incorrectly appointed dosage can lead to the irregular menstruation and hirsutism, in men it can cause erectile dysfunction. Osmotic diuretics in case of inadequate treatment of heart failure may lead to an increase in the volume of plasma and increased stress on the heart. This can lead to pulmonary edema with heart failure.

Can diuretics be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding?

Swelling during pregnancy is quite a frequent occurrence. Usually, it develops during the last months of pregnancy when the uterus with its mass squeezes a hollow vein. Swelling during pregnancy cannot be ignored, as this can be a signal of kidney failure and the development of histiocytosis. If a special low sodium diet does not help, synthetic or natural diuretics are used. However, you should be careful choosing the medication. The majority of diuretics are contraindicated during gestation. Almost all water pills are contraindicated especially during the first months of pregnancy. During the last months, some diuretics can be used but with caution. Taking preparations that remove fluid from the body, a pregnant woman puts herself and the child at risk. An improperly chosen diuretic or its dosage can lead to a violation of the blood composition, kidney problems, jaundice, hearing and visual impairment.

If you are breastfeeding and need to take water pills, you should also consult your doctor about what drugs are allowed to be used. Alternatively, you can use almost any needed diuretic and transfer your baby to a formula.

Can you lose weight with the help of diuretics? Is it safe to use them for this purpose?

Lately, some people started to order diuretics to lose weight. Although these medications indeed can contribute to the lowering of the body weight, their incorrect use when you have no medical indications for the water pill can cause serious harm to the body and even death.

The advocates of water pills use in weight loss base their arguments on the fact that the fatty tissue is made of 90% of water. In fact, it is not that simple. Indeed, diuretics have an anti-atherogenic effect, which consists in the elimination of cholesterol plaques. For example, Indapamide can lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. But taking diuretics, you can get rid of only the liquid and the fat remains. The drug can effectively affect the blood vessels and diminish the risk of heart failure, strokes, and atherosclerosis.

Diuretics affect many body systems, in particular, urinary system. Correct use of these medicines helps to restore the water balance and the ratio of electrolytes. Uncontrolled use, on the contrary, can lead to unfortunate consequences and endanger life. It should be understood that along with the liquid, the body loses the most important ions that regulate the work of all organs. So-called weight loss occurs only due to dehydration. If the ion balance is violated, the irregular heart rate, weakness, hypotension, vertigo, and impaired vision can develop. In severe cases, the improper use of water pills can lead to collapse or hallucinations.

For those who strongly want to use diuretics as a means to lose weight, you should know that these medications have long been banned in sports after the death of one athlete who abused diuretics for the ripped muscle effect. The advice to use these drugs as fat burners can be made only by amateurs without the medical education.

Natural diuretics

Before the synthetic diuretics were developed, people used natural medicine, i.e. herbs and extracts to eliminate excess fluid from the body. They act less potently yet their effect is much milder and has less adverse effects. If the dosage of natural means is chosen correctly, they can be taken for long periods without any negative consequences. However, even if you plan to start using herbs to lose excess water, you need to consult a doctor and do necessary tests to find out the reason for water retention.

There are different anti-swelling natural means used in different cases. For instance, in heart function violation accompanied by swelling the decoction of strawberry or birch leaves are used. Cowberry and tansy help to cope with the inflammation of the kidneys and bladder. Popular means for edema are flax seeds, dog rose, bearberry, orthosiphon. After the operation, for the prevention of outflows or with prolonged antibacterial therapy, it is advised to use tea from the dog rose. The traditionally used tea for the kidneys that is prescribed to lower swelling is orthosiphon. It also acts as antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory actions. In addition to medicinal herbs, for removing liquids, melons, pumpkin, parsley, and celery are used.

What diuretics can you buy at our online pharmacy?

Currently, we offer you to buy diuretics of four different types. In the future, we plan to expand our range of the water pills. If you cannot find the medication your doctor prescribed, do not hesitate to consult our pharmacists as they can help you choose the alternative.

- Generic Demadex made by Cipla is identical to the branded medication. It is based on Torsemide and is used for arterial hypertension, heart failure, swelling associated with heart diseases or kidney failure. It is a loop diuretic that accelerates the elimination of sodium, potassium, and other elements. Therefore, it should be used carefully and only if your doctor prescribes the drug as an incorrect use can cause water-electrolyte imbalance and health damage.

- Generic Diamox made by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals available at our online pharmacy is a diuretic with the active substance Acetazolamide. It is a water pill used in various conditions such as open-angle glaucoma, closed-angle glaucoma, intraocular pressure, epilepsy, swelling caused by pulmonary heart disease or caused by medications, high altitude sickness, and others. The medication also promotes the excretion of sodium and potassium and should be carefully used not to cause the water-electrolyte imbalance.

- Generic Esidrix is a medication identical to the branded drug with the name Esidrix simply made by another pharmaceutical company, Cipla. It is made on the basis of Hydrochlorothiazide, a thiazide water pill used for the edema caused by cardiovascular conditions, puffiness in premenstrual syndrome, elevated intraocular pressure, elevated arterial blood pressure, and to prevent the formation of kidney stones in predisposition to this condition.

- Generic Lasix is based on Furosemide. It is available at our medstore from the manufacturer Sanofi Aventis Pharmaceuticals. The medication is used for the reduction of swelling in heart failure, in kidney failure, high blood pressure, edema in pregnant women, edema in nephrotic syndrome, swelling caused by liver dysfunction, and others. It is a fast acting loop diuretic that is usually used for short periods of time and can be used even in children with the body mass over ten kilograms.