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Water Retention & Pred

Posted , 12 users are following.

jeannecatlover
jeannecatlover

I've been on prednisone for about 2 years, starting at 15 mg and working my way down, now at 5 mg. About a month ago, I woke up one morning with horrible swelling in my calves, ankles, and feet. Doctor gave me a bunch of tests, couldn't find any reason for it. Prescribed spironolactone 25 mg daily, compression socks, reduced salt, elevated feet. This helped, but I had bad side effects from the drug and had to discontinue. Now the swelling is increasing and increasing. Not only calves, ankles, and feet but up my thighs, abdominal distention, and fingers (can't wear my wedding ring).

The only cause the doctors could guess at was prednisone. This doesn't really make sense to me, since I've been on it quite a while and am at the lowest dose I've been in a long time. Doctor said pred could take a while to have this effect. Is that true? Could this be from pred?

If so, is there anything I can do about it? My skin feels like it's getting very tight. I'm afraid how bad this might get.

I've read about the rebound effect from spironolactone and wonder if this increased water retention is due to that. I know this drug affects hormones, and hormones can cause swelling.

I've now been prescribed Lasix, planning to start later today, but concerned about side effects.

Anyone who has experience with water retention due to pred (or anything else), I would love to hear from you and know whether you think this could be prednisone related or if it sounds like something else. And if there's anything I can do beside what I'm already doing and starting the Lasix.

Thanks!

0 likes, 27 replies

27 Replies

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  • maureen49480
    maureen49480 jeannecatlover

    Posted

    I am having the same problem,feeling skin tightening around feet and ankles.

    i had a minor injury on my leg this week and although it bled quite profusely at first, that stopped and I dressed the area.

    Later in the evening I realised the dressing was very wet and fluid was running down my foot.

    This carried on through the night and into the next morning.

    I phoned the surgery to get advise and the nurse asked to see me straight away.

    I have been in again today to have it dressed and have two more appointments for next week.

    It has been suggested that the predisolone could be the cause.

    I am also now down to 4 mlg a day from 25 originally in september. I have been told to reduce very slowly now.

    The pred was also causing dreadful pains in my legs at night.

    Now having reduced the pains have stopped and I am sleeping so much better. it could be the pred causing it but I can only go by my own experience.

    • maureen49480
      maureen49480 jeannecatlover

      Posted

      Thank you, unfortunately it is taking a while and I am having to go to the surgery twice a week for dressing.

    • Tinapoly1
      Tinapoly1 maureen49480

      Posted

      Prednisone does make it easy to bleed a lot .My skin tears since it is so thinned out now too & I get that awful bruising so easy so it looks like I am on coumadin, the blood thinner, & look worse than my late Mom did at 93 & I am just 65. I know at hospitals they give Vitamin K to help clot the blood .

  • karenjaninaz
    karenjaninaz jeannecatlover

    Edited

    Spironolactone can have a bad effect on the kidneys in some people according to my professional drug info data base.

  • Tinapoly1
    Tinapoly1 jeannecatlover

    Posted

    Oh no. I was just switched from Lasix to that drug & don't know why but I thought all water pills are hard on & bad for the kidneys but I don't want to take a drug that is known to be worse.

    • EileenH
      EileenH Tinapoly1

      Posted

      I don't think it is that they are "hard" on the kidneys but that the renal set-up becomes used to the drug so you need increasing doses to get the same effect. I think that applies with various sorts of diuretic effect so one recommendation is that 2 drugs with different mechanisms are used in tandem or alternating so that the system gets a holiday from one but the diuretic effects isn't lost.

      Certainly has worked for my husband, he was on one but it wasn't working well enough and fluid built up on the lung. Since he's had a combination he has been much better.

  • Tinapoly1
    Tinapoly1 jeannecatlover

    Posted

    Thanks Eileen ! That sounds like a good idea to me with alternating the 2 meds.. Glad your husband is doing better too !

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