Ascites

[Javi234]

My mother is suffering from cirrhosis and now she has ascites issue with edema in legs and feet doctor prescribed duuretics 2 tablets spiromide 20mg . How long will it take to work? She is taking it for 5 days now but her stomach is still tight. Any advise please

[Etymolog]

Hi - my own experience was that I had ascites in the February and by the time May had came it was all gone . I was given 100mg per day . I didn’t think it was working at first but gradually it went away . This is just my own experience. I don’t have any problems with my kidneys so they have kept me on that dos for the last two years.

Take care

[Javi234 in reply to Etymolog]

How much time it took to keep your ascites gone?? She is peeing alot but still her belly is hard and tight

[absolutenovice in reply to Javi234]

I can only tell you what happened to me. It took a couple of months to go, bit by bit. The way I told at the start was by weighing myself. Lost two stone over that couple of months.

[Javi234 in reply to absolutenovice]

After how much time the belly tightness gone? Its her 7 day today

[Javi234 in reply to Etymolog]

Do you get swelling on face with ascites??why is it so i am worried

[AyrshireK in reply to Javi234]

This is linked with the oedema and often occurs when the kidneys start to suffer too. Are liver doctors looking after mum just now? - you sat ir was her feet doctor her put her on water tablets. Mum is evidently very poorly just now. Hopefully they can stabilize her.

[Javi234 in reply to AyrshireK]

Yeah he check on her and i told him all about this

[Javi234 in reply to AyrshireK]

With diuretics it reduces bht her belly feels tight its 7 days now and she took 40mg daily

[Jsyahoo]

I was worried in the beginning as well, but it took me about 7 to 10 days to see the effect. I would give it a little more time.

[Javi234 in reply to Jsyahoo]

Its her 7 day today but her belly feel tight and even more tighter after eating is it okay? How much time it take more to see the little effect?

[Inthegame]

The British liver trust nurse , told me to measure my partner's stomach from the belly button all the way round every day or every other day to understand if it was going down easier, this really helped!

[Javi234 in reply to Inthegame]

Ok

[Simon19071974]

When I had mine they had to increase the dose to take any effect, so if you see no results maybe ask to see if they can increase the dosage

[Javi234 in reply to Simon19071974]

She can't take high dose thats why on low dose of 20mg 2 tablets daily

[Littlelizzy11]

Hi. It took about 6 weeks for my legs, feet and stomach to fully empty. I couldn't understand why it was taking so long as I was constantly on the loo. But it did. I'm still taking 100mg of Spironolactone a year later x

[Javi234 in reply to Littlelizzy11]

Okay thanks dear for response

[Breakfastbabe]

I guess the two diuretics your mother has been prescribed are spironolactone and furosemide. Spironolactone is for the fluid on her tummy and the other for the oedema in her legs. This is the one that will make her need to urinate more frequently. My husband takes both. Everyone reacts differently and it can be trial and error to get the dose right. This is because diuretics can affect your kidneys and spironolactone can raise potassium levels. I would imagine your mum was told to cut out salt and reduce fluid intake to around 1.5l a day. My husband is not good at following these rules and even on a high dose of diuretics his tummy size gradually increases and he needs regular ascitic drains to get rid of the fluid. Diet is a key factor in getting ascites under control. There is a lot of information about this on the BLT website. I hope that helps clarify things a bit and that your mum can get everything under control.

[Javi234 in reply to Breakfastbabe]

She is not recommended to limit fluid just low salt

[Etymolog]

yes I agree I measured my tummy with a tape measure I did it once a week and then I saw results. In every scan I’ve had since it went they said there’s no signs of ascites . The only other thing they say to help with fluid is lots of protein. This is my own experience.

[Javi234 in reply to Etymolog]

Thanks dear

[Stizzer]

Has your Mum had a paracentesis drain for her ascites? I had the same problem 8-10 years ago and was fortunate enough to have a liver transplant in late 2016 which resolved the problem and saved my life, I only had a couple of days left apparently. I had well over 20 drains and was relieved of around 10-12 litres of ascitic fluid every week. It was a straight forward procedure that took about 6 hours in total each drain. Not painful just a bit uncomfortable at times. It may be worth mentioning to her health care professional if she would benefit from the drain. It wasn't usual to have as many drains as I had but one or two may be all she needs. Hope it helps.

[Javi234 in reply to Stizzer]

I will talk to her physician about it

[Etymolog]

also just to mention that obviously must stay away from alcohol. If your mums in hospital ask for help with regards to this - not sure if this was the problem x

[Javi234 in reply to Etymolog]

Which problem?