Diuretics - dandelion good, coffee bad, what's that about?

[Pearlteapot]

I have had swollen ankles since starting on Levothyroxine. Some of the threads about swollen ankles suggest using dandelion tea as a diuretic. On the other hand we are not supposed to drink coffee because it is diuretic and we need to stay hydrated. Can anyone explain why one is okay and the other not? Also, how do diuretics work since presumably you then need to drink more water to hydrate. Aren't you then back to square one.? Surely diuretics make constipation worse?

[Astridnova]

Swollen ankles, indeed knees, and knee instability, were a hall-mark of my untreated hypothyroidism. On the correct dose of medication, these problems totally disappeared. (By the way, levothyroxin did not help me; I had to use dessicated pork thyroid.) I would ask for my T3 to be tested.

[userotc]

I think coffee can be used as a diuretic but it needs to be controlled consumption to avoid problems (link 1 below). I've also attached a video I received yesterday on dandelion acting as a diuretic and with other benefits.

livestrong.com/article/2991...

youtu.be/SFWvKhiP2Sw(Not working as expected?)

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Dandelion tea made no difference to me & my endocrinologist prescribed furosemide which also had limited effect. Starting combination treatment (Levothyroxine plus Liothyronine) and having optimal thyroid levels noticeably reduced my (eye) swelling. I try to avoid coffee after lunchtime and make an effort to drink water at regular intervals.

[RedApple Administrator]

Pearlteapot 'we are not supposed to drink coffee because it is diuretic and we need to stay hydrated'

Personally, I think that's rubbish. Unless you only drink double espressos all day without any accompanying water. Years ago I gave up drinking coffee, when I was told it was causing my palpitations. It made no difference to palpitations or ankle swelling, both of which are, more often than not, directly related to thyroid hormone levels.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to RedApple]

Suggest members try a search on "is coffee dehydrating?" - or similar search terms.

Most hits agree with RedApple.

Most that don't agree are trying to sell something.

(Results will vary depending on search engine, where you are, date/time, etc.)

From a regular double espresso drinker. Who often asks for a glass of water alongside.

[Pearlteapot in reply to helvella]

Not directly relevant but the Zoe app team say that coffee is excellent for the biome and full of fibre, so it’s almost a duty to drink that double expresso.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Pearlteapot]

Honestly, I do my best!

☕️ 🚰 ☕️🚰

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

I take my levo at bed-time!

[RedApple Administrator]

Cystopurin is an OTC potassium citrate product sold for cystitis. It comes as 3g sachets, with instructions to take three times a day for up to 48hrs. Ridiculously expensive for what it is, but perhaps safe enough for you to try, to see if potassium helps your symptoms.

[RedApple Administrator]

Maybe start by trying a third or half a sachet if you want to be ultra cautious. The most likely negative effect would be full body weakness, but as long as you're aware and don't take more, that should wear off quite quickly.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

It has been used for disinfecting fruit and vegetables - at least on the outers, like orange or apple skin. But the remnant purple/brown colour can be very off-putting.

[RedApple Administrator]

That's unusual I would have thought (what you were prescribed, not the ignorance of the prescriber! 😉) . For years, the standard OTC remedy was sodium citrate, which didn't work for me and I only realised why when I found the (then new to the market) potassium one, which did work.

[RedApple Administrator]

Sometimes we can get put off or overly panicked by information overload!

[Brightness14]

I don't have swollen legs but taking Hawthorn can be good for this. I take two hawthorn everyday for BP. Not to be taken with BP medications though. This is a natural diureticIn Germany even the GP's prescribe this for BP and diuretic.

[Fruitandnutcase]

I’ll second that Alice’s Mother. Years ago I was prescribed a diuretic along with BP tablets. I was seeing a lovely lady doctor in our practice and I suppose I kind of pressured her into giving me them. As time went by my own doctor mentioned that he wasn’t happy with me taking them but I ignored him and carried on. A few years after that a locum I saw mentioned that I was taking them, I gaily said “Oh Dr X doesn’t like me taking them” and he said neither did he and that it wasn’t good that I was taking them, I mentioned the (very slightly I have to say) swollen ankles and shins and he assured me that I would be just fine without the diuretics so I gave it a try and sure enough I was.

I gather drinking water is good for puffiness as the body tries to hold on to fluid if your intake isn’t enough.Since then I have read more about diuretics and I wonder why I ever took them in the first place, obviously some people do need to take them but I definitely didn’t.

[Fruitandnutcase]

You’re so right ‘a pill for every ill’ never mind if the pills damage other parts of your body, we can give you another pill for that too. Add to that every consultant only treats ‘their’ part of your body in isolation and the poor patient ends up rattling.

Like you say, there doesn’t seem to be any investigative medicine any more - there doesn’t seem to be any curiosity among doctors to find out why you are actually having certain symptoms or what could be causing them.

I can’t help thinking that certain areas of medicine are getting to be very dull. The pill for every ill is no fun for the patient but I wonder how truly satisfying is if for the doctor?

I think it would be a good idea to try and find out why your BP has suddenly shot up. There was no difference in my BP when I stopped the diuretic - I take lisinopril and I get Zestril rather than the generic one.

[cbraffe]

This was very helpful. I have had swollen ankles since my thyroid was removed. I drink three litres of water daily but it does not help.

[Pearlteapot in reply to cbraffe]

What conclusion did you draw cbraffe ? I read the replies as some in favour and some against diuretics in general and diuretics being of variable use for swollen ankles. There is a potassium suggestion. I have read that potassium is recommended as part of an adrenal tonic and I haven't understood the whole adrenal side of things yet so holding on the idea of potassium supplements for now.

For the moment I have been doing yoga as the 'fixed firm' pose stretches out the ankles (rather painfully) but dissipates the accumulated water. Upside poses also good. Cold water swimming also good. I'm hoping that yoga + cold swimming will keep the swelling under control until I reach mythical 'optimum medication' - so this is kind of a holding situation for me, trying to stop it getting worse.

[cbraffe in reply to Pearlteapot]

Hi Pearl pot,It is trial an error. I would not take any supplement as with that there might be other side effects. Dandelion tea is good. I realise it is combination of issues. I used to think it was the blood pressure medication but that was ruled out. With thyroid issues there are no straight forward answers. Walking sometimes helps. I would not take coffee though. My thyroid was removed 5 years ago and since then it has been one thing after the other. This platform is my hope. All the best