Help for Bloating/Water Retention in Thyroid Patients
Monday July 2, 2007
Many thyroid patients experience water retention and bloating, even when receiving treatment for hypothyroidism. Martha wrote in to share her solution:
Just wanted to share this with you...one of my problems with hypothyroidism is water retention, despite the 80 ounces of water I drink daily. My doctor suggested I try 16 oz. unflavored Pedialyte mixed with 48 oz. water and drink this mixture two consecutive days weekly. After the first day, I noticed a significant difference! After the second day, I weighed 1.5 lbs. less. Water retention isn't a problem for me anymore!!! Maybe this will help others. Thanks for your inspiration and support. ~ Martha B.A great idea from Martha!
Comments
I drink Smartwater- distilled water with the electrolytes replaced. Like gatorade without the sugar. It goes through my system and keeps me from retaining too much water. I’m like a camel when I drink tap and other waters. Also, I take baths as often as possible, with salts, and this is another very effective way to get rid of excess water.
Question: Is that to be 16 oz of Pedialyte and 48 oz of water per day for two days, or is that amoount to be split between the two days?
Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks!
Sierra
Where can we find this?
It’s sufficient to just do this two consecutive days? How many times a month?
I’M GOING TO TRY THIS AS I FEEL AS THOUGH I’M ALWAYS BLOATED.
I also wanted to know if you drink 48oz over 2 days or do you drink 48oz in one day.
As a nurse, I fail to see the patho-physiology for this. Pedialyte gives you Sodium, Potassium, and Glucose. All things we get from other sources. Dont see how it can magically work. Some of us can not take in ANY sodium as we swell huge in our faces, eyelids, breasts, belly, legs and feet. Drinking a drink with Sodium in it is not the answer. (where Sodium goes, so follows water) Those of us with medical training know that there’s a Potassium/sodium/water connection. I have tried eating lots of bananas and taking potassium pills to increase my potassium, therefore allowing release of sodium and water…but to no avail. The hormones of the thyroid are WAY TO STRONG as to be affected by little mineral adjustments. We need more intelligent help with our thyroids….good luck in finding it. It’s like the holy grail. I did find some help with my thyroid and am now on Armour but must withstand ridicule everytime a new doctor sees me. My body swelling is half what it used to be, but still is very bad with ANY intake of salt. I am forced to eat nothing but fruit, steamed veggies, and red meat. No sauces, no breads, no pasta, nothing that comes in a can, glass, plastic or cardboard. (even raw chicken has a sodium solution injected in it! read the label) When I cheat and eat a small piece of bread, I take in about 75 mg of sodium and as soon as I drink fluids I start to retain them. All this fluid has enlarged my heart and that is irreversible. I’m smarter than my doctors about it but not trained enough to know the answer.
I am willing to try anything at this point…the swelling in my right foot/leg/ankle is awful and the summer heat is not making it any better. I have been craving bannanas…wonder about the potassium connection…I go for the cortisol and seratonin tests today…God bless all of you cause my thyroid sucks.
I notice that when I DO eat a little salt it seems to help me relase the water. The key is a LITTLE salt. Also, watermelon seems to help.
So I can see where possibly there may be a connection with the Pedialyte at least for me. I may give it a try–it can’t hurt.
The minerals in Pedialyte can easily be attained from other sources. Rather than reactively fighting bloating, I have [finally] discovered that the key is to not eat the food that causes the bloating. Stay away from bread and eat as many fruits and veggies as possible. Let’s face it; we eat way too much junk –our bodies are trying to tell us something. I’m feeling much better now, but still will blow up when I eat foods like preztels or pizza every once in awhile.
I am on levoxyl and my sister is on Armour. She experienced much less water retention on Armour (or the generic equivalent) then on other synthetic brands. She had to fight to get it though. I don’t want to have the Pig version and I understand that the beef version is not available as a perscription in the States because of the posibility of mad cow complications although health food stores sell it from New Zealand and I knew someone who got the beef version from Mexico.
My Endrocrine Doctor would switch me to something legal that doesn’t cause water retention if I wanted to switch for that reason but pig is out for me and nothing else is available here.
I actualy can retain less water when I am on a doctor prescribed schedule of taking six tablets a week and off one day. I am currently on a 7 day a week schedule which doesn’t give me that option, except right before recital pictures I went off the medicine for most of that week so I could look halfway okay for pictures and recital. Not recommending anyone does this as I am on suppression theraphy and tested perfect right before so I was able to do that without to much physical stress and I never do that otherwise.
I have Hashimotos Hypothyroidism and only have half my thyroid removed from testing of folicular tissue noduals.
They have better tests now so they don’t have to remove part of the thyroid to test for cancer, but it was big enough to be causing swollowing problems originaly, so glad it is gone.
My understanding is that all thyroid meds that are not animal thyroid are made in a salt base so guess what, if you are on the non-animal version then you are already getting some salt.
The only overall answer I see is drink less water, and make sure you always get 4 times the amount of potassium as sodium in your daily intake.
People who eat many foods that contain a good deal of water need to figure that in to their daily water consumption as it counts too such as watermelon which helps the kidneys.
I would skip the extra salt and glucose as we get plenty of it in food already. I am always hunting for products that do not contain added salt for my mother and it is very much a labor of love as it is difficult to find them. Canned soup is one of the worst offenders for adding salt so look for no salt added versions of those. I don’t eat out much either because the food is so full of salt.
I have low blood pressure so I do it once in awhile.
Regardless of what the doctors and manufacturers claim, the medicine makes me retain much more water than salty foods did by themselves so I wish the manufacturers would find some other way to deliver the meds.
Blessings from above. Jeannie.
If you want to try taking potassium, you can get the equivalent of a potassium supplement by using salt substitute made from potassium chloride. Raley’s carries it.
Hi, my water retention problems were highlighted when I was travelling in Burma in 2004 and Sri Lanka in 2006.
In Burma I ended up retching inauspiciously on a train. That night I had 7 bouts of fliud clear bowel actions. And no, it was not Delhi belly . I had felt nauseous for a few days and did not understand why.
My medi co refuses fliud tabs a s they really insult the electrolyte system.
However after Sri Lanka I went to india. Pune to be correct. I knew A western Med doctor who specialises in Ayurvedic medicine. It was the best thing I ever did.
I was massaged for 8 days for an hour each day. Had a sauna immediately and had an emena after for 7 days.
I lost 8 kilos in 8 days.
A side ways awareness was that my internal organs were not so tight after the first sauna session. Mentally I felt much better as I am sure I was mentally oedematous.
This water retenetion, with Hashimotos in my case, was a curse. I dragged around like an ox and mentally was slow, but functioning.
Now at home , I have celery sticks as a diuretic and ,even better, kiwi friut, aka gooseberries?
A trip to the sauna is wonderful, and I feel great.
You can check out my yahoo blog. malindimama
Ps I also take vit c powder, mutli vit and mins.
A good powder probiotic with yoghurt before bed. Part of the repair to the leaky bowel syndrome. This one is especially important to prevent the bowel from absorbing bacteria, fungi, viruses etc from the bowel. These cause white blood cell increases in the blood. And with no where to go they attack the joints, thyriod or where ever your weakness is in the body.
Do look at my blog and I hope this has helped you in some small way.
Oh lokk at this site too www.dhamma.org
Compassion and love malindimama
Yvonne, I don’t think I want to travel…I don’t think Dehli belly is like a beer belly, is it?
I think what this method does is cause you to become hydrated. Your body will often retain fluid in an effort to keep all the fluid it can when you become severely dehydrated, thus, causing you to swell. I know it seems like it would be the opposite, but not so. Once your body fluids are back in balance, the swelling subsides. You may even lose weight.
Even though you can get these things from other sources, when you’re dehydrated they are out of balance. Drinking the solution brings your body back into balance quicker than just drinking a lot of water.
Give it try. It certainly won’t hurt anything, and it may actually help.
As someone that suffers from auto-immune thyroid (hypo), I can tell you that everyone is different with regard to how their thyroid hormones effect them. I’m very prone to ovarian cysts (large, problematic ones) that not only cause me bloating problems, but also cause my hormones to wack out. Additionally, I suffer from low potassium during periods w/ my hypothyroid disease, which causes me muscle weakness and shortness of breath. I take a prescription potassium DAILY. When I forget and don’t have it with me, I drink Gatorade. Mary Shomone is so right about this! This helps me to keep better hydrated and less bloated.
Oh my goodness ladies…it’s been at least 4 years since I last left a comment on the About.com chatterbox…but I’ve been fishing. 10 years ago I was diagnosed with Hashimoto….boy I had no idea this was gonna be for life…but it is just that. Today I was surfing for answers about the sudden water retention which has come and gone so many times. I am a dancer and had to step away from my classes for a while. What I saw in the mirror floored me. I looked so bloated. I never recalled my Doctor and I discussing the retention but I know now that, even though I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Working that eliptical machine like crazy…I feel so out done with the results. That, being said, I have found a natural way to fight back the retention. I found NutriHealth’s Probiotic to work wonders with the increased active cultures which triggered the bladder to release more water. It worked wonders inside the stomach, and lower intenstine. Perhaps you will find it helpful to you as I have for me. And one more thing. Everytime I have stop to take this supplement. My body became bloated and engorged. Perhaps it will work for you too. Please let me know if you try it and it works….check it out at www.nutri-health.com…
I had a complete thyroidectomy in 2007 for mixed follicular/papillary thyroid cancer and often have problems with bloating and fluid retention. My Endo told me there’s a difference with normal water retention and fluid retention caused by your thyroid, but he never elaborated on the subject. My blood tests show that my Levothroid is at the right levels, but I still have problems with the fluid retention. I would like to try the NutriHealth Probiotic, there’s two kinds, the reg.multi one and multi-women one, which one do you use? I’m willing to give it a try, this whole thyroid thing has sent my body into a whirlwind of problems it seems like and it’s hard to find answers for them.
I READ ALL, I HAVE THYROID PROPLEMS,[ON MEDS]
I STARTED RETAINING WATER, DOC BLOOD TEST ADJUSTED MEDS, AND DIERETICS, BUT I CAN NO CONTINUE TAkING THEM, I AM ALSO ON LITHIUM[DANGEROUS] HELP WHAT WORKS,NEED RELIFE NO
I delt with hyperthroid now sliding into hypothroid. where i live no specialist in this field but do have a caring MD. I continually gain weight..on no medication YET, have gained over 20#..legs and bottom and top of feet are so sore like big time water retention. I have more blood work 5/6 and will speak of my aches and pains but this thyroid thing sucks! What is your, anyones, best advice? SOS I want to feel good, lose weight. Can’t seem to control a diet…three weeks on then off…. I feel so defeated right now.