What's going on?!
Question:
What's going on?
My mom has been ill lately. I'm kind of worried about her.
Her arms and legs are really swollen. She went to the
doctor already and he said that it is water (?) But like...
he hasn't given her a name or something for whatever
she has. He gave her pills because she needs to
urinate a lot in order to get the water out or something,
but the pills are not helping her use the bathroom that
often. Any suggestions? what could it be? How can
she get the water out of her body?
Answers:
I agree with "darr65". Your mother has edema but edema isn't a disease, it's a condition and can be a symptom of an underlying disorder. The excess fluid is in her tissue and this is causing the swelling. Diuretics are used to increase urination to throw off excess fluid. She also has to restrict her sodium intake. She may have fluid restrictions but you didn't mention this.
If the diuretic isn't working (and I'm sorry you didn't mention which one it is), the dosage may need to be increased. This should be done before switching to another diuretic.
It's important to determine if your mother is following all instructions given to her by her doctor TO THE LETTER! If she's not being compliant, that needs to change. She can also elevate her arms and legs as often as possible to encourage fluid return and decrease edema. Nothing tight or binding should be worn and that includes shoes and socks.
If she doesn't see results in another 3 days (more frequent urination/some improvement of edema), this should be reported to her doctor. The underlying cause of the edema needs to be identified and treated.