Every third pregnant woman is susceptible to edema. In addition to the unpleasant sensations that accompany them, they are also a danger to the pregnant woman and a risk to the fetus. The cause of the disease is the excess volume of blood that appears in a woman during pregnancy. Blood circulation slows down and water is retained.
There's no need to panic. Pharmacology is developing, and diuretics are also being improved. Today, the catalog of drugs with a diuretic effect is extensive and includes many varieties of active substance. Medicines ensure the removal of excess fluid accumulated in the tissues. Unfortunately, many effective drugs have contraindications, one of which is pregnancy.
But there are a number of medications that are highly effective, but the risk of side effects is minimal. It is important not to delay treatment. You should consult a doctor who will prescribe medications that are safe for mother and child. And one more nuance is strict adherence to the dosage and regimen, which will be the key to a successful pregnancy, without swelling and its consequences. Only a doctor can prescribe diuretics, based on the characteristics of a woman’s body during pregnancy.
Depending on the severity of edema, the doctor prescribes diuretic tablets. Often the need to prescribe medication for swelling occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Diuretics are substances that interfere with the reabsorption of water and salts. Their use increases the rate of urine formation.
Based on their origin, all diuretic drugs are classified into two groups.
Natural remedies (decoctions of rose hips, birch buds, bearberry) are drugs that do not cause harm, provided that the woman is not sensitive to plant components. Sometimes odor intolerance and hypersensitivity to plant seeds prevent the use of drugs donated by nature.
A pregnant woman is a special patient, and therefore the approach to prescribing medications must be carefully planned. Only after a series of tests and tests can the doctor prescribe treatment.
A pregnant woman should also be informed. The table shows the main anti-edema remedies that can be used during pregnancy. Any medicine should be used strictly according to indications determined by the doctor.
There are a number of drugs that are prohibited for pregnant women to use in the first and second trimester. These include:
The limitation is due to the strong effect of diuretic drugs. In addition to excess water, they remove useful substances from the mother's body. For medical reasons and only in the third trimester, the doctor may prescribe one of these drugs.
Throughout pregnancy it is forbidden to use:
Swelling of the limbs in most women in the position is observed due to individual physiology, and does not always pose a danger to the life of the woman and child. But swelling can be the first “bell” indicating that problems are occurring in the mother’s body, so when they appear, you should always consult a doctor. Observations by an obstetrician-gynecologist should be regular, the diet should be balanced, and the drinking regime should be optimal for a pregnant woman. The drug should be used only in extreme cases, when kidney pathology, heart failure is detected, or preeclampsia develops.
It is impossible to choose medication treatment on your own without consulting a doctor. It is the doctor who is able to determine the typology of edema and plan treatment tactics. Sometimes swelling in a pregnant woman is caused by edema of venous origin. In this case, it is useless to use diuretic drugs; they will not get rid of the problem. If the swelling is of a constitutional nature, then treatment is not required.
But if swelling of the limbs is associated with the formation of excess fluid, which poses a threat to the health of the mother and child, then the use of tablet medications will help cope with the problem. But you can finally get rid of edema only after the baby is born.
Note! Instructions for the use of anti-edema drugs during pregnancy suggest the use of drugs only in special cases and a short course of treatment under the supervision of a doctor.
Edema is a sign of excess fluid accumulation in the body. Edema can be general and local.
Local edema is caused by a violation of the outflow of blood or lymph (for example, with thrombophlebitis), inflammation (burn, boil, erysipelas) and has a clear localization. General edema is systemic in nature.
In terms of the use of diuretics, general edema caused by heart failure, impaired renal excretory function, liver disease, hormonal disorders, poor diet and lifestyle will be considered here.
Severe general edema is preceded by the accumulation of fluid in the body, expressed by weight gain. Excess fluid can amount to 4–9 kg of weight before it manifests itself as obvious swelling of the legs (feet, legs), face, and abdomen. The most characteristic sign of edema: when pressed, a hole is formed that does not level out for a long time.
An indirect sign of swelling is imprinting on the skin of the seams of clothes, elastic bands of socks and panties, watch straps, etc., which does not go away for a long time. Swelling is not only unsightly, fluid retention disrupts the normal functioning of the body’s organs, forces the heart to pump an excess volume of fluid, and can cause an increase in blood pressure.
It is important to establish the cause of edema and act on it; at the same time, it may be necessary to get rid of excess fluid, for which diuretics (diuretics) are used.
Note: CHF - chronic heart failure, AHF - acute heart failure, CRF - chronic renal failure, AKI - acute renal failure, PMS - premenstrual syndrome, hypertension - arterial hypertension.
The listed diuretics differ in their mechanism of action. In particular:
Swelling of the legs may not be a symptom of excess fluid in the body, but may occur in a certain situation:
If the cause of the swelling is obvious, then taking diuretic tablets for swelling of the legs is not advisable. A change in body position will be beneficial (lie down with your legs raised, stretch); It is useful to take a contrast shower or wash your feet alternately with hot and cool water, massage your feet and legs, apply an ointment or gel with a venotonic effect.
During pregnancy, swelling of the legs is a reason to immediately inform your doctor about it. Toxicosis of the second half of pregnancy (preeclampsia) is a dangerous condition for mother and child. You cannot take diuretics on your own during pregnancy.
Lymphatic swelling of the legs is caused not so much by fluid retention as by an imbalance between the formation of lymph and its drainage. They are treated with physiotherapeutic lymphatic drainage procedures, medicinal lymphostimulation, and elastic compression. Specific treatment sometimes includes diuretics, sometimes not.
If the cause of swelling of the legs is not obvious, and the swelling does not disappear during a night's rest, then the use of diuretics is justified. But in this case, swelling of the legs is most likely caused by a disease - heart failure, impaired kidney function.
You should consult a doctor and undergo the necessary examinations to identify the cause of fluid retention. Depending on the pathology that caused fluid retention, an effective and safe diuretic will be selected.
Facial swelling can be caused by:
Episodic swelling of the face also occurs in healthy people. Sometimes it is enough to limit your salt intake, get enough sleep, and the symptom disappears. But if edema is constantly present, it is necessary to find out its cause and treat, for example, the kidneys and thyroid gland. For periodic swelling associated with the phase of the menstrual cycle, you should consult a gynecologist. Perhaps it is enough to drink diuretic tea during this period; It is more advisable to take a diuretic prescribed by a doctor (for severe irritability, tearfulness, headaches).
Swelling under the eyes can appear due to diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, thyroid gland, stomach, and nervous system. “Bags” under the eyes caused by puffiness appear more strongly in the morning and gradually disappear throughout the day. But if the bags are formed by an increase in the number of fat cells in the connective tissue that supports the eye, they are permanent and do not indicate fluid retention. In the latter case, diuretics for swelling under the eyes do not have an effect.
Is it permissible to take diuretics on your own for edema? If you are practically healthy, and the swelling is caused by a violation of the water-salt balance of an obvious nature, then yes.
As an “ambulance” you can take furosemide or Lasix once, the effect will not be long in coming.
But at the same time, take Asparkam or Panangin to avoid potassium and magnesium deficiency, which manifests itself as weakness and tachycardia. A sharp decrease in blood pressure is possible. If you "overdid it", eat some salted food, drink a cup of tea. You cannot systematically take loop diuretics on your own.
If you are prone to edema, it is useful:
Relatively safe diuretics for edema are pharmaceutical herbal infusions and herbal teas, including horsetail, lingonberry leaves, bearberry, birch leaves, St. John's wort and other diuretic plants.
Usually these are mild diuretics, which also have some contraindications, so read the instructions carefully before use.
During pregnancy, any woman understands that the most important thing is to bear and give birth to a healthy child. Getting sick during pregnancy is unacceptable and dangerous. But it is impossible to avoid the disease, especially such a phenomenon as edema, which is very common during this period of every woman’s life.
Edema is dangerous for women and children. Edema becomes noticeable in the third trimester, and then it is necessary to get rid of it with the help of diuretics. Prescribing diuretics on your own is very stupid and dangerous, so remember that self-medication is not the thing that will make you healthier. Coordinate every step you take during pregnancy with your doctor. Don't forget this!
Diuretics are divided into synthetic and natural. Natural preparations include fruits, berries and herbs. Synthetic drugs are medicines. What are their benefits? They remove urine from the body and reduce the fluid content in the tissue. This is very important during pregnancy, because it helps to avoid gestosis, which manifests itself primarily in edema. Edema clearly indicates that a person has problems with the heart or kidneys. Swelling is not always visible. Then you should pay attention to the rate at which her weight increases.
There are diuretics that should not be taken during pregnancy. These include medications that have a diuretic effect, but are used only in emergency cases. Lasilactone, Viskaldix, Triamterene, Aquaphor, Theobromine. Hypothiazide helps to delay the excretion of calcium from the body, causing allergies, dizziness and weakness. It should not be taken during the first stage of pregnancy. Hypothiazide causes a decrease in blood pressure, an increase in cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood, the development of thrombophlebitis, deterioration of vision and hearing, and the functioning of the liver and gastrointestinal tract. It is strictly forbidden to take it in early pregnancy, and in the future if there is an urgent need. Lasix increases the excretion of phosphates, potassium, magnesium, bicarbonates and calcium, and blocks the absorption of sodium in the kidney. At an early stage it is prohibited, later - if necessary. Furosemide and Hypothiazide contribute to the occurrence of jaundice, impaired renal function, and thrombocytopenia in an infant.
The following drugs should absolutely not be taken in the first trimester: Triamterene, Cyclomethiazide, Theophylline, Oxodoline, Bumetanide, Diacarb, Clopamide and Spironolactone. In subsequent trimesters, their use depends on various factors: the degree of edema, the general condition of the woman, the reasons that caused the edema.
Preparations that can be used by pregnant women: those that are made from plants. Canephron, which contains rosemary leaves, centaury herb and lovage root. This drug has a diuretic, antispasmodic, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory effect. It can be taken at all stages of pregnancy. Produced in the form of tablets and drops. For pregnant women, it is best to take tablets as the drops contain alcohol.
Phytolysin contains many herbs: wheatgrass rhizomes, birch leaves, parsley root extracts, pine, sage, orange oils, horsetail herbs. You can take it, but only if the woman is absolutely sure that there is no acute inflammatory process in her kidneys. Eufillin should not be taken on an empty stomach, because dizziness, headache and intestinal dysfunction may occur. It is not taken for epilepsy, low blood pressure and heart disease.
Of course, it will be better if you can do without medication. You can go on a salt-free diet, which involves eliminating salt from your diet. Make a drink from lingonberries or cranberries. The berries should be ground with sugar and filled with water at room temperature. You can drink a glass of this drink three times a day. It is good to use lingonberry leaf, which is brewed, but remember that in large quantities it is harmful. You can brew the following herbs: horsetail, leaves of Orthosiphon staminate, bearberry leaf and birch leaves and buds. They do not cause harm and can be taken throughout the entire period of pregnancy.
There are also prohibited herbs with a diuretic effect. This is parsley root, which causes uterine tone, juniper fruits and strawberries, which promote uterine contraction.
Diuretic tea should not be taken during pregnancy. It disrupts water-salt metabolism, removes calcium, potassium and other micro- and macroelements. Diuretic teas contribute to disruption of the acid-base balance. If a woman had kidney problems before pregnancy, she is prescribed kidney teas. However, the use of any drug is based on a specific case.
You shouldn't rely on yourself. When it comes to your child’s health, it is important not to self-medicate and self-identify your own illnesses. For this purpose, there are specialists who know what is best for you to take and what you should absolutely be wary of. Listen to them, because you are responsible for the health and life of your own child. For every woman there is only one goal - to give birth to a healthy baby. To do this, you need to eat right, and get more rest and walk in the fresh air. You must also take medications wisely, without abusing them. Ideally, you shouldn’t use them at all, but this is more like a utopia, so choose those medications that will not lead to negative consequences. The advice of mothers and grandmothers is useful, but they do not know everything due to the fact that they are not doctors. First of all, consult a doctor for whom treatment of diseases is a direct duty and profession.