Caffeine as diuretic

Peata

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I've been having issue with water retention for some time now. A while back, I lost 7# in one week and gained pretty much all of it back overnight. I often feel swollen, especially breasts, belly... I've increased salt, lowered liquid, and can do more experiments with salt, but what about caffeine?

I drink coffee, usually 2 cups a.m., sometimes another cup in the afternoon, sometimes evening. I've been taking "the combo" of aspirin, caffeine, niacinamide, pretty much daily, sometimes 2 x day. I thought when that water came off last month (7#) that it was from increased caffeine. I was getting at least 500 mg. day. But when the weight came back on overnight, I'd still had all that caffeine.

I know there's something going on with hormones, prolactin... Breasts often feel swollen, sometimes sore (depends on time of month). My belly area retains water, and I think some in my eyelids. I mean, they look OK, but sometimes they feel puffy to me

I saw water pills - diuretics, at the store today. The active ingredient is caffeine. 100 mg. and it says take every 3 -4 hours as needed.

I have caffeine pills. Thinking about taking 100 mg. caffeine every 3 - 4 hours and see if it works.

I wish I knew why I was retaining water too.
 
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Peata

Peata

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I've been taking 100 mg. every 4 hours during the day since yesterday. On top of the caffeine from coffee. No release of water yet.
 

natedawggh

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Can you post what you've been eating as well?
Physical and emotional stress can cause water retention. I can't work out hard because if I do, I gain 5-6 lbs of water weight overnight (I'm a big guy), retaining everything I drink.

Cafeine is a diuretic but using it only as part of a solution and not the only one will help you achieve better health, and besides, if you take a lot of cafeine your body adjusts to its diuretic affect and then it's not as good (that's not to say you shouldn't take it regularly and in abundance---it has many health benefits), and/or if you take it without carbohydrates your body will produce cortisol and adrenaline anyway, adding in whatever more water you drink.

Instead it'd be good to make sure you're not eating starches (potatoes are probably fine, unless they're not) and the other bad things peat warns against. CO2 is a better diuretic than cafiene, so doing things to increase CO2 production and retention will also help.
 

superhuman

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Peata: how much salt are you getting? i know RP recommended to me to use sodium bicarbonate/baking soda 1-4 tsp a day since it acts as a diuretic as well as it increases your sodium intake. It should really help if you try using that.
 
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Peata

Peata

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Thanks, guys. It was meant to be short-term experiment and I stopped after two days or more of higher caffeine because I had no result. I think it should have shown something pretty quick if it was going to work. Worth a shot, but the water retentin is more complicated in my situation I guess. I feel like I've tried most everything, salt included. But then I just get thirstier and give in and drink water, which balances it all again I suppose. I won't give up. I've added pregenolone which I read can reduce edema, and I still will try to do more salt. For CO2, I use mineral water and do bag breathing.
 

SaltGirl

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Peata said:
Thanks, guys. It was meant to be short-term experiment and I stopped after two days or more of higher caffeine because I had no result. I think it should have shown something pretty quick if it was going to work. Worth a shot, but the water retentin is more complicated in my situation I guess. I feel like I've tried most everything, salt included. But then I just get thirstier and give in and drink water, which balances it all again I suppose. I won't give up. I've added pregenolone which I read can reduce edema, and I still will try to do more salt. For CO2, I use mineral water and do bag breathing.

I know you mentioned you tried everything, but I just wanted to pitch in. Have you tried eating a lot of calcium and making sure you get enough vitamin D? I used to have a similar problem until started taking both in higher dosages. I of course don't know what your body level of vitamin D is so this might be a moot suggestion.

My friend actually had some success with copper(as a sodium copper complex) in reducing edema. Apparently his ring on his ring finger started sliding off due to reduced swelling.
 

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