Retaining Fluid?

[puppylove]

I'm a little confused. I had an appointment with my cardio yesterday and he said it looks like I'm retaining a lot of fluid, especially in my legs. I thought that potsies don't retain enough fluid which is why we have to take salt and drink so much? I'm going to get a CAT scan soon, but I was wondering if anyone knows anything about this?

[Katybug]

I had to stop both my prednisone and my fludrocortisone because I was developing edema in various parts of my body especially my legs. But, at the same time my veins were hard to find and my blood was really thick. I am not sure of the physiology involved but somehow I was retaining interstitial fluid but not retaining fluid in my blood, both, of which are not good for you. I could actually leave dents in my thighs if I rested my elbows on them for a minute but we could barely get a blood test on me.

[DoozlyGirl]

Puppylove,

I don't know if this describes what is happening to you, but I recently connected some dots as to my hypovolemia and swelling in my legs. I have recently been confirmed to have MCAS, and as I understand it, histamine and other mediators (which are released during mast cell degranulation) can cause the vasculature to become very pourous. The liquid part of blood, plasma, seeps out of the veins and settles into the tissues, is known as 'Third Spacing'. This loss of volume in the vasculature can occur very rapidly during anaphylactic shock, or slowly leak in degranulation, ultimately leading to hypovolemia and orthostatic hypotension. Tachycardia will occur as the heart tries to compensate for this volume loss by speeding up to pump the blood throughout the body. Before urinating out that lost volume, the lymph system must first process it, and can take several days.

Benedryl works very well for me to lose the swelling. At one point, I was consistently wearing shoes a size bigger, but now that I am on MCAS meds, I wear the size I wore before getting sick.

I have learned to identify early symptoms. I recently had an episode of extreme tachycardia >180 bpm, which was triggered very quickly. I knew enough to stop what I was doing, sit down on the ground, begin chugging 2 bottles of water with several salt packets added (which I carry with me everywhere I go), took a Benedryl and a Zantac, and lay down with my legs up on the wall (trendelenberg). Within 10 minutes my HR was normal, and I didn't have anymore symptoms for the rest of the day.

Best wishes in connecting your dots.

Lyn

[brethor9]

I didn't know this but one of my doctors told me chronic dehydration can actually cause fluid retention because the body goes into starvation mode. (For me I have almost completely lost my sense of thirst....that signal just doesnt work well any more.) I was told that the more fluid you drink the more the body will let go of the fluids the body is holding onto as it realizes it doesn't need it. For me it might explain why some weeks I am really retaining but dehydrated and other weeks I am about 10 pounds lighter because I am hydrated ......the body is a funny creature