Noticing swollen ankles at the end of the day can be frustrating, especially when your shoes feel tight or your weight seems to jump overnight. Water retention, also called edema, happens when extra fluid collects in the body’s tissues. It often shows up in the feet, ankles, and legs, but it can affect other areas too.
The short answer: what causes water retention can range from too much salt, long periods of sitting or standing, warm weather, pregnancy, and certain medications to medical conditions such as heart failure, kidney disease, liver disease, or lymph node problems.
Mild fluid retention can happen for everyday reasons. Eating salty foods can cause the body to hold on to more fluid. Sitting during long travel, standing for long periods, or being less active can also allow fluid to pool in the lower legs.
Some medications may also contribute to swelling. MedlinePlus lists antidepressants, calcium channel blockers for blood pressure, hormones such as estrogen or testosterone, NSAIDs, and steroids among medicines that can cause leg swelling. Do not stop a medication you think may be causing swelling without speaking with your healthcare provider first.
Water retention can also be a sign of a health condition that needs evaluation. Swollen legs may occur with heart failure, kidney failure, or liver failure because too much fluid collects in the body.
Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped. It means the heart is not pumping blood as well as the body needs. When this happens, blood can back up in the veins, forcing fluid into nearby tissues. This can cause swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, fingers, stomach, and other areas. Weight gain from fluid buildup is also common.
Heart failure may also cause shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing, fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, confusion, increased heart rate, or sudden weight changes. The American Heart Association advises reporting symptoms of heart failure to a healthcare professional and asking for a heart evaluation, even if you have not been diagnosed with heart disease.
How to get rid of water retention depends on the cause. For mild leg swelling not linked to a serious condition, self-care steps may help. These include raising your legs above heart level when lying down, exercising your legs, reducing salt, wearing support stockings, taking movement breaks during travel, avoiding tight clothing around the thighs, and losing weight if recommended by your provider.
If swelling does not improve, gets worse, or comes with other symptoms, treatment should focus on the cause. A provider may order tests such as blood work, urine tests, an ECG, chest X-ray, or ultrasound of the leg veins. Diuretics, also called water pills, may be prescribed when appropriate, but they can have side effects and should be used only as directed.
Aldactazide contains spironolactone and hydrochlorothiazide, two diuretic medicines. Canada Drugs Direct lists Aldactazide as a prescription medication used for high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and cirrhosis of the liver, and offers brand and generic options.
According to the official drug label, spironolactone and hydrochlorothiazide tablets are indicated for certain edematous conditions, including congestive heart failure, when the patient is only partially responsive to or cannot tolerate other measures. The label also notes the combination is not meant for initial therapy of edema or hypertension, because treatment should be tailored to the individual patient.
Side effects may include weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, constipation, muscle spasms, electrolyte imbalance, changes in blood sugar, rash, and low blood pressure when standing.
Cautions are separate from routine side effects. This medication is contraindicated in people with no urine output, acute kidney insufficiency, significant kidney excretory impairment, high potassium, or allergy to thiazide diuretics or other sulfonamide-derived drugs. Patients are also advised to avoid potassium supplements and high-potassium salt substitutes unless their prescriber says otherwise.
Call 911 for swelling with shortness of breath or chest pain. Contact a healthcare provider right away for worsening swelling with heart or kidney disease, liver disease with leg or abdominal swelling, a red or warm swollen leg, fever, sudden swelling during pregnancy, or new swelling in only one leg.
If your provider prescribes Aldactazide or another medication, Canada Drugs Direct may help eligible customers find prices up to 80% lower than typical U.S. prices, depending on the medication and availability. Always follow your prescriber’s instructions and ask a licensed pharmacist about possible interactions.
Common causes include standing or sitting too long, too much salt, some medications, pregnancy, and warm weather. It can also be linked to heart failure, kidney disease, liver disease, or lymph node problems.
Swelling may be more concerning if it is new, worsening, painful, only on one side, red or warm, or linked with chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, kidney disease, liver disease, or heart disease.
Yes. Heart failure can cause blood to back up in the veins, which can force fluid into tissues and lead to swelling and weight gain.
Leg elevation, movement, lower salt intake, support stockings, travel breaks, avoiding tight clothing, and weight loss when advised may help mild swelling.
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