((((Lixy)))))

Lots of home remedies for fluid retention:

1. Drink plenty of water and cut down on fizzy drinks and tea/coffee.

2. Fennel tea is a natural diuretic, and also a mild appetite surpressant so is good for weight loss. It tastes like aniseed so not a lot of foods taste good with it, which also makes it good for weight loss!

3. I am suffering from agonising hands at the moment due to fluid retention (and no, I don't have pre-eclampsia, don't panic) and my midwife recommended Raspberry Leaf tablets. Haven't been anywhere they sell them yet, so I can't tell you if they definitely work, but my midwife isn't often wrong!

4. Resting with the fluid retaining limbs elevated higher than your heart is also very effective. It's the only thing that's stopped my ankles swelling even this close to my due date.

5. Gentle manipulation of the joints and massage can be a real benefit too.

As for the arthritis side of it, I'm not an expert on the different kinds of arthritis, but I know that my mother began to suffer from it quite badly when she came off her HRT treatment. When they discovered she was still menstruating (aged 57!) they put her back on it and the following day her pain stopped and has not returned! As I say, I'm not sure what kind of arthritis is was that she had, but I know she suffered from swollen joints, particularly in her hands, so it may be the same one, in which case, the cause was clearly hormonal for her.

Hope that helps a little. Maybe if nothing else, it gives you something to mention to the doctor...

__________________
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Fruit flies like a banana"

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