blood pressure Doctors often recommend 80160 mg of a standardized extract of bilberry, three times per day. Excess retention is much more common in women than men because of the effect of female hormones on the body's metabolism and circulation. The retention of fluids in the body is a regular part of everyday living. Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet lose weight fast Severe low blood pressure (hypotension) Erectile dysfunction (impotence) or decreased desire for sex The most common diuretic medications fall into four major categories: loop, osmotic, potassium-sparing and thiazide (or thiazide-like). A fast or irregular heartbeat (tachycardia) They are also commonly used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). line in the hospital to reduce swelling (edema) in patients with a variety of conditions (e.g., congestive heart failure). The discussion below deals only with situations in which it is safe to focus on the oedema itself and not the underlying cause. Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) fluid retention Nausea or vomiting For what conditions may diuretics be harmful? Dependent edema involves swelling of the feet, legs and ankles. Potassium-sparing diuretics block the exchange of sodium for potassium that naturally occurs in the body, causing the excretion of sodium with relatively little loss of potassium. In either case, there is no clinical research that yet supports their use for people with oedema. Diuretics are non-habit-forming medications that stimulate the kidneys to produce more urine, flushing excess fluids and minerals (e.g., sodium) from the body. Polycystic ovarian syndrome. What is oedema? kidney disorders