The Itchy Itchiness of the Side Effects of Lasix

I'm on Lasix, a powerful diuretic. The nurses in the hospital told me that Lasix was the best at flushing out all of the excess water. I can say that they're right, too. When I was first introduced to it in IV form, I was peeing at least 9 times a day - seriously. Anything that was even remotely liquid in my body was getting flushed out. The dramatic effects wore off, and now I'm on this at home to keep some of the edemic water weight off.

Everything with the Lasix is fine, except now I ITCH. I mean, like really itch. It's a consistent full-body itch where I could be lie the cat and just scratch and lick all day. that's one of the reasons that I've added the water as one of the rules - I don't want to become actually dehydrated as a result of taking the magic pills. Seriously, though... if you're having trouble with edema, sleep apnea, or what have you... talk to the doc about Lasix.

Here's the list of potential side effects for Lasix (This is directly from RXlist.com):

• ringing in your ears, hearing loss;
• feeling very thirsty or hot, being unable to urinate, heavy sweating, or hot and dry skin;
• painful or difficult urination;
• pale skin, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;
• feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating;
• nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
• skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, pain, muscle weakness;
• dry mouth, increased thirst, drowsiness, restless feeling, confusion, nausea, vomiting, increased urination, muscle pain or weakness, uneven heart rate, fainting, or seizure (convulsions);
• numbness or tingly feeling around your mouth, muscle tightness or contraction, overactive reflexes;
• headache, trouble concentrating, weakness, loss of appetite, feeling unsteady, shallow breathing or breathing that stops;
• severe skin reaction -- fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.

Less serious side effects may include:

• diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain;
• dizziness, spinning sensation;
• blurred vision;
• mild itching or rash.

I keep looking at those side effects of Lasix and feel very lucky that I didn't get anything more than itching. That's one of he hard truths about better living through chemistry - there's always going to be side effects when you put something into your body. It's a trade-off, but in this case it's well worth it.

What experience do you have with diuretics and weight loss? Is it a smart thing to do, or am I just barking up the wrong tree? Tomorrow's conversation is going to be about the evils of having a home scale.