e.g., bendrofluazide, frusemide, amiloride, spironolactone.
These drugs increase the amount of urine produced by the kidneys.
Obviously, once the new balance is achieved on regular treatment, you will
not go on passing out more water than you drink; but the treatment reduces
the amount of fluid in the body. Diuretics may be fast-acting or slow-acting.
If you take a fast-acting diuretic tablet you may notice a temporary increase
in urine output for a few hours after each tablet.
Diuretics also increase the amount of salt being excreted by the
kidneys, since the control of salt and water go closely together. You will
cancel out the effect of diuretics if you eat a lot of salt, so anyone taking one
of these drugs should not add any salt to food at the table (but salt for
cooking is all right). You should also avoid eating too much salty food like
bacon, cheese, salted crisps, peanuts and yeast or Marmite or Bovril.
By contrast you should make sure you are taking plenty of foods which
are rich in potassium, such as oranges and other citrus fruits, tomatoes and
milk. Alternatively your doctor may give you potassium (chemical symbol
K) tablets to take. A few diuretics (e.g., amiloride, spironolactone) actually
have the opposite effect and help the body to conserve potassium. These may
be prescribed in combination with the other type of diuretic.