What are diuretics and antidiuretics?

Diuretics help your body get rid of excess accumulated water and salt. How do they achieve this? By making you pee more often.

Diuretics or 'water tablets' are used to remove excess fluid from your body and may be prescribed if you are at risk of heart failure. Furosemide is an example of a diuretic type of medicine and it's used to treat conditions like high blood pressure, heart failure or a build-up of fluid in the body which is called odema.

These medications are also known as 'water tablets' because they make you pee more. This helps get rid of extra fluid in your body. Furosemide is only available if it's prescribed by your doctor. It comes as tablets and a liquid that you swallow. It can also be given by injection, but this is usually only done if you are in a hospital.

Aside from diuretic medications which are used to treat specific illnesses there are also drinks and food types that have diuretic qualities and therefore make you pee more. These include:

• Alcohol

• Artificial sweeteners

• Caffeine

• Carbonated beverages

• Chilli peppers

• Large amounts of vitamin C

Caffeine in drinks can make the body produce urine more quickly. If you have incontinence and bladder weakness, cutting down on caffeine by changing to low-caffeine tea and coffee, fruit or herbal teas, or other types of drinks can help. To find out about the impact of drinks on bladder weakness click here.

Some people are more susceptible to this than others, but it also depends on how much caffeine you have and how often you have it.

What is an antidiuretic?

These types of medications may be prescribed if you have been diagnosed with diabetes for example. Diabetes is caused by problems with a chemical called vasopressin (AVP), which is also known as the antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

AVP is produced by the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is an area of the brain that controls mood and appetite. The pituitary gland is located below your brain and AVP regulates the level of water in your body by controlling the amount of urine your kidneys produce.

When the level of water in your body decreases, your pituitary gland releases AVP to conserve water and stop the production of urine. In diabetes insipidus, AVP fails to properly regulate your body's level of water, and allows too much urine to be produced and passed from your body.

To read more about diabetes and treatments read this article.

Remember that it's always helpful to discuss with your GP what your options are in terms of different medications so you can better understand the impact they may have on your bladder health and leaks too.