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Writer's pictureTanya Freirich

Reduce water retention with Prednisone and Prednisolone

Hi Lupus Warriors,

Do you hate the water retention, weight gain, insomnia, mood changes, restlessness and stomach upset amongst other side effects of prednisone (aka prednisolone, methylprednisolone)?


Today you'll learn how to deal with the first one: water retention! Here are some great tips to reduce it and have you feeling your best ....


  1. Increase the fluids you’re drinking! What? Retain less fluids by drinking more fluids?!? Yes!! Staying hydrated helps your body eliminate more of the sodium that make the extra fluid stick around.

NOTE: if you have Lupus nephritis (the lupus that affects your kidneys) and are on a fluid restriction, speak with your doctors first about any changes to your fluid intake


2. Increase your intake of potassium - this wonderful electrolyte is found in foods like spinach, avocado, leafy greens, bananas, sweet potatoes, and many others (all of these are AIP compliant. If you’re not avoiding nightshade vegetables - tomatoes

and white potatoes are very high in potassium too).


Here’s a link to other high potassium foods: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/food-sources-potassium


*** NOTE: if you have Lupus nephritis (the lupus that affects your kidneys) and have had trouble with elevated potassium levels in the past, I would NOT recommend increasing your potassium intake considerably without speaking with your doctors about safety first


3. Decrease your sodium intake - Sodium is often added to processed foods as a preservative. Choosing less processed foods (chicken thigh instead of deli meat slices of turkey, beef or ham), and more home prepared foods instead of pre-packaged meals (frozen tv dinner or canned soup) or fast food will help reduce your sodium intake by a lot!


According to the CDC, Americans are averaging >3,400 mg/day but should be consuming less than 2,300 mg/day. And for those with kidney disease, you may be recommended to consume even less than that.


~ In addition to lowering water retention, less sodium in your diet also helps to lower blood pressure. This can help protect your kidneys and lowers your risk for other cardiovascular events like stroke and heart attack.


More Tips to Lower Sodium Intake:

Read the labels - oftentimes similar foods will have big differences in the sodium content depending on the brand. Ex: a BBQ sauce could have 900 mg per serving or 200 mg per serving!

  1. Flavor food with herbs, spices, lemon or lime instead of added salt

  2. Buy fresh - i.e. frozen or fresh vegetables instead of the canned or frozen with sauces/flavoring added

  3. Rinse canned foods - rinse before adding to your recipe or eating to helps reduce some of the sodium

  4. Ask for sauces/dressings on the side when you eat out - Most of the sodium hides there, using less of the sauces is a great way to reduce sodium intake.

  5. Look for …

    1. “low sodium” (< 140 mg of sodium)

    2. “very low sodium” (>35 mg of sodium) labels on food products.

    3. Watch out with “reduced sodium” (25% less sodium than the original) or “Lightly salted” (50% less sodium than the original) - why watch out?

      1. EXAMPLE: Original bag of chips with 1000 mg of sodium.

      2. Same bag of chips but now “Reduced sodium” is 750 mg ! Still very high

      3. Same bag of chips but now “lightly salted” is 500 mg of sodium! Still high!!!

      4. BUT if that same bag of chips is “Low sodium” you know it will be less than 140 mg of sodium no matter what the original product was!

6. Upgrade your snacks: Choose lower sodium versions of your usual choices like chips, pretzels, crackers - look for the “low sodium” or “very low sodium” or replace with fresh vegetables and hummus or guacamole or fresh fruit with yogurt or nut butters.


Have a great rest of your week, Lupus Warriors, keep your head up! You got this!







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