How long after taking diuretics will a person have to pee?

[mynewphilosophy]

My mother is currently on bedrest for edema and cellulitis in her lower legs.  She is on 50mg spironolactone with a chaser of 40mg Lasix 30 minutes later to help drain the fluid. But ... the action of moving from laying position to sitting brings on the urge to urinate, and she can't get out of bed fast enough to get to the bathroom. She is having way too many 'accidents'.

Q: Is there some information on the length of time the diuretics take to work, so she can better predict when she should be up and nearer the bathroom for the deluge?

Thanks

[dianacantu]

Its been two hrs and I haven't had to pee,I took speeronolact and furosemide.What do I do?

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
Spironolactone has a half life of 1.3-2h while Lasix has a half life to 100 min or 1.3 to 1.45 hrs.  Spironilactone takes days to give its maximum benefit while Lasix is short acting. The 'accidents are more likely to be due to Lasix. It takes about 30 minutes to one hour for lasix to act, especially with subsequent doses the time is about 30 minutes or less. This urgency to pass urine after Lasix also depends on the fluids consumed in the hours before the tablet, and amount of displaced fluid in the body. The action varies from individuals to individuals. To start with she should be ready to expect urine within 30 minutes—and watch from there—whether she gets the urge before or after that. Hope this will help your mother. Wishing her a speedy recovery! Take care!