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My questions are, do you drink a lot of soft drinks or caffeine-laden beverages like coffee and regular tea? How much salt and prepared foods do you consume? These are the major causes at your age for retaining water, especially around the ankles. Be careful with drinks such as Gatorade because of their high sodium content. If your diet is already high in sodium and caffeine, you would add to the problem by drinking such beverages. 

My suggestion is to eat more whole foods and eventually eliminate prepared foods and fast food altogether, stop drinking soda pop and bottled tea (if you drink these), and drink more water...lots of water, it should be your main beverage. The guideline of 8 eight-ounce glasses a day is good to follow, and anything else you drink should be in addition to that, not instead of it. Also, drink a cup of green tea instead of coffee. Although it has caffeine, it also has many health benefits.

It's a good thing that you're looking to herbal remedies rather than the pills your doctor is prescribing, as there are long-term side effects to such pills, and it's hard to regulate the body naturally after using them for any length of time.

Blessings,

~Dru (*

Since most people don't drink all of the water at once, I've never heard of this being an issue in my nursing studies, nor my naturopathic studies. And most of us do eat too much salt and drink too little water. Drinking enough water over the course of a day helps the system to rebalance. I agree that Gatorade is good for someone who has just thrown up excessively, and  is a good idea in chemo-induced dehydration, but Powerade is actually a better replacement for sports enthusiasts because the carb content is lower and its electrolyte balance is better for athletes...at least, by my training, especially for those on a low-salt diet (or who need to reduce salt/sodium intake). Gatorade is only better in hot climates. Powerade also provides key B vitamins, making it a better energy restorer.

The reason a saline solution is used in IV fluids is that not only fluid, but electrolytes lost through dehydration, are a problem. My recommendations were for a normal person who doesn't realize that they are dehydrated because they're drinking fluids, just not the right ones, which is all too common. Most people figure that it doesn't matter what they drink in the course of a day, and that's not true. The body can retain water in an attempt to not dehydrate when someone drinks too much soda pop, coffee, or bottled tea throughout the day rather than drinking water, especially if they consume a lot of salt in addition to what the normal American gets in our processed diet, which is very high in salt and low in nutrients. Other beverages are NEVER a replacement for water, but are in addition to drinking the recommended 64 ounces (minimum, more if you're an athlete) of water per day, including Gatorade or other sports drinks.

Blessings,

~Dru (*

My suggestions for the OP regarding taking a look at sodium intake and beverage consumption come from personal experience as well as my training. My mother has been on a diuretic since she was in her 40s, with increasing doses over the years and much frustration about her swollen ankles and how they've limited her, and yet in over 30 years of this battle, I've never been able to convince her to change her ways. She doesn't really consume a lot of processed foods, but she salts everything to the point of making those of us around her ill just watching her, and doesn't drink any water. Before, during, and after my training, it's made no difference...I talk to a brick wall. *sigh* For someone in their 40s to be retaining water, this is the first thing I'd check, for I doubt that the heart isn't pumping properly unless the person is very obese. If diet and beverage intake isn't the problem, then I'd look to an herbal remedy for assistance, but also get checked by a doctor for underlying health issues. Doctors rarely mention diet and beverage consumption because nutrition isn't part of their training, so they tend to prescribe a pill instead (though this is, blessedly, beginning to change).

Blessings,

~Dru (*