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How common is water retention/edema in adolescent girls? What could be the cause?

9 replies

allthethings · 06/04/2022 08:31

DD is 16. She appeared to put weight on some weight over lockdown two years ago, but she's always been quite solid, not flabby, if that makes sense and she has a larger chest and short torso but doesn't actually carry much weight around her middle. Where she carries the look of the weight is in her face, legs, arms, feet. She has lost a bit of weight recently and this has gone from her waist but not her face. Some days her face has a round puffy appearance, other days she has the definition of cheek bones and a chin. She definitely has slight swelling in her feet, hands and ankles. I had her tested for thyroid last summer but it came back as normal and I recently got the exact results and they are nowhere near borderline so I am confident that is fine.

I don't know if it warrants a trip to the GP. Is it normal for teenage girls to have some water retention like this? Could there be something else causing it? Could it be hormone related? She has issues with her periods and still has some spots, and she started her periods over 4 years ago. She does have asthma and takes a combined preventative inhaler but I can't find much evidence that would cause water retention. She eats fairly well for a teenager. We cook from scratch, she has one snack type food a day and she doesn't have much access to buy crap food outside the house.

OP posts:
Sameiam · 06/04/2022 08:53

Gluten makes me swell up something crazy, a week of not eating it and everyone tells me I've lost weight even though I havent. So probably some sort of food intolerance?

NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy · 06/04/2022 08:55

Look into Cushings Syndrome, my friend had it (controlled now) but sounds very similar

AnnaMagnani · 06/04/2022 09:45

Are you meaning weight or oedema - fluid?

It is totally not normal for teenage girls to have feet and ankles that are swollen with fluid and this needs checking out with her GP.

CityCommuter · 10/04/2022 18:56

@allthethings has your DD ever had kidney function tests or even heart function... these should be done as fluid retention in a 16 year old shouldn't be happening...

allthethings · 23/04/2022 07:46

We went back to see a gp, as she wanted to see them about her heavy periods, cramps.

She was a bit dismissive and implied it was allergy related. When I said she'd had her thyroid tested and that was fine she looked at DDs notes and said something along the lines of all other blood tests coming back normal.

I still wonder if it is hormone related - her periods are still not regular. Maybe the pill would help, if she were to go on it for cramps and heavy periods..?

I'm not sure what to do now.

Cushings doesn't fit because her limbs aren't slim.

Could I give her water tablets from Holland and varrat and see if that helps at all?

I know it sounds silly but I just have this hunch as a mother, that there's something that ties all these issues together. I have an older DD and she has none of this going on. Dd2 seems to have been inflicted with everything - spots, allergies, asthma, weight gain, bothersome periods. We all eat the same and exercise the same.

OP posts:
NaiceHamAndHugs · 23/04/2022 07:50

Hi OP,

Have you ever looked into the possibility of her having lipodema? It can be a genetic condition, so if there’s anyone you can think of who might suffer similar symptoms in your family it could be worth looking into?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/lipoedema/

nearlyspringyay · 23/04/2022 08:00

Take her back to the GP

rubytubeytubes · 23/04/2022 08:01

Have you considered PCOS?

allthethings · 23/04/2022 08:38

NaiceHamAndHugs · 23/04/2022 07:50

Hi OP,

Have you ever looked into the possibility of her having lipodema? It can be a genetic condition, so if there’s anyone you can think of who might suffer similar symptoms in your family it could be worth looking into?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/lipoedema/

Thanks. I'll keep bearing this in mind but does not seem to fully fit DD2.

Its difficult - I would like to be able to take photographs to show to the GP but DD2 is sensitive and quite understandably does not like all this fpcus on her and her body

OP posts:
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