Anne6, I limit myself to 2 cups of coffee, 1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon, and a 32 ounce glass of flavored water a day. Sometimes I will add a half cup of orange juice or maybe, if I'm lucky, a 16 oz. fountain coke. That's roughly a little over a liter and a half on any given day. I have a cup of juice about twice a week and I may get a coke two times a month. Any more than that I will swell profusely in my feet and legs. It just depends on your system. Try 2 liters. If you swell, drink less. Keep going down until you find where you can stay healthy. But don't become dehydrated. That is almost as bad as too much liquid. There is no 1 number that fits all. You are an individual with individual needs and your body will let you know. Listen to your body, but stay in touch with your doctor, tell him your plans. He might want to check your records and give you different info. There has to be good balance of advice and information between you and your doctors. Common sense should be used. And remember, we can only give you advice from our own personal experience. It could be the wrong advice for you, but if something stands out that makes you think it could help, talk to your doctor or his PA.

Do u use compression socks that should help

Hi StephanieC, That is a common number. But the body is a fine tuned machine. Your body is mostly made of water as in each cell. But, it operates best when homeostasis is present. Homeostasis includes the correct amount of fluids in and the correct amount out. Swelling can be a sign of fluid overload. It makes the heart and circulatory system work harder when there are too many fluids or an increase in salty foods or fluids that the kidneys are unable to flush out. Your doctors are aware of your lab results and how much fluid you can safely take in and how to avoid lower extremity swelling. Putting your feet up on a soft ottoman may help, compression hose may help. It is importent to learn food product labels and to avoid salt or sodium. Avoid processed or restaurant food and you may ask the cook NOT to use salt in cooking. Take frequent rest breaks between chores and rest with your feet up. When walking, be sure that you have a strong , soft, well fitting pair of walking shoes..,Blessings to you and best wishes for better days!

My cardio-pulmonologist and my internal medicine doctor both said to keep fluids to 2 Litres a day. I got a test done to show how much fluid was in my body and it showed normal....so I don't really understand.

I use compression stockings every day but after about 3 or 4 hours my foot feels like someone stomped on it so I take the stockings off.