Q: I am quite a few stone overweight and am now trying to control my eating habits by embarking on yet another diet. I tend to retain a lot of water, as an Addisonian am I able to take water tablets purchased from a health shop?

A: Overweight and fluid retention: Being overweight does not result from appropriate and physiological replacement with hydrocortisone or fludrocortisone. Providing this is monitored properly and established to be equivalent to the body's normal production then being overweight or retaining fluid should not be blamed on the patient's therapy. I am quite sure that any tablets purchased from a health shop, and regarded by the health shop as "water tablets" would not have an adverse effect in patients taking replacement therapy for Addison's Disease.