Dehydration Help

[Carly87]

What do you all do when you are dehydrated? I'm trying to drink a lot but it just keeps going right through me..And I keep feeling worse?

I did something I probably should not have done this weekend...I went camping with some friends and I had a few beers, not to mention ate horribly (burgers for every meal, candy, chips.) I was feeling fine beforehand so I figured maybe I'd be okay, since having a few drinks is either hit or miss with me. WRONG! I felt horrible and it acted like an extreme diuretic to me...I only had approximately 2.5 beers and I feel like I peed out 6 that night alone!! And it just kept going. I also got a migraine Sunday morning which made it hard to eat all throughout the day.

Needless to say, I'm feeling horrible right now, have barely any food/water in my system, and I just feel like my body is totally out of wack. I'm feeling anxious and getting horrible adrenaline rushes, which hasn't happened in a while. Last night I even had to take a xanax to stop them before I went to sleep. I don't want to keep taking xanax on a daily basis (I take 1 or 2 .25mg pills per MONTH right now) but I can't go on feeling anxious like this either.

I don't know where to begin. My stomach (thankfully) is feeling alright and I've been able to eat today, but the water is just going right through me. Would a bit of salt-loading help in this situation? I feel really dumb that I've gotten myself into such a situation

[maryfw]

I live by Gatorade. You need some electrolytes.

mary

[flop]

Another good source of water + electrolytes is to get a diarrhoea rehydration solution like Pedilyte or Dioralyte. The sugar and salts help you absorb the water better. Don't let yourself get any worse - if you need to, go to the ER and get some IV fluids to rehydrate you.

Flop

[jump]

Having small sips of warm (body-temperature) or hot water is easier for the body to absorb than gulping lots of cold water. You may want to try that.

Also, I drink coconut juice and it seems to really help. They sell it at Shaws and WholeFoods.

hope you feel better soon!

jump

[lloppyllama]

You definitely need to take in some salt so that the liquids will stay in you. I drink Gatorade and Pedialite when I need to rehydrate. I drink Gatorade everyday anyways as my liquid source, but I will use Pedialite when I need it too. I like the Pedialite pops, they are like freezez, only they have the electrolytes, which is good when you don't feel up to drinking or eating, because you can get it slowly, but you still get the liquid and electrolytes, and then I usually feel up to drinking once my body is doing a little better from the Pedialite pop.

Good luck, hope you're feeling better soon!!!

Mary

[Ernie]

Hi,

Depending on how bad I am dehydrated it is either Pedialyte or 3-5 IV bags.

[dawson20]

Wierd as this sounds I find the best solution for me is Sopporo (ichiban or ramen) noodles... the dehydrated kind with the flavor pack... TOTALLY unhealthy but packs one heck of a salt punch when you add a bit more salt to it... I find it loads me up on salt, and makes me thirsty, so it works well for rehydrated in a hurry...

If I miss a florinef dose the same thing happens to me, I lose all my fluids very fast... If I follow up with my noodle snack quickly Im usually able to curb the fluid loss...

I guess its really just salt loading... I just make a meal out of it...

Hope your on the mend soon!!

[Megan]

I find that if I get really dehydrated I need to get an IV because just salt and fluids won't help me catch up. After the IV, I push salt and fluids to try to keep my level normal. I need an IV about every 6 weeks, anyway, but if something dehydrates me, I definitely need to get some help catching up.

Meg

[LaurieR]

I am a new member, trying to figure out how to post a new message without having to open an old one and hitting reply. Can someone advise me?

I have a question: are there any doctors that specialize in dysautonomia? I am afraid that when I go to my GP and suggest that this get checked out, she'll roll her eyes.

Laurie

[ajw4790]

Laurie,

Hi, if you want to start a new thread and are on the main dysautonomia page, about a third of the way down there is a button that says start new post (or something like that) and you can start a new thread or question here.

For drs. that specialize, I guess yo can say yes, because of drs. like Dr. Grubb in Toledo, but overall it is just going to neurologists or cardiologist that hopefully have some insight on dysautonomia. For neurologists, I think they will often be neurophysiologists and for cardios. you would want to look for an electrophysiologist.

My going over old threads even recent ones you may see some drs. mentioned in your area, or get a better understanding of what to look for.

I hope you find some help soon!

(Also, hopefully that made some sense? The heat is getting to me!)

[turtlefairy5]

Gatorade!

Gatorade, Gatorade, Gatorade.

alternate with bottled water.

I went to yee ol' Wal-mart and picked up a cheap-o (less than $1) 16 oz. water bottle with a sippy-lid (don't know how to descripe it, it has the thing you pull up to sip, push down to close so it doesn't spill out) and I use it all day.

I try to drink 4 of those every day, two gatorade + two water = 64 oz. of liquid in a day.

One thing that helps me is to actually note down in a small notebook or journal how many of the full 16 oz. I'm drinking every day. If I only drank two yesterday, I know that I'm behind and that I need to step it up the next day.

Also, I find that I'm using the restroom less when I drink gatorade as opposed to water, so I suppose my body is holding onto the gatorade better than the water, which is a good thing, yes? I've read on here that it has salt/sodium, which I've also read on here helps retain water/liquid...(so THAT'S why my cardiologist told me to eat a lot of salt!..hmmmm...why don't they explain it to you so you know why you're doing what?...I'm curious!..I want to know!)

Water goes through me like...well...water. It's aggravating getting up over and over again, especially when you are trying to nap or sleep at night....double especially when you take something to sleep and it makes you stumble on your way to and fro the bathroom!

Good luck! Stay hydrated!

[LaurieR]

Gatorade has a LOT of sugar in it, so I prefer Recharge, which has only natural sugars that are easier on the body. I find that the refined sugars, cane sugars and beet sugars (anythng with "ose" on the end of the word) mess up my blood pressure and blood sugar terribly. Recharge has only fruit sugars, and of course the essential salts that Gatorade has.

[jbrian00]

FYI, Interestingly I was reading on the lexapro website that SSRI/SSNRIs has been associated with clinically significant hyponatremia, which after looking it up I found it has to do with electrolyte disturbances. Maybe someone with a little more knowledge can look into this, cause I know a lot of you are on SSRI/SSNRIs (including myself).

Here is the link: http://www.lexapro.com/safety/default.aspx

James

[masumeh]

Did anybody say V8 Juice yet? It has even more sodium and potassium (electrolytes) than Gatorade. Does anyone else here like the stuff?

Also I found that certain drinks make the fluids go faster no matter what I try to drink to offset the salt wasting. Like, ginger, hot chocolate, pepsi, basically anything caffienated will make me lose all the water I drank that day. Don't know why.

[Mary P]

I drink gatorade. I also drink 1 can of beef broth/day, mixed with an equal amount of water. As with water alone, it's easier to consume the broth when slightly heated.

I can't tolerate too salty a taste so the water makes it easier to get the broth down and I'm still getting the same amount of sodium. I'll soon try the chicken broth.

Mary P

[Carly87]

Lots of great and helpful replies! THANK YOU!!

Did anybody say V8 Juice yet? It has even more sodium and potassium (electrolytes) than Gatorade. Does anyone else here like the stuff?

Its funny that you mentioned V8 because I just recently gave this a try. It actually makes a difference and helps A LOT! As for taste, well let's just say I definitely wouldn't drink the stuff if it wasn't healthy/helpful for POTS. It helps me hold on to fluids like no other...Gatorade never really worked well for me because the high sugar content made me feel a bit jittery, and while I love my propels they really don't seem to make a huge difference. I can drink a glass of V8 followed up with a glass of water and maybe even a cup of tea and I won't have to pee right away...Seriously, that's a miracle in itself because I usually have to go to the bathroom within 15/20 minutes after drinking!

[summer]

I drink a glass of V8 every morning as soon as I get up. In fact, I add a quarter teaspoon of table salt to it to make about a full gram of sodium chloride. My doctor told me to take 1 gram salt tablets, but I was not able to keep them down (or anything else that was in my stomach before them). The V8 with salt works great! And I've actually gotten to like it. Also I still feel thirsty after I drink it, so I am able to take in more water during those first hours of the morning when I really need it.

[masumeh]

...I knew somebody else in the world must like that stuff for it to still be on the market

Go V8

Ok...my cheesiness is over for the day

[stampingamy]

I don't always know this time of year if my symptoms are dehydration or heat - likely related. I don't do gatorade because of all the sugar, I drink pedialyte. My neuro also says the balance of sodium and electrolytes is better for what I need. If I drank gatorade everyday I would gain weight due to the sugar. But that is just me.

I find when I am really tired the pedialyte acts like a huge boost for me. I can be really wiped and the pedialyte gives me a bit of a boost. I usually drink it late in the afternoon when I am starting to really tire. However, I do better in the morning than afternoon. Mornings are actually my best time, I know this isn't the case for a lot of you.

Amy

[ajw4790]

Hi,

I envy those who can stomach V8 juice, all that acid would make me so sick!

It is very important to avoid dehydration with all of this and to learn what you can and can not handle. Like I can't drink coke etc., minimal coffee, and little to no sugary drinks.

Water is very important, but if you don't have enough sodium and other electrolytes they are also very important at the time of dehydration. I like plain electrolyte waters and electrolyte packets with no sugar at all in it. And lots of salty food.

Also, hydrate ahead of time to when you think you will be encountering dehydration (being outside etc.) and continuing to drink water throughout.

Hope you feel better now!

[jbrian00]

Thought I might mention this in this forum. Sportline (a fitness company which also makes heart rate monitor watches, in fact the same brand I use) has a fancy water bottle that will measure your hydration. Lets you know stuff like how much you've had to drink during the day and how much you have left to drink to meet your goal. For people concerned about getting the right amount of liquids a day. I personally do not have one, but someone might find something like useful for maintaining hydrated. Website is www.sportline.com.

James

[Guest tearose]

I use the powder electrolytes packets so I don't have to lug the weight of already mixed pedialyte/kayolectrolyte around. If I use the water I have carried, I can always get water at the doctors office or restaurant and I'm good to go again.

tearose

[jbrian00]

I use the powder electrolytes packets so I don't have to lug the weight of already mixed pedialyte/kayolectrolyte around. If I use the water I have carried, I can always get water at the doctors office or restaurant and I'm good to go again.

tearose

Electrolytes are usually needed for athletes who deplete a lot of water through sweat. But could someone explain the importance of electrolytes for dysautonomics?

[Guest tearose]

If we drink water without the proper balance of sodium and potassium we get sick!

I have experienced water intoxication and it was horrible! I was as if I was drunk on alcohol!

I have also experienced more chest pain when my potassium and magnesium were not in balance.

The electrolytes ensure we are as near to the correct relationship of sodium to potassium to water as is possible.

When I have had a sudden onset of a spell of POTS / hyperadrenergic surge, I reach for my electrolytes, mix it in water, sit or lay down and wait it out. I usually feel somewhat close to normal again in about 20-30 minutes.

tearose

[jbrian00]

If we drink water without the proper balance of sodium and potassium we get sick!

I have experienced water intoxication and it was horrible! I was as if I was drunk on alcohol!

I have also experienced more chest pain when my potassium and magnesium were not in balance.

The electrolytes ensure we are as near to the correct relationship of sodium to potassium to water as is possible.

When I have had a sudden onset of a spell of POTS / hyperadrenergic surge, I reach for my electrolytes, mix it in water, sit or lay down and wait it out. I usually feel somewhat close to normal again in about 20-30 minutes.

tearose

Correct me if I'm wrong, but we should only get sick if we drink excessive amounts of plain water, right? So keeping around 64oz or so I think would be fine and no worries about having your electrolytes being "flushed-out" to make us sick.

May I ask you what caused your water intoxication issue? And so you would say that electrolytes are definitely beneficial to your symptoms? Do you only take your electrolytes when you have your POTS spells? Would they perhaps work if taken every day to try and prevent the spells from happening in the first place (if that is at all possible!)?

Thanks

James