Why So Much Urinating

[lissy]

Ok everyone

When I drink a 16 oz bottle of water why does it make me pee 6 times it only happens with water or beer (*but that rarely happens:))

I know some of the meds are suppose to retain fluid right but they also raise B/P which I feel awful now when my B/P is normal, I'd rather be low.

Is there another way to retain water?

And is this pretty common with others?

Lissy

[brethor9]

Hey Lissey

I'm actually having the same issue as you! I could drink a litre of water and 1/2hr later have it run through me! I have been taking florinef which at first was good but now I seem to be having blood pressure swings, stomach issues etc. no matter how small the dose. I assume its because it builds up in your body? I saw the gastro today and he said pick one; not passing out or have nasty side effects :{ nice options....I was reading some old posts and some people said licorice root can have the same effects as florinef but without the nasty side effects so I am trying that now....I will keep you posted......

Bren

[POTSperson]

Hey Lissy,

I have the exact same problem. I was diagnosed with POTS in October 2010 at they Mayo Clinic they told me that I needed to increase my water intake to help with my blood volume. Then they told me that I needed to then increase my salt so I was on the toilet very 10 seconds. It really works for me, I can clearly tell a day when I haven't have enough salt I have to pee much more. Hope it helps!

Meaghan

[flop]

Drinking water in large volumes isn't that helpful for us. It is better to be constantly sipping fluids rather than having a lot at once. When you drink large volumes at once your body sends signals to the kidneys saying "oh dear, here comes a load of fluid, just get rid if it would you?"

You do need to take extra sodium with the fluids or your kidneys will just flush the fluids back out again. The sodium gets filtered out of the blood by the kidneys but the kidneys also have a mechanism to reabsorb the sodium and keep it in the blood. Due to osmosis water will follow the sodium back into the blood.

Don't overdo either the water or the salt. I find putting a tiny sprinkle of salt into each glass of water is about the right amount. You don't want the water to taste salty, just enough to make the water feel soft in your mouth (if you try it you'll know what I'm talking about!!). Personally I like to use Himalayan salt as it has loads of other minerals, tastes good and us a pretty pink colour).

Flop

[autumn]

I'm supposed to drink five liters of water a day, and I just can't do it. On Thursday, I had two big glasses of water, a small iced coffee and a liter of IV fluid, all spaced out through the day. I woke up seven times that night to urinate. SEVEN. That is not OK. I lost almost five pounds in fluid from Thursday night to Friday morning. As far as I can tell, the only thing increased fluids does for me is send me to the bathroom more often. I'm on Florinef and salt just about everything, too.

I'll try putting salt in my water, too. Maybe that'll help some. Thanks for the tip, Flop.

[hilbiligrl]

Unfortunately, this is one of my worst symptoms...... it happens in long spells as in months, then eases up for very short periods of time, or inbetween the two. I counted in 12 hours one day of urinating 32 times. And i dont drink very much either..... the more i drink, the more i go.... and i usually have more output than input. Ugh, i hate it direly, it makes living very difficult.

Have no idea why it happens......

best wishes

tennille

[smiles]

I have been a victim of this crazy peeing phenomenon. I would get so thirsty during an episode that I would drink and drink. Problem was I then peed it straight out and more. This in turn would make my symptoms even worse. Mine was so bad that sometimes it would send me into seizure type activity. By the time I'd get to the hospital and they emptied my bladder by catheter, I had 900-1500 ccs of urine flow out of my bladder--which they said was what prompted my seizure. My seizure would stop once they emptied my bladder. Go figure! It's called kidney flushing. Your bladder usually holds 300 to 400 ccs.

Over time (years) My doc and i have found things to prevent this most of the time.

He put me on Thermatabs (or Thermotabs, can't remember which spelling) which are salt and potassium tabs. Then he also told me to drink 64 oz of gatorade, powerade or other hydrating drinks. Both the salt and the gatorade help retain the fluids instead of them going straight out of your body.

Now they have come out with 1 gram salt tabs. My pharmacy orders then for me. Vanderbilt University Autonomic Center now recommends taking at least 3 grams of salt a day and up to 8 grams. This has made a tremendous difference for me!! On a good day I take 3 and on a bad day I take at least 6. Sometimes they can upset your stomache. If I take it with a whole glass of water or with a few bites of food it prevents that.

If I take 2 grams before I go to bed I do not have to get up and pee at night even if I drink alot before I go to bed. I'd start with 1 gram though and see how it does for you.

I hope that this helps some of you fellow mega peeers.

ps. I'm also on a volume building med, yohimbin, and phenobarbital to increase cell permeability. and a multitude of other meds to help with other symptoms.

[Bears Mommy]

I finally gave in and got salt tabs too. They are amazing! I feel better when I take them with a glass of water than I do on Florinef! Lots less peeing too.

[Steph]

My pee problems come at night.

During the day, I may pee more often than someone who drinks less water does, but that's it - I pee and then I'm good. But a few months ago, troubles began! [insert cheesy sci-fi music FX]

At night, when I'm desperately trying to go to sleep (I have insomnia), I get an urgent need to pee. I go to the bathroom . . . and pee for approximately half a second. 10 minutes later, it repeats. Again and again and again. Not only does the constant up-down-up-down make me feel super crappy, but it makes getting to sleep even harder.