Alternatives To Gatorade And Dyes Being A Trigger?

[k&ajsmom]

The last couple of days I have been doing ok, not great but not as bad as usual. I even accompanied my fiance to do grocery shopping yesterday. (Mainly cause Im tired of eating hamburgers and chips , somebody has to get some veggies in this house lol)

I have been avoiding Blue gatorade for a while cause basically I dont care for it, however thats all they had in the G2 when we went so, I got a couple.

Anyways I noticed as I drank it last night and as I woke up and continued to drink it, I became very symptomatic. Very high heartrate,(160's standing after doing nothing) breathless, dizzy, bouncing blood pressure (110/84 one minute and 80/48 the next) etc.At first I assumed it was a mast cell issue, but then why did I get just POtsy and not sneezy and allergic or have stomach upset like I usually experience on a daily basis?

There was nothing else I consumed or did diferently besides start nasalcrom today,at which time I already felt yucky.

I dont wanna stop drinking G2 cause its really all I drink, Im allergic to tea , juice is too harsh and water dilutes my system too much so what else could I drink?? I noticed if blue dye is a culprit, it is in many of the flavors not just the blue ones.

Has anyone had Pots symptoms flare from gatorade? or more specifically food dyes??? Or is this solely a probable mast cell issue?? or merely a coincedence.

Sorry I am still so new to all this, just trying to make since in my jumbled up brain and was curious about other experiences......=)

Thx

[peregrine]

Oof - sorry to hear! You might try the following:

oral rehydration solution (what the WHO uses for diarrhea in developing countries): 1L or 1qt water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt. If you can stand it, add orange juice or a banana (or eat separately) to get potassium.

I drink water with salt added these days - I personally do 6g of salt a day (the exact amount was determined by my doctor, yours may vary), so my first liter of water is 1 teaspoon of salt in a liter (a liter and a quart are about the same) of water, shake and drink like I normally do. This is close-ish to the level of salt in your blood, which may make it easier.

edited - you can also try Pedialyte (what my housemate drinks when she has migraines and needs to replace liquid lost to vomiting) - but my housemate says it tastes terrible, so your mileage may vary.

[RubyLane]

You could have a dye sensitivity but not necessarily an allergy. That sounds like a lot of gatorade. I find gatorade in large quantities to be very harsh on my system and it could be part of the reason for the loose stools(?). I would agree with what peregrine said, possibly try that solution blended with a banana and then refrigerate in batches. Just a thought.

[k&ajsmom]

thx guys, I am gonna experiment with the "homemade gatorade" mixture. I agree gatorade is heavy, almost syrupy ...yuck..., so I switched to the g2 from regular awhile back and I try to dilute every bottle half with h2o so its not so heavy but enough to get me balanced. (plus my glucose has been high lately) However this bottle I drank straight cause I was out when I opened it and just didnt think about it. Wont do that again!! lol

Im just learning about sensitivities and allergies. I have always seen it black or white , your allergic or your not. Now I know better. Probaly why I have been so sick all my life, although my mom had us all on restricted diets when we were young, as soon as we got older and aymptomatic we went back on all the stuff we had been restricted from and never gave it another thought. I geuss I need to face the fact my diet may be a big factor in all of this. It just amazes me how much I am seeing that is in our food that is so hazardous, its overwhelming knowing where to start.....but i geuss Ill start by eliminating gatorade lol

[RubyLane]

I thought the same thing about allergies. I had a friend who kept coughing after meals. This seemed strange but nothing harmful. She went through a bunch of procedures and allergy testing and it turns out she was allergic to peanut butter, wheat, corn, etc. It was along list. We assumed that something like a peanut butter allergy would be evident. Have you had any food/dye allergy testing?

[puppylove]

I had to drink a 64 ounce orange Gatorade for my colonoscopy prep and it made me feel so sick. Straight Gatorade always does. I thought it just didn't agree with me but maybe it is the dye.

[k&ajsmom]

Ive had basic rast skin testing several years ago. I dont remember many foods being tested I think only the basics, peanuts, eggs etc..the 2 that turned up were eggs and tea, until recently I was still consumeng both because I didnt get violently ill right after consuming them so I assumed I was fine...lol ignorence is bliss ....other than that I think I was tested for the basic stuff, mold, pollen, grass etc...and was allergic to almost everything...but I am pretty sure things like dyes were noyt on there. I am waiting for my insurance to come through hopefully anyday,then Im going to start making appointments. I have a specialist appointment for autonaumic dysfunction in June, so I am trying to rule out everything possiable before hand so I can make his job a little easier and save me some trial and error with him.

[westernmass]

Could it be all the sugar in the Gatorade? I don't know if g2 is different from Gatorade, I avoid all that stuff because of the sugar and/or aspartame, plus the dyes.

[k&ajsmom]

G2 is the lower sugar alternative to standard gatorade. It has approx. 17.5g of sugar by way sucrose and sucrolose per a 32 oz bottle. So its better, but still not good and why I water it down usually.

However, I did a bit of research on all the ingredients in G2 and gatorade and every single thing is concerning besides water lol I am almost positive it is the dye in this smurf juice that got me.

One thing I was shocked about is apparently blue #1 and red 40 are 2 highly suspected causes of some allergic responses as well blue #1 can cross your blood brain barrier, so does this mean not only is your tongue blue but your brain is too???? what?? lol Seriously though ,it is concerning that I have been drinking something so ignorently without knowing what was in it. I grew up drinking gatorade all the time and I have literally had days where it was the only nourishment I could manage. I will never drink another one though, I will certainly be making my own.

And after drinking water all day and some water downed juice I am starting to feel a bit more normal potsy instead of manic potsy lol I wonder how many symptomatic days I have done this to myself. Geesh one trigger discovered, who knows how many more to go =)

[FarmerAmy]

You can get Nuun Natural Hydration tablets or a different electrolyte powder at someplace like Whole Foods. I think this is a much safer and healthier alternative to Gatorade.

[k&ajsmom]

Thx Amy,

I was trying to search for the name of those tablets but find them. There is a new whole foods near my home I see if they have them =))

[SoliDeoGloria]

My neuro recommends that I use the NUUN tablets (at least 2 tabs per day). They have very little sugar (sugar alternative?) and they don't have any artificial color. I order them online from Amazon and the NUUN company. I think there are also a few other places, like EMS and REI, that sell them online and in their stores. If you are wanting to try them, get a mixed pack because some of the flavors are better than others -- but it all comes down to personal preference. Be aware, though, some of the flavors, like the lemon tea and the kola, have caffeine.

[jenniferlynne76]

I also use the Nuun hydration tablets. They're awesome. Much better than things like Gatorade and Powerade, which are full of chemicals and sugar. I order mine directly from Nuun or from roadrunnersports.com where they are usually cheaper, especially if you're looking to buy the variety packs. Just stay away from the ones with added vitamins and caffeine (it's not hard to do...they mark things clearly). :-)

Good luck!

Jen

[Jacquie802]

Nuun is pretty decent. There's also another drink my dr told me to try. I forget the name but will post it when it comes up. Also, for those who use nuun which hydration drink do you use?

[cmreber]

I also use the Nuun hydration tablets. I get them from our local outdoor sports shop in my town. I can't stand Gatorade and switched to these awhile ago. There are different flavors and it seems to work well for me.

[Kellysavedbygrace]

I like the strawberry lemonade Nunn. I also really like the Emergen-C Electro Mix that comes in individual servings at my local health food store. Or Vitamin Water's XXX (not the Zero, but the regular). Or the C2O Coconut water.

Is there any chance you could be having an issue with the sucralose? I have become sensitive to any artificial sweetener.

As far as gaotrade, it is my go to drink when I'm feeling really bad - I think I need the sugar? But I now only drink the lemon-lime flavor which has fewer chemical ingredients.

P, I'll have to try that solution you mentioned above- would be a lot cheaper!

[imapumpkin]

SMARTWATER!!! (Or OWater, which is essentially the same, but cheaper) Smartwater has been a godsend for me.

My neurologist recommended Nuun tabs but they are expensive and none of the flavors look appealing...particularly since I've always been a water girl to begin with, not into sodas and no needing flavor with my hydration. Gatorade literally runs right through me and the sugar in it upsets my stomach and does weird things to my intestinal tract. For whatever reason, my body does not absorb or retain regular water or any other fluid so before I knew I had POTS my urologist just thought I had overactive bladder because I would have to pee every 40 min to an hour, but miraculously, the electrolytes in Smartwater and Owater help me retain the fluid. So I get to drink water, but also get the electrolytes. It doesn't have sodium in it, so I try to up my sodium elsewhere, but there is a huge marked difference in my blood pressure readings after I drink from my SmartWater bottle. It's crazy. If it works for me maybe it will work for you? Good luck!

[k&ajsmom]

Well, i never expected so many wonderful responses, this is great. I literally didnt know what to drink today so just made some delicous salt water with some juice in it....ick Really gotta get that recipe tweaked lol

I think I def have a problem with the dye, however I am still feeling quite crumby today. I got up and got very sick and had to sleep it off for a few hours. Felt like my body just would not function properly. Had d's and chills, and tachy low bp/high bp(for me anyways) and just could not stay awake even after sleeping 9 hours last night.

I think there may be a sucrolose issue. I know I have mentioned on here before that my sister passed away form hemolytic urheumic (sp) syndrome form probable coli poisoning, yet it was never confirmed. Upon her autospy she had massive intestinal damage. My brother and I had similiar symptoms and were on a restricted diet. (my poor mother, I cant imagine) We reframed from lactose, sucrolose, and limited gluten. I cant remember any specifics on how this helped us but I know by the time we were around 10/12 we were back on normal diets and seemed to do ok despite some abnormalies here and there.

I think I may need to go that route again, although i find it overwhelming to attempt it on alimited budget with kids of my own to feed. I also am a uncreative, untalented cook who literally can burn anything.....even the pot I boil water in lol but hey I gotta change something or suffer quitely =) and really it would be good for my kids to eat better since they are having some issues as well.

Thank u guys for all the suggestions, I havent gotten out of the house much and honestly just the thought of walking around looking for something to drink is unmotivating.. I have never liked water and it runs right through me as well, but now I have some good things to try out. These all sounds comparable to the price of gatorade so I might try them all for osme variety till I find one thats a fav =)) ANything has to better than gatorade, I cant believe such a positive stigma is around drinking that stuff.

Thx again, u guys are awesome, I have learned so much from this forum!!

[SoliDeoGloria]

Jacquie, I think that the other natural electrolyte drink that you were mentioning is "Ultima replenisher" and can be found at the website of that same name. Also, there are three kinds of Nuun tablets: the original (called Active Hydration), U Natural, and All Day Hydration. The original has the highest electrolyte profile so that's the one that I use.

[Jacquie802]

Ultima replenisher is the right drink I was thinking of! Thank you!! Have you tried that? The Nuun is okay but it has a weird alka seltzer taste to it-almost a tiny fizz...I also drink the original Nuun.

[SoliDeoGloria]

No, Jacquie, I have not tried the Ultima replenisher . . . I had remembered seeing it mentioned on the "autonomic" handout from my neuro. I'd love to know your opinion if you try it.

The NUUN tabs take some getting used to if you are switching from gatorade. They are definitely not as sweet (I sometimes add a little stevia if I'm having a sweet craving) and the flavors are muted.

[peregrine]

I wasn't such a fan of the NUUN tabs, although my neurologist recommended them. I personally find that the recipe I gave at the top - but with no sugar, just the salt in water - works well for me; they usually mix salt and sugar (as in gatorade or this mix) for when folks are seriously dehydrated and need the sugar as well to keep them going. I find that the combination of sugar and salt is kind of icky, honestly (when it tastes good, in my experience, you know you're dehydrated!). Part of the reason that Gatorade doesn't taste as icky (besides the flavorings) is that it has far more sugar than necessary, which kind of hides the electrolyte tastes.

These days I drink a liter of water with a teaspoon of salt in it (to get my 6g above dietary salt daily), then drink plain water, tea, and milk after that, which works well for me.

[Batik]

I need to get back into doing electrolyte drinks. (For the record, I still don't have a diagnosis, I'm being passed about between doctors at the moment, but we're pretty sure that I have some sort of dysautonomia, either POTS or NMH or something.)

I used to make them up in water, starting with low-sodium salt to give me both sodium and potassium, but I got fancy and mixed in d-ribose (a sugar that's meant to be a good supplement for ME) and magnesium citrate, and I did this in the Klean Kanteen metal water bottle I keep by the bed, which has a plastic bit at the drinking end. Then one day I discovered revolting quantities of black mould in there, which we reckon was due to the sugar.

At this point I switched to making up the drinks in herbal tea. I found that a liquorice base worked with the salty flavour, and hey, liquorice is meant to be good for POTS anyway. But it was a lot of faff, and eventually it fell by the wayside.

Yesterday I tried 1/8 tsp low-sodium salt and 1/16 tsp sodium bicarbonate (stomach and bladder are playing up at the moment) in a glass of water, and discovered that it was palatable, easy to stir in, and strangely moreish. And I seem to be feeling better on it. The sodium bicarbonate may well be a temporary thing, but either way, would I be safe mixing this up in the water bottle, or am I likely to get mould again? I now have two water bottles, so they get put in the dishwasher more often than they used to. Keeping a glass by the bed is likely to lead to a breakage sooner or later, and it's the last place I want broken glass.

[ACsMom]

My dd is using Gu Brew Electrolyte tablets. No dyes. The sweetener is stevia. REI carries them at a very good discount for a multiple order (I usually order 12 at a time and I've paid anywhere from $4.60 to $5.50ish/ instead of $6.50). They do have 40mg less sodium than NUNN but I don't think that is going to make a difference.

When the home health nurse was here helping her do her saline infusions, she mentioned that the body needs sugars to help "drive in" the sodium, etc. into the cells. So. While I'm glad that dd isn't chugging dye filled gatorade, powerade, etc. with its artifical sweetener or loads of sugar, we've decided to start adding a teaspoon or 2+ of table sugar to the GU Brew. She has also added a similar flavor packet of EmergenC to the GU. (1 tablet Strawberry Lemonade GB with 1 packet Pink Lemonade EmergenC.) The combination seems to make a good blend. They both fizz. She just waits until it has died down before she drinks it.

[Batik]

Presumably you're covered if you already get some sugar in your diet, though? I eat fruit daily. Bear in mind that electrolyte drinks are often aimed at people who are having bad diarrhoea and not getting any food.