Anyone Get Lightheaded/dizzy From Gatorade??

[Lauren78]

Hi All. So, I admit, I am TERRIBLE at keeping myself pumped full of fluids. Mainly because time gets away from me, and because I pee more often than any pregnant woman I know!

Anyhow, I decided to drink lots of gatorade today (I usually only drink like 8-16 oz of gatorade and then water or tea for the rest of my fluids). But today I drank 32 oz of gatorade and it made me really lightheaded and dizzy. It was very odd. Has anyone else had this happen to them? Do you think it was an electrolyte overload and I got imbalanced?

I drink more fluids when they are flavored, but I am worried about trying to drink that much gatorade again. So weird...any ideas or same experience with this?

[april abbott]

I've never gotten that reaction from Gatorade myself. I don't know what could've caused it for you unless maybe it was a coincidence that the dizzy spell happened after your Gatorade consumption. Although some POTS patients feel worse after eating, so maybe there is a connection.

The only other thing I can think of is that Gatorade is packed full of sugar, which is why I switched to Propel a long time ago. Sugar makes a lot of POTS patients feel worse. Maybe try Propel instead. It has very little sugar, is packed full of sodium, and contains some B vitamins.

[Sophia3]

Maybe you drank it too quickly.

I never had this reaction but with ANS issues ANYTHING is possible.

I have trouble with appetite and hydration so Gatorade is the only thing that helps me. Its the BALANCE of carbs, sodium and potassium that helps my gut, and most folks, to RETAIN the fluid.

Unlike water that washes us out FURTHER and Propel and other stuff with fake sweetners taste terrible to me and do NOT work at staying in my system. But I know a couple of people that drink it.

Maybe you got too low on fluids and if you drank too quickly just made you feel worse.

Hope you feel better soon,

[Lauren78]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I don't know either. I didn't drink it too fast...or at least I don't think so, it was drank over a 5 hour period. I guess it could be the sugar, but I have had other sugar stuff with no effects. Very curious. I guess it's possible that is was just a coincidence. But it happened after every time that I drank some of it (yeah, I know...so why did I continue over 5 hours. LOL. I was at work and needed the fluids).

I don't care for Propel, it has a fake like flavor to me. I have had the glacieu vitamin water which has vitamins and electrolytes, but it's kinda pricey for water and I can't drink gobs of it.

So, I am confused on what you said Sophia about water washing us out further?? I thought water was ideal to drink lots to pump up the blood volume?

Also, is it the vitamins or the electrolytes we are trying to get, in addition to the retained fluid and pumped up blood volume. I thought it was electrolytes?

I guess I will try the gatorade thing again in a couple days and see if I have the same reaction...kind of a rule out process.

[MightyMouse]

I find straight sports drinks too sweet--so I dilute them in water and seem to do best that way. I do poorly with any sugared drinks--including just juice. I like to dilute cranberry, orange, and grapefruit juice, and don't like apple juice at all.

Nina

[pat57]

"and individuals with transient reductions in blood volume such as those that occur after a brisk diuresis "

http://cme-online.med.upenn.edu/html/files...c%20Syncope.htm

you need to have salt and liquids inbalance

other wise we pee too much and loss blood volume.

I think!

[hilfgirl33]

Sugar in general is an issue for me so I don't touch Gatorade. I would def. be dizzy if I drank that much of any sugary drink. On top of that, I don't do well with chemicals and I believe there are articial dyes and flavorings in Gatorade, except for the Gatorade Ice.

I'm pretty sure Poland Springs just came out with a new carbonated water with natural flavorings. My sister in law had one at the pool and it looked like a good water alternative.

[Sophia3]

What I meant by too much water is for those of us who pee too much and literally can urinated until we are dehydrated, drinking straight water can work like a diuretic.

I need DDAVP to help me retain fluids and sodium even though I do not pee GALLONS a day like pts with diabetes insipidus have. Many of us have "DI" like symptoms. So if I drink water all day and it does not stay in my body, too much water can make me get rid of it soon and lose 5 lbs during the day. That happened years ago and then I learned the one nasty sports drink I said I would NEVER drink has become my best friend!!! Gatorade. I now get the orange powder and mix it up and can make it weaker and add a pinch of salt to it.

But hey, we are all different and have many clusters of similar symptoms but what helps me may not do squat for somebody else.

In "general" though, many of us keep out of ER and from dehydration with Gatorade..whether straight or diluted and drunk with salty snack.

One thing for sure, there are TOO MANY flavors of the stuff and some are GROSS.

I can NOT drink it all day but have 2 or 3 servings through out the day. When unable to eat, it is sometimes the only thing I have during the day along with maybe a little gingerale.

Hope you find something to help. Oh, in this very HOT AND VERY HUMID weather I am very lightheaded not doing anything..just staying in the house. To walk out to the mailbox or try and freshen the birdbaths makes me black out and seek out a sofa.

So again, we are all like snowflakes, unique in what we find works for us. After 17 years of this stuff, sometimes I 'forget' what works if I have bad brain fog day.

[Lauren78]

Thank you everyone for your input, advice, and other non-gatorade alternatives. Thanks Sophia for that clarification. I think maybe I won't discard the gatorade, I think I just won't drink as much in one day. I like the idea of diluting it and having it with a salty snack...so I will give that a try. It's true...what works for some doesn't work for others...like must things with us Potsy people, it's trial and error!

[P SUDIK]

Water just goes right through,so far Gatorade is the only thing that really works for me.The only flavor I drink is punch usually mixed with a little water and a couple squeezes of orange,lemon or lime juice. I would try it again,but you are sure right about different things working for different people.

Good luck, take care Pat

[taylortotmom]

I drink a gallon of Gatorade Rain (usually the green) a day. For some reason, the Rain is not as sweet.

[Skiller]

I drink lots of Gatorade and randomly I got weak and had a hard time focusing on what I was doing everything became disorganized and could not tell where I was going 

[bombsh3ll]

I would love to try this Gatorade, we don't have it in the UK! 

I drink trioral for my electrolytes but it doesn't taste nice, would like to mix it up a bit! Sugar is also in trioral- it is made according to the WHO Oral Rehydration Solution recipe- the sugar facilitates uptake of sodium. 

B xxx

[Lily]

Gatorade does not have a lot of electrolytes in it.  You might try adding salts (regular and low-sodium together).

[bombsh3ll]

28 minutes ago, Lily said:

Gatorade does not have a lot of electrolytes in it.  You might try adding salts (regular and low-sodium together).

Thanks, I had assumed it was an electrolyte type drink from it being recommended so often in POTS/hypovolaemia, but if that's not the case & it is just another brand of sugary drink I don't think I'll bother with the high shipping costs!

B xxx

[Pistol]

1 minute ago, bombsh3ll said:

Thanks, I had assumed it was an electrolyte type drink from it being recommended so often in POTS/hypovolaemia, but if that's not the case & it is just another brand of sugary drink I don't think I'll bother with the high shipping costs!

Gatorade contains Sodium 270 mg, Potassium 75 mg, Sugars 12 gm. 

[bombsh3ll]

25 minutes ago, Pistol said:

Gatorade contains Sodium 270 mg, Potassium 75 mg, Sugars 12 gm. 

Is that per litre? Glad I asked, I will stick with my trioral!

B xxx

[Pistol]

Hi @bombsh3ll - it is per 20 Fl Oz, or 591 ml. 

[bombsh3ll]

1 hour ago, Pistol said:

Hi @bombsh3ll - it is per 20 Fl Oz, or 591 ml. 

That's not as bad, but definitely doesn't measure up to ORS solution.

B xxx

[sue1234]

Before POTS, I would get that same weird reaction when drinking any sport's drink.  It had absolutely nothing to do with the sugar content, because back then I used to drink a Coke or two a day, and had no reaction from it.  I finally quit drinking them, and still do not drink them since having POTS.  I don't know what the issue was with them and me.  But it was interesting to see someone else with that issue!