Ling Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 When I went into hospital I was not aloud to drink for 12 hours. I nearly died. Could not stop drinking water once I came out of theatre. My bladder did not want to work either and eventually rushed back to hospital the next day to get a catheter. Nurse from **** put it in. I should have hit her for causing me so much pain. She said I was dehyrated?Why must we not dehydrate? I drink water like a fish out of water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 Dehydration is very bad for someone with POTS We need to keep our blood volume up with hydration and salts (to retain the fluid) which also works to keep our blood pressure up and our heart rate down. This will help to decrease our symptoms. Ling along with water, you need to hydrate yourself with sports drinks that contain sodium and potassium. These are a must. Go to the main POTS website and read under... What helps... Increasing fluids and salts is addressed there. Good luck, Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMouse Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 Dehydration is not just of your body tissues, it also means that your blood loses some of it's volume (not the blood cells, but the other fluid that flows with it). So, that can really make your blood pressure drop like a stone. This is the reason that docs will tell you to drink plenty of liquids, and also plenty of salt (the salt causes you to retain extra fluids).Like you, after surgery, my bladder takes a very long time to kick back into functioning. Also, you should know that your bladder difficulty might not be directly a problem with your bladder--it could be that the urethra (where the urine exits the body) is irritated from having a catherter during surgery. They usually take this out just before bringing you to the recovery area--or in the recovery area. That's really what does me in--It usually hurts/aches and ice would really help me lots. They always give me a re-fillable ice pack to bring home. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoGiuliana Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 After my c-section, my bladder didn't empty properly for months. I have read that this is a possible side-effect of surgery. I also think it is particularly related to autonomic dysfunction, which for many POTS patients flares up after a traumatic experience like surgery.My POTS doctor told me he has had many POTS patients going along pretty well until they have to have surgery. Then, unfortunately, POTS flares up again for awhile. Perhaps that also explains why you were more dehydrated than usual.Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justme Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 Dr. Feeley at Mayo Clinic highly recommended Pedialyte instead of sports drinks. Some are better than others for POTS folks. Make sure you read the labels carefully as some provide little value. There are Pedialyte "look alike" products that sell for less money but have the same ingredients. The Pedialyte option is very expensive however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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