Dehydration

[magenta321]

I woke up yesterday morning with the worst cotton mouth of my life, and I wasn't out drinking the night before! I realized I was dehydrated, so the first thing I did that morning was drink a bottle of water.

I then went to work and drank eight glasses of water (it was a 12 hour shift, so it wasn't hard), and had another bottle of water when I got home. Then I went to bed.

When I woke up this morning, I had to go to the bathroom like never before in my life (heh) and I had cotton mouth still! Grr. How the heck am I ever going to get rehydrated?

Is anyone else wizzling into a raisin? It's not even hot here, so that is not the problem. Grr. I guess I will go drink more water and keep trying.

[taurusmoon]

Wizzing is good! It means you're flushing (so to speak) your body of toxins.

I have a wonderful article on the benefits of water somewhere. And, I know that there are several copies of it on the web. I'll try to locate it later on today.

Keep on chugging that water. It does a body good.


Sara
Who just yesterday had a friend comment on her overuse of the bathroom facilities

[taurusmoon]

I found a copy of the article. It's been reprinted all over creation. This is just the first site that came up on my search. While I can't endorse this particular commercial website that contains it, the article is helpful indeed.

Why your body needs water


Sara

[magenta321]

Thanks for the link!

(Chug chug)

[KristenNC]

Okay - hate to launch into my usual medical mode but...

M -

If it keeps up and you are drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces (ie: if you weigh 100, drink 50 oz a day) and it's unusual for you, you may want to see a doctor. Excessive thirst is a symptom of quite a few little problems. Also, if you've changed any medications, they can cause dry mouth too.

OTOH - I find for me, the more I drink, the thirstier I am. If I drink Diet Coke, I feel a little thirsty later. If I drink water - I'm dying of thirst. Go figure. I just keep drinking - and running to the bathroom. So maybe you just got a little dehydrated, then drank a boatload (it sounds like) of water - and you're body just wants more.

Either way, water can't hurt, right? I mean, except for the bathroom issue. Okay, be back in a minute!

[sylvanb]

Yes, Kristen, I agree - continuing thirst/drymouth ought to be checked out... I get cotton mouth when taking more than my usual antihistimine (achoo, sniff sniff) and especially when using scopolamine patches for seasickness, but I know what to expect and keep a box of Tic-tacs handy.

[poseidon]

I guess this is hitting very close to home. I just got back from the doctor about an hour ago, and he diagnosed me with dehyrdation.

It was bad enough where I have cold sores in my mouth -- which is the body's way of dealing with the changing stress on my body due to the dehydration (they aren't herpes simplex, they are a form of ulcers brought about by body stress). I'm also usually very ticklish, and my skin sensation is way, way down to the point where my girlfriend couldn't even get me to squirm yesterday. What really sent me to the doctor was that I almost passed out in the parking lot as I was walking to get to my car. I figured something serious was going on.

When dehydration is already a problem, water doesn't cut it, folks. You need to be replacing electrolytes as well. Sure, drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day will help stave off dehyrdation, and I'm someone who always drinks tons of water a day.

My doctor said today that probably the biggest contributor has been my air conditioner. He said that when you're running the AC you need to take in even more liquids.

He recommended grabbing several cans of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and drinking plenty of Gatorade as to the best way to rehydrate myself sans doing the IV route. He said mine wasn't bad enough for that drastic measure.

[taurusmoon]

Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup? That's an odd prescription ? Is that for the sodium content?


Regardless, hope you feel better soon.

Sara

[magenta321]

This is all very interesting. I have sores on my tongue that started that same morning. I wondered if they were part of dehydration, now I am betting they are.

If this continues, I think I will go to the doctor, because I just keep drinking the water and my mouth is still dry. I am being weened off a lot of the medication that was perscribed to me when I was first diagnosed with pneumonia, but no new prescriptions. Now I am better, or at least I thought. Ug.

Ok, I'm off to grab another bottle of water.

[sibhreach]

While at madrigal practise about 2 weeks ago, one of our sopranos complained of being dehydrated - but she didn't ask for water, like I assumed she would, but munchies - Saltines and the like.

Just thought that was different.

Cairlí
Drinking 3 pints of Water Daily

[poseidon]

Originally posted by taurusmoon
Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup? That's an odd prescription ? Is that for the sodium content?


Regardless, hope you feel better soon.

Sara

Sara,

When you're dehydrated, not only is your body low on water, but also electrolytes and yes, sodium. Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup is very high in sodium (unless you get the low sodium recipe) and a quick fix.

Right now I've downed almost a whole large bottle of Gatorade Lime (ick -- but I'll do a review on this stuff later... LOL), and a can of Campbell's. I was feeling better until about a minute ago when I got lightheaded again at the computer. So I've crawled back to the fridge and now am keeping my glass full of Gatorade.

Doc said this should pass in two to three days if I follow his recommendation. The other option was IV solution.

Thanks.
Jeff

[drmomentum[$]]

BTW - there is such a thing as too much water.

In college I was very active in hiking and walking. I drank a ton of water. What eventually happened to me is that the water drinking habit caused me all sorts of abdominal cramps. The doctor told me to calm down with the water, and the problems disappeared. I can't say how much I was drinking, I just kept a large bottle next to me and filled it on every trip to the bathroom. Boy, does it help you curb your appetite, though.

Now, after the daily workout I simply make sure I get enough water and things with sodium and potassium in them and I have never had a problem with dehydration. One habit I try to encourage is to weigh myself immediately before and after a workout, then drink at least one pint of water or electrolyte solution for every pound I lost during the workout. Three pounds is not uncommon.

Watch out for that Gatorage, though. While you will burn it off exercising, there ar e alot of empty calories in it. Gatorade has much more sugar than you need to rehydrate. It's technically a carbohydrate solution, not a rehydration solution. Some salt and/ or potassium salt in a glass of water with a splash of OJ actually does pretty well. Tastes awful, though.

-JP

[drmomentum[$]]

Correction: two pounds of fluid loss is not uncommon. Three pounds a lot.

-JP