Dehydration

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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After my car accident, my legs have begun to swell, sometimes pretty bad. I try my best to stay away from all salty products, and I take a fluid pill. I drink about three 48 oz bottles of water per day, diabetes is fun.

On several long drives this summer, and the few hiking excursions I went on (only about 3 miles tops, mostly on paved/gravel surfaces), I got dehydrated. I've been forcing myself to drink water, and while I drink a lot of tea, I thought I was taking in enough fluids. I can't pound the Gatorade because I'm a diabetic. I haven't had it bad except for once this summer.

So, Furosemide and a mens supplement I can't think of that has the same result, are a culprit I'm sure. I have to be careful with any supplements that will help, because of atrial fibrillation. This dehydration has had other side effects too. Severe constipation is funny until it happens to you.

What do you use, other than water or Gatorade, to prevent hydration on the trail? I'm looking for something easy to keep with me. I still need to take the fluid pill, I only take one every night at home. Some supplements interact badly with fluid pills, but I stopped taking the one that made me feel like someone was stabbing me in the kidneys.
 
I run a Camelback so that I can carry a lot of water and have it handy. For boosters in adverse conditions I use Nuun Tablets to replenish electrolytes and I also use Clif Shot Blocks, I like the margarita flavor since it's a bit salty and Honey Zinger Energy chews.

Not sure how any of these will affect your diet restrictions though.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
After my car accident, my legs have begun to swell, sometimes pretty bad. I try my best to stay away from all salty products, and I take a fluid pill. I drink about three 48 oz bottles of water per day, diabetes is fun.

On several long drives this summer, and the few hiking excursions I went on (only about 3 miles tops, mostly on paved/gravel surfaces), I got dehydrated. I've been forcing myself to drink water, and while I drink a lot of tea, I thought I was taking in enough fluids. I can't pound the Gatorade because I'm a diabetic. I haven't had it bad except for once this summer.

So, Furosemide and a mens supplement I can't think of that has the same result, are a culprit I'm sure. I have to be careful with any supplements that will help, because of atrial fibrillation. This dehydration has had other side effects too. Severe constipation is funny until it happens to you.

What do you use, other than water or Gatorade, to prevent hydration on the trail? I'm looking for something easy to keep with me. I still need to take the fluid pill, I only take one every night at home. Some supplements interact badly with fluid pills, but I stopped taking the one that made me feel like someone was stabbing me in the kidneys.
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Not sure it helps in your situation but I eat fruit on hikes. Grapes, oranges, apples.
 
Digestion takes more water so... If Gatorade is out (because of sugars in it?), PowerAde makes one they call "Zero" which is supposedly sugarless. Likely it is the electrolytes you are missing as much as the fluids. There is also Pedeolyte. I use it on sick people and animals simply because it does have a lot of electrolytes and is readily absorbed, even when the patient is repeatedly vomiting.
 
Gatorade, Powerade, regardless of whether it is the sugary or sugarless variety is absolute garbage. You are consuming a load of salt, food coloring, preservatives and a bunch of other crap. Most of the sugar free drinks these days contain Splenda which is also garbage. Splenda is now suspected of being accumulated in the body, specifically in the brain. Furosemide or lasix as it is more commonly known is a loop diuretic which is most likely the main culprit for your dehydration. I'm assuming they have you on a potassium supplement because Lasix causes you to spill potassium/lose it from the body. Atrial Fib also complicates the matter. Potassium is one of the main electrolytes responsible for nerve conduction/heart rhythm. We like to see your K+ (potassium blood level) stay between 3.5 - 5mEq/L. Lower or higher and it can cause heart arrhythmia's which could exacerbate your A-fib. Quite frankly, and I mean this in the nicest way for your own good, seeking medical advice on a knife forum is not a good idea. You have a serious disease (diabetes) that is further complicated by A-Fib. You need to be posing these questions to your medical provider. I frequently get asked medical advice via phone and refuse to provide it as I cannot see the individual and ascertain what other health issues they may have forgot to divulge or are not aware of that further muddies the waters. Just noticed the tea consumption. If you are drinking tea with caffeine in it the caffeine is also a diuretic which can exacerbate dehydration.
 
Medical science itself is fluid. As are dietary recommendations. One example is the push to replace butter with heart-safe, health margarine. For many years this substitution was pushed. But now it seems that butter is really better for you than the vegetable based margerine which is chemically one atom away from a plastic polymer. Correct on the proper source for medical advice, however life itself is fatal. Something, eventually, is going to kill you. :D
 
Thefinaledge said:
I would have taken better care of myself had I known I was going to live this long:)
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You know, I've never had a suicidal thought, but I always thought my weight or my maladies would take me too soon. Well, my great grandmother on my moms side and my great grandparents on my fathers side lived to 95+. Bad food, black lung, alchohol. They ate clean.

I am not the best at keeping my sugar in check. I drink diet decaf tea, or make just regular decaf unsweetened tea, or I make Crystal Light. None are good for me except the decaf unsweetened. But each decaf tea says it has some caffeine in it, even if it's less than 1%.

I'm only 37, I'd like to make it out with a wife, some kids and grandkids.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
You know, I've never had a suicidal thought, but I always thought my weight or my maladies would take me too soon. Well, my great grandmother on my moms side and my great grandparents on my fathers side lived to 95+. Bad food, black lung, alchohol. They ate clean.

I am not the best at keeping my sugar in check. I drink diet decaf tea, or make just regular decaf unsweetened tea, or I make Crystal Light. None are good for me except the decaf unsweetened. But each decaf tea says it has some caffeine in it, even if it's less than 1%.

I'm only 37, I'd like to make it out with a wife, some kids and grandkids.
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I hear you. You can only do now what you didn't do then and see where the chips fall. Good luck.
 
Avoid artificial sweeteners.
I use Gastrolyte. It contains various salts, in mild concentrations. And a small amount of sugar.
It started life as a preparation to help patients suffering dehydration due due to gastro bugs & other diahrea diseases. So sugar is much lower than sports drinks.
They have just expanded into the healthy, rather than sick, market. You may find a product that suits you.
I live in Australia, so names may be different in America.
 
Danke42 said:
I run a Camelback so that I can carry a lot of water and have it handy. For boosters in adverse conditions I use Nuun Tablets to replenish electrolytes and I also use Clif Shot Blocks, I like the margarita flavor since it's a bit salty and Honey Zinger Energy chews.

Not sure how any of these will affect your diet restrictions though.
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I was going to recommend Nuun as well, but don't know if it would have any unwanted contents. When my wife was deployed to the Middle East, Nuun was one of the items she requested to be included in care packages. At the time, it was hugely popular, as the tablets could be popped into a Camelback as a water supplement. When she got back, she still had a couple packs left, so we would do the same thing, adding them to our Camelback on hiking trips.

Stevia leaf extract is being used in place of other sweeteners, sometimes combined with sugar and other times (to my knowledge) by itself. I have had it in Crystal Light mixes and even non-diet Sierra Mist pop, and don't mind it at all. Some folks can't stand it. Might be worth checking into anything stevia-based to see if it would be what I'll call "lifestyle compatible" and decide if the taste works for you.
 
Two seemingly contradictory suggestions:

Obviously, talk to your doctor, if you haven't already done so -- could be something more than dehydration going on.

Another possible scenario, is drug interaction: In general, MDs aren't trained as pharmacists and aren't specialists in this area. Situation is compounded if multiple MDs have prescribed medications. Show a list of everything you're taking (including supplements and over-the-counter) to the head pharmacist of your clinic or drugstore and ask if they can be taken together, and whether the combo could impact your hydration levels.
 
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