I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: jonn r on January 07, 2007, 08:13:47 AM
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so has anyone found a good way to get past wanting to drink all the time....so they tell me i can only have 1.5 nalgane bottles of water...but come on..thats all i can have...this is killing me....plz help with some ideas
jonn
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I chew on ice chips most of the day long. If I drink something it is usually to take pills or to celebrate having a drink! They say sucking on hard candy helps. I usually end up eating and crunching the hard candy. You have to suck on it to relieve the thirsty sensation. Chewing gum helps a little. It gets the saliva going in the mouth so it is not dry all of the time. Some people freeze grapes and eat them slowly. Mostly I allow myself one can of soda a day and the rest I eat on ice chips.
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Really watch your diet for the sodium.
Watch sugar and caffeine intake as it contributes to thirst also.
Also quench type of gums can help.
Its real easy to eat too much sodium and then drink too much which in turn makes the dialysis run not so good and people do not feel well.
I have done it and seen it happen to others where they get off dialysis and do not feel well. First thing is to drink fluid or eat comfort food (usually sodium loaded) in an effort to feel better which in turn keeps the vicious cycle going of having too much fluid to take off and not feel well and then again eating and drinking what you want to feel better.
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I love the ice chips at dialysis! But I HATE the water's after taste at my place :(
I am allowed 1000ml per day. It is hard but without any OUTput you really have no choice :(
Don't buy your favourite drink or you will drink too much! At least I find I do! I find the drink limit the HARDEST thing even more than the diet..
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What's worked for me so far - only use smaller glasses. Don't set the glass on the table during the meal. If it's not in front of me, I don't drink it on autopilot. My 1.5 L of water equals 6 of the glasses I use to drink from, so I know I can have one with each meal, and one each for when I'm brushing my teeth in the morning and evening, and one to spare for when I'm thirsty in between.
I agree, the fluid restrictions are much harder than the diet restrictions.
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there has to be a better way
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Hey jonn..... the only other thing I can offer you as far as a "better way", is
1) suck on hard candy (helps me)
2) chew on gum
3) change from hemo to PD (Not everyone can just change or they may not even want to change... however it does offer a bigger freedom in the drinking area. I still obviously cant go around drinking gallons of fluids a day, but I dont have to limit my fluid to so little either. I drink a lot of iced tea in a day, so i'm not as thirsty as when I was on hemo b/c I do dialysis everynight I can drink pretty much however much I want and I know my limits without going over board.
Hopefully these helped ya some... other than chewing on ice and puting your drinks in smaller glasses idunno what else to tell you.
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I recently bought
'Oasis' by the makers of Sensodyne
http://www.dentist.net/sensodyne-oasis.asp
I saw it advertized in the orlando kidney center,my husband
(who is the dialysis guy) says its okay-helps a bit.It was about $5.00
There is a toothpaste and mouthwash too, formulated for people with dry mouths.
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Evaporation (sweats) and frequent bowel movement seems to help. You are losing a quiteabit of flid in this manner and means you can drink more.
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I find keeping my drinks in the fridge instead of near me and only going for sips and leaving it there. Also brushing my teeth and tongue 3 times a day help. (I know odd but it helps me). That sensodyne-oasis might actually help. I gotta try that myself! :thumbup;
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Have any of you used dry mouth spray?
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Have any of you used dry mouth spray?
Not yet. I just saw it in this thread so I am going to try it when I find it! ;)
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I try to nibble on lemon and lime wedges. They seem to help.
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Has anyone heard of spitting a lot to get rid of some fluid? I don't know where I heard that but I think it was from someone in one of the few kidney forums I go on. Spitting all day he elimidated .. I dunno .. maybe 200ml per day? But I could imagine the stares if he was spitting in public!
Oh wow I hit 3000 posts!! Eeeek! Come on people get posting! Catch up to me lol!
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Spitting a lot olny makes you thirsty.
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I know staying away from salt helps. Any other suggestions?
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Sugar or sugary food often aggravates thirst.
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Has anyone heard of spitting a lot to get rid of some fluid? I don't know where I heard that but I think it was from someone in one of the few kidney forums I go on. Spitting all day he elimidated .. I dunno .. maybe 200ml per day? But I could imagine the stares if he was spitting in public!
Better off watching fluid than trying to "spit" it off. :D
Most likely it comes from wrestlers. In wrestling it is not uncommon when we had people that were slightly over their competition weight to start spitting constantly in a effort to make weigh in.
One thing I still use from those days is to exercise with wrestling plastics to sweat fluid off. Have thought about sneaking into the local hotel and using their sauna room on occasion.......... ;D
Hate to sound like a broken record. but the one thing that cannot be stressed enough is to watch sodium intake. People take in far more sodium than they believe or admit they are taking in. Since I have strictly kept track of sodium I am never thirsty anymore.
Most average people even do not think they take in that much sodium. However studies show the average person takes in over 10,000 milligrams a day. :o So therefor the hurdle for people coming off 10,000 milligrams of sodium a day to the expected goal of less than 2,000 for most once they hit renal failure.
In addition to renal30yrs suggestions of sugar and sugary food is caffeine. They say greasy food is suppose to make people thirsty also but I wonder if it really is the greasy food or the fact most greasy food is loaded with Na?
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Spitting? Ewwwww.
Wonder how much drooling in your sleep counts. . . .
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I saw either on this forum or another that drinking a glass of hot water when you get up would help with being thirsty all day. I, personally, haven't tried it so I don't know if it works or not, but I thought it might help someone here.
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so has anyone found a good way to get past wanting to drink all the time....so they tell me i can only have 1.5 nalgane bottles of water...but come on..thats all i can have...this is killing me....plz help with some ideas
jonn
Make sure at dialysis they turn OFF (if they use it on you) "Sodium Variation" I did and when I was in-center it helped me from being so thirsty. :thumbup;
- Epoman
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Spitting is what high school wrestlers do when they are trying to make weight...so if you take up spitting just tell nosy bystanders you're getting ready to wrestle...that should send them scurrying...
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so has anyone found a good way to get past wanting to drink all the time....so they tell me i can only have 1.5 nalgane bottles of water...but come on..thats all i can have...this is killing me....plz help with some ideas
jonn
Make sure at dialysis they turn OFF (if they use it on you) "Sodium Variation" I did and when I was in-center it helped me from being so thirsty. :thumbup;
- Epoman
Epoman, I got a question about that "Sodium Variation" setting on the machine but I realized it would take this thread off topic so I have asked it here:
Go to this link: http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=2627.msg37030#msg37030
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I can't wait to try the Oasis mouth spray....sometimes I awake during the night and I can't even swallow because my mouth is soooooooooo dry! I too....keep my water in a glass bottle in the fridge, I go and take a sip and then put it back into the fridge. My worse time is at a restaurant when I get those TALL icy glasses of water....!!!! Gum helps during the day.....and JELLO....cold, slippery, wet jello, eating it slowly, sometimes helps. I shake my head and laugh....all those years...we were told to DRINK...DRINK....DRINK.....and I even recall complaining about all the water my DOC wanted me to drink per day....Boy....do I miss those days!
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I totally agree the fluids thing is the hardest to deal with. i also admit that I have too much sodium!
Frankly, I *wish* I could have 1500ml a day (the 1.5 Nalgene bottles from the OP). I *should* have around 700-800 a day but my realistic limit is 1000ml and I can usually do OK (I was 1.8 over yesterday - woohoo!). What I do is not drink a whole can or bottle of water/soda/whatever at once. I might open it, take a few sips, then put it in the fridge then come back to it later. This can stretch say 350ml over a few hours.
I also keep a rough count in my head of how much I have had and try to pace through the day, and obviously leave allowance if I am going out to dinnner or something. For example, tonight I will be watching Football. I have kept myself to ~400ml so far today so i can have a little more while watching the football (so that means an amber kind of fluid!).
I also use my scales as almost a religion at times... so I can keep myself on target before the next session, or close to anyway.
I've also noticed, and this may just be me, but if I drink a mixed drink (eg: vodka/orange) for some reason when i weigh myself it doesn't always seem to translate to full fluid gain. Perhaps some of it evaporates off.
At the end of the day I have decided that if it's a question of quality of life vs. dialysis, I'll have a *little bit* more even if it puts me over the "limit" - of course if I get a cramp or something that brings me back to earth.. but I try and relax about it.. I mean if I am 2.3 over I am not going to totally panic about it.. I think that would be worse.
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What I do is not drink a whole can or bottle of water/soda/whatever at once. I might open it, take a few sips, then put it in the fridge then come back to it later. This can stretch say 350ml over a few hours.
I also keep a rough count in my head of how much I have had and try to pace through the day....
I also use my scales as almost a religion at times... so I can keep myself on target before the next session, or close to anyway.
That is what I do as well! :thumbup; I keep my drink in the fridge to help stretch it out over the whole day!
I also stand on the scale to see how much I can still have lol :P
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Sauna should probably help. You are likely lose good 2 - 3 kilos of body fluid after a good session.
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Sauna should probably help. You are likely lose good 2 - 3 kilos of body fluid after a good session.
And of course exercise helps lose some water weight, too. ;)
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Re: Sauna.. yes... one other patient in my unit went in the sauna and he was normally 5+ over and after the sauna came in 1.5 over :) lol... that really worked for him...
it is summer here so some warm days and sweating also help... even though it is a bit icky...
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This topic is of highest importance to me. I have been having a great deal of problems maintaining my liquid limit. This last week has been good. I went it at 2.4, 1.4, 2.4. My greatest problem is weekends. I normally go in about 4 kg on Mondays.
There are two things that work for me:
Chewing gum
Buying the same juices for me that we put in my grandson's lunch box - Motts or Juicy Juice - 4 oz. boxes. If I drink one of those, I usually am satisfied. However, if I have a larger bottle or box available, I will drink the entire thing, even though guilt is killing me!
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What about sucking on Freezies?
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Unfortunately anyhting frozen turns into water weight gain when it hits your system. Jello, ice cubes, freezies, popsicles all turn to water after you eat it. That is why they count toward the water gain and not food prep gain when you calculate how much you have had in fluid. Include water from lettuce, soups and ices in your calculations also. That is why you may be water heavy. You are not calculating everything into the water weigh in.
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Unfortunately anyhting frozen turns into water weight gain when it hits your system. Jello, ice cubes, freezies, popsicles all turn to water after you eat it. That is why they count toward the water gain and not food prep gain when you calculate how much you have had in fluid. Include water from lettuce, soups and ices in your calculations also. That is why you may be water heavy. You are not calculating everything into the water weigh in.
Actually I know this .. but I meant that it is better than a glass of something and because it is frozen it is like the ice in dialysis. You don't go through it as fast. yet it wets your throat.
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I have banned all "other" forms of liquid in my diet... like ice cream, custard, soup etc...
and yes, I also get the smallest containers of whatever I want to drink... which is economic suicide given how much more expensive/ml they are, but like the others if I had a bigger bottle or can of something it would be too tempting to drink the whole thing.
my goal for today is to only drink a 300ml bottle of water while at work....
*fingers crossed for me* must... appply.... willpower!
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I have banned all "other" forms of liquid in my diet... like ice cream, custard, soup etc...
and yes, I also get the smallest containers of whatever I want to drink... which is economic suicide given how much more expensive/ml they are, but like the others if I had a bigger bottle or can of something it would be too tempting to drink the whole thing.
my goal for today is to only drink a 300ml bottle of water while at work....
*fingers crossed for me* must... appply.... willpower!
I agree! I have not touched soup since 2005 and I don't have ice cream! I find somethings however (like ice and freezies) help me not drink. I do what you do with drinks though. My cab driver suggested I get a 2L bottle of a drink I like and I explained to him how I drink so little that that bottle would be opened so many times it would be FLAT! I like smaller bottles as I find it helps me keep my drinks at a limit. If I have a very small bottle (I am allowed 1 milk per day so I have found this 6 pack of 200ml bottles of milk) then I find it easier on me. ;)
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I have banned all "other" forms of liquid in my diet... like ice cream, custard, soup etc...
and yes, I also get the smallest containers of whatever I want to drink... which is economic suicide given how much more expensive/ml they are, but like the others if I had a bigger bottle or can of something it would be too tempting to drink the whole thing.
my goal for today is to only drink a 300ml bottle of water while at work....
*fingers crossed for me* must... appply.... willpower!
I find it really easy not to drink at work, I found I'm too busy, but the problems are when I'm at home and bored and the fridge is about 5 steps from the computer ........
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On weekends I try to stick to mainly "dry" foods. Makes a huge difference.
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If I eat alot of dry foods it just makes me more thirsty. There is going to be a study commenced here on lowering the sodium in the dialysate. I hope I get selected, would be good if it worked.
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Ah Tamara, that's where I'm going wrong... I am mostly bored at work so surf the net most of the day... (yes I'm at work now).
Still, I seem to be keeping my fluids within acceptable norms... only put on 2.2 over the last weekend which is pretty good for 3 days I reckon :)
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I had to take off 4.1kg on Monday :( Opps! I really have to implement your suggestions here ;) :thx;
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For me it comes down to willpower. As others have said it's not like you really NEED the liquid.. but I just love the feeling so much of it going down my throat :( so even the "swishing cold water in mouth" trick is not very satisfying to me....
but really the thought of cramp or crash is what really motivates me... and since I had a really bad one about 2 weeks ago I have been extra motivated (so ok, I am a wuss!).
The home scales are my worst enemy since they control my life, but then again I also feel more in control of it when I know I have reached my own pre set limit...
just have to say to myself "no no no" and think about the pain when I think "I really want that soda/coffee/mocha/juice/water..."
good luck...
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My cab driver suggested I get a 2L bottle of a drink I like and I explained to him how I drink so little that that bottle would be opened so many times it would be FLAT!
Maybe that would be good. If it is flat you might tend to drink less of it. ;)
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I need to try some of the suggestions. I have a very tuff time with fluids. My schedule is for mon, tues, weds, & friday. I'm scheduled for tues. because I always go over through the weekends. Occasionally, I have to go 5 times a week, when I mess up. I would prefer to have my free time, but I want to LIVE too. I mean by that, if I can't have somewhat of a normal life, I don't care to simply stay alive. As Angie stated, PD is much more forgiving with fluid restrictions, but it became too labor, and time intensive for me. I got to the point that I was spending over half my life, simply staying alive, and went back to hemo. I never have a problem with crashing, and I feel fine. I'm like you, in thinking there has to be a better way. Perhaps, in time, there will be one. I wonder if there is a place in town where I can use a sauna?
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As Angie stated, PD is much more forgiving with fluid restrictions, but it became too labor, and time intensive for me. I got to the point that I was spending over half my life, simply staying alive, and went back to hemo.
Were you doing CAPD, or CCPD? Sounds to me like you were doing CAPD, in which yes it would take up alot of your time. However, CCPD, Takes no time at all... about 30 minutes a day to setup/drain and throw away. Other than that, your free... you do the dialysis during your sleep.... Just an FYI :)
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I was on a cycler and did mine by night also. I was on 8 hours. There was probably 30 minutes setting up, with three bags, there was another 20 minutes unhooking, draining used solution, and putting away trash. There was another manual daytime exchange for another 45 minutes or more. Add for the time for arranging and inventorying your supplies, doing your epo shots, several trips to carry out trash each week, cleaning your access daily, and other misc. duties. They wanted to add another bag to my cycler and another two hours daily. I didn't require that much sleep, I seldom sleep 8 hours. 10 hours on the cycler was too much for me. I also considered, the difficulty in traveling. It's not impossible, I've even made manual exchanges in my truck while driving. It does require a truck to carry all the supplies and machine, if you're going for more than a day or two. I wanted to be able to take weekend motorcycle trips and didn't see anyway way I would ever be able to do this on PD with no days off. There are good sides and bad sides to either choice. On PD, I consistently felt better, & was able to pretty much drink all I wanted. I have more freedom on hemo, and all the work is done for me, but I don't feel as well, and I have a terrible trying to control my fluids. JMO
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I was on a cycler and did mine by night also. I was on 8 hours. There was probably 30 minutes setting up, with three bags, there was another 20 minutes unhooking, draining used solution, and putting away trash. There was another manual daytime exchange for another 45 minutes or more. Add for the time for arranging and inventorying your supplies, doing your epo shots, several trips to carry out trash each week, cleaning your access daily, and other misc. duties. They wanted to add another bag to my cycler and another two hours daily. I didn't require that much sleep, I seldom sleep 8 hours. 10 hours on the cycler was too much for me. I also considered, the difficulty in traveling. It's not impossible, I've even made manual exchanges in my truck while driving. It does require a truck to carry all the supplies and machine, if you're going for more than a day or two. I wanted to be able to take weekend motorcycle trips and didn't see anyway way I would ever be able to do this on PD with no days off. There are good sides and bad sides to either choice. On PD, I consistently felt better, & was able to pretty much drink all I wanted. I have more freedom on hemo, and all the work is done for me, but I don't feel as well, and I have a terrible trying to control my fluids. JMO
I didnt have a daytime exchange, and you could of easily told your dr you didnt want a daytime exchange, and they could of change your prescription to accomodate you by adding onto your exchanges at night. Your driver who delivers your supplies is supposed to arrange and do inventory on your supplies, its there JOB... not yours. Whats another 2 hours on the cylcer you could watch tv or read a book... chat online or whatever... better than hemo. IMO. I travelled no problem while on PD, went to Disney world actually, they delivereled a machine and supplies right to my hotel... :) You could easily take a motorcycle trip on PD, just call them in advance and have them deliver a machine and some supplies for the weekend to wheveer it is your going too.... Just incase you wanted to rethink it.
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Good info! It seems there was lot's of things I'd never been told. Still, I doubt that I could be talked into having the tube put back in my belly. It was very painful healing. Then had to be reopened, to pull the end of the tube out. I never understood the reasoning for why they did it that way, but it was another healing process. I wish I had been told about the traveling thing. I also hated breaking my day to stop and do a manual exchange, and never was given the option of adding it to my cycler. Still, if you are on 10 hours, and add another exchange, thats a long time to be hooked to a machine daily. They kept adding fluid, until my belly looked like I was 8 months pregnant, and none of my pants would fit, even my big pants. Then I developed IBS, after going to PD. It completely disabled me frequently. Any stress, mental or physical, would drop me to the floor for hours at a time. I would get stomach cramps, sweats, high blood pressure, high pulse, sometimes I would vomit, or have to have a bowel movement. I found a place to lay still, and wait for it to pass, otherwise it would hurt more, and last longer. As it was, it would last for an hour and frequently more. I recall wanting to go to Walmart to get a hunting license once. By the time I got to the sporting goods counter, it was to the back of the store, and stood there waiting for someone to get to the register, I got sick. I got to customer service, laid down and waited until I felt alright, then they wheel-chaired me back to my truck. I didn't get my license, so I went back the next day and did same thing. The third day, I decided I would get one of the handicapped carts. There were only two of them. One was not working, and the other one was out. After waiting for about an hour, it came in, but the battery was down. I decided to try without it, and got sick again. Finally, the fourth day, I got my daughter to take me to get my hunting license. She wheel-chaired me to the back of the store and I got my license. Pretty funny now, but it wasn't at the time. I got a deer that year, and was the best one I ever got. I was in one of those camo tents. When I shot at my deer, I got excited, and had to lay on the floor of my tent for nearly two hours. Anyway, even though the doctors told me that the PD had nothing with my IBS, it suddenly disappeared, after changing to hemo, and getting my plumbing out. I still have the slightest hint of it, but it takes a lot to upset me. I'm glad it works for you, but I doubt I'll try it again. :cuddle;
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This is a bit OT.. but I was out in the heat (38c/~100F) today for a few hours at a football club family day (GO TIGERS! :) ) and I was also out doing some other things and I sweated quite a bit.. when I got home and on the scales I found I was 1.5kg LIGHTER... so actually well under my dry weight....
Anyway the point of this post is that I actually did NOT feel like just drinking whatever... I have been having measured drinks and put on about 1L or so given I still have a day till my next session, but it was an odd feeling knowing that I had some sort of relative freedom in drinking... and I was sitting there and actually did not feel like just downing a 600ml water like I would have easily done a year ago.
I guess this is progress?!
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the doctors told me that the PD had nothing with my IBS, it suddenly disappeared, after changing to hemo, and getting my plumbing out.
I replied but since I realized what I said would take this off topic I started a new thread here: http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=2765.msg39093#msg39093
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The other day I had a "WHOLE PINT OF WATER" in one gulp!!!. :beer1;
Then I Woke Up..................................................
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Yeah, you woke up, and you were still thirsty. I seems like to me, the only time I'm not thirsty is when I'm sleeping. This is sheer torture. It's the hardest thing I've ever tried to do.
The Oasis mouthwash is satisfing for while to me. The spray wasn't much help. Brushing my teeth, frequently, helps also.
The other day I had a "WHOLE PINT OF WATER" in one gulp!!!. :beer1;
Then I Woke Up..................................................
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Try a humidifier in the house, too. It helps if the air you're breathing isn't bone dry. Don't forget some form of lip balm. Dry lips will not help with the thirst.
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Thanks for the tips. :thumbup; My house is very dry, it's cold and the heat is on. I've noticed that there is lots of static. My lips are dry, and my skin is dry for that matter. I just hate cold weather. Summer is my favorite season! It never gets too hot for me.
Try a humidifier in the house, too. It helps if the air you're breathing isn't bone dry. Don't forget some form of lip balm. Dry lips will not help with the thirst.
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Thanks for the tips. :thumbup; My house is very dry, it's cold and the heat is on. I've noticed that there is lots of static. My lips are dry, and my skin is dry for that matter. I just hate cold weather. Summer is my favorite season! It never gets too hot for me.
Try a humidifier in the house, too. It helps if the air you're breathing isn't bone dry. Don't forget some form of lip balm. Dry lips will not help with the thirst.
Me too so I have one (a cheap one that is getting white residue buildup :() too as everything I touched shocked me and my nose was so dry even when I woke in the morning and my skin is sooo dry. It is the electric heat here.
I just lowered my dry weight target before the weekend from 64.5kg to 64.0kg and then on Monday I discovered I was 5kg up :( Damn I was thirsty. Maybe I should not have lowered my dry weight but I noticed I always felt heavy and my BP was a little up. It is so hard :(
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Try a humidifier in the house, too. It helps if the air you're breathing isn't bone dry. Don't forget some form of lip balm. Dry lips will not help with the thirst.
A Humidifier is a very good idea. You can now buy a small USB Humidifier to sit beside your PC, so, looking at IHD is not only interesting, It also makes you feel better (Less Dry) :2thumbsup;
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Angie, soak the white residue off in vinegar.
I've got forced air heat, so there are two humidifiers running here, and it's still not enough some times. I'm thinking of getting a fish tank and a few more plants. Those help a lot - if I can keep them all alive!
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Angie, soak the white residue off in vinegar.
I've got forced air heat, so there are two humidifiers running here, and it's still not enough some times. I'm thinking of getting a fish tank and a few more plants. Those help a lot - if I can keep them all alive!
Vinegar? I will have to go out and buy some now! lol Thx! :clap; :thx;
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White vinegar will clean a lot of things in the house.
Coffeepot
Humidifier
Vaporizer
Bathtub
Glasses with streaks
Windows
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I saw either on this forum or another that drinking a glass of hot water when you get up would help with being thirsty all day. I, personally, haven't tried it so I don't know if it works or not, but I thought it might help someone here.
Unrelated comment: I read the other day that hot water is the favorite drink of the Dalai Lama.
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I used to like a cup of hot water now and then. People in college thought I was weird when I would just have a cup of hot water to drink. It is warm and soothing and no sugar or caffeine. Now thought, no water hardly ever. Waaah!
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I used to like a cup of hot water now and then. People in college thought I was weird when I would just have a cup of hot water to drink. It is warm and soothing and no sugar or caffeine. Now thought, no water hardly ever. Waaah!
Some people say drinking hot water with lemon first thing in the morning gets things......ahem..."moving" ;)
Donna
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I'm terrible with the renal diet and fluids in particular. I have never calculated any of my intake. I do want to do the right things but I don't think I have the motivation. When I go for my sessions I usually have picked up around 3 kilos, which seem to come off fine without any complication, so is there a problem? All of my numbers are in the shaded area, ect. I feel fine and I pretty much eat and drink as I like to. I do real small things though, as I am conscious about the general rights and wrongs. Moderate the no, no's and limit how much I do drink.
What I really like to do as far as liquid consumption is to drink out of 12oz bottles. I'll take the water or a soda bottle and place it in the freezer. I leave the drink in there until it becomes slushy like and drink from it that way. If it starts to get too frozen I transfer it to the cooler. Doing this keeps me from downing the beverage and I really savor the ice cold liquid melting in my mouth before it slides , icy cold, down my throat. It also gives me a general idea of how much I have had to drink, if I feel as if I'm going overboard I can add up the bottles and have an idea of my total intake. Using this method I have not had to cut myself off and I can drink all the time (well, most of the time). As a professional cook, food and beverage has been my life. Depriving myself of these things would be the hardest thing so I just try to be aware of what I am doing and use moderation as best I can.