Seniors Please Note: Losing the Sense of Thirst

[Marilee]

My hubby was doing fine, got his blood pressure under control and his kidneys were stable at 25% function for years.

But as a senior, he gradually lost his sense of thirst. As a result, he got a bit dehydrated and just didn't notice until his 6-month check-up's blood work showed that his kidneys had taken a nose-dive. This was the beginning of ESRD for him.

We didn't know that one could lose their sense of thirst. He just didn't notice that he was drinking less, and I didn't know to watch for it.

So, I don't know if this is common knowledge and we just somehow missed it, but I wanted to post it somewhere just in case.

[Charlie B53]

Wife was diagnosed Diabetic 20 odd years ago. Immediately switched to 'Diet' soda.  She rarely drinks water.

Fast forward many years, far too many times, usually in the hot month of August, she will dehydrate enough she become physically ill requiring hospitalization a day or two until they get her well hydrated again.

Very frustrating for me as I see how dry she is getting.  Since she has lost so much vision I test her sugars multiple times daily.  Many times it takes multiple 'sticks' before I can get enough to test.

Between her Dr and I we have finally got her to stop drinking the 'poisoned' drinks, but still she won't drink enough plain water.  I have gotten her off the 'dark' soda, switched to lemon/lime.

[MooseMom]

Thank you for posting this.  It means a lot to me.

My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer when he was about 75.  His doctor said that it would not kill him, that the tumor was small, and that it was slow growing, not aggressive.

My dad hated the idea of having a malignancy inside of him, so he opted for radiation treatment.

The treatment cured him but left him with a urethra with thinned walls.  This left him prone to chronic UTIs.

Over the next 7 years, he was often treated with antibiotics, but eventually, he'd get another UTI.

He was always encouraged to drink more fluid.

I never saw my dad drink anything but a small glass of milk at meals and a cup of coffee he would sip on during the day.

My parents lived in Texas where it is either not too terribly hot or it's very hot.  He'd sit outside on the patio (in the shade, but still it was hot) for most of the day or would do his daily walk.  He never drank watch, and I never saw him sweat.

In the summer of 2002, my son and I were visiting from England as we did every summer.  Once again, my dad was fighting a UTI.  Once again, he was on antibiotics, and once again he had been encouraged to drink water.  He kept saying he didn't like water, so he just sort of dried up.

One night, I was awakened by the paramedics entering the house.  One of them carried my dad out; my dad looked like a large doll, he was so reduced.

Two nights later, he died of sepsis.  The infection overwhelmed him.  All caused by a UTI, all caused by my dad's refusal to drink. 

It didn't have to happen.

Since then, I've become increasingly aware of just what you've posted about, that older people "forget" to drink.  I'm not quite a "senior" (or maybe I can't admit to being one just yet), but I make a concerted effort to always have a glass of water close by.

I'm currently having to remind my husband to do the same. 

So, again, thank you for posting this very important reminder.  It is becoming common knowledge now that the baby boomers are becoming seniors, but more people than not do need to be reminded.  It would be good if GPs would include this reminder in annual check-ups/wellness checks.

[Marilee]

Oh, Moosemom, I'm truly sad that your dad's life ended like this, and I can totally visualize him not drinking enough.

When it happened to us, my hubby said to the doc, "What? Lost my sense of thirst??" and the doc said rather casually, "Oh, yeah" like everybody knows that! But we didn't!!

[Charlie B53]

I tell people that have functioning kidneys,

"If you are not P'ing at least every two hours you are dehydrating.  Drink more WATER.  Not coffee, tea, or soda.  Water, or cranberry juice"  Cranberry changes the pH in the body, making it more resistant to uti's.

Canumdrum. (Sp?)

I think we are to limit are dried fruits.  Do I have that right?

Would a daily amount of dried cranberries have a positive effect on preventing uti's?  This could be beneficial to many of us. If so.

I know a couple of Ladies that mix cranberry juice with vodka.  Keep that glass refilled all evening long.  More on weekends and Holidays.   Can't say they have ever had uti problems.

[MooseMom]

I am not sure if drinking cranberry juice daily would prevent utis, but I do know that docs tell you to drink it if you have one.

I don't know what eating dried cranberries can help with.  I've never thought about that!

[Marilee]

Boy, Charlie, you're so right about "not coffee, tea or soda" - the caffeine is a diuretic and therefore a person actually loses ground, hydration-wise. I've read that one rule of thumb is for every cup of coffee drunk, one needs 2 MORE cups of water to compensate for that diuretic effect.

The thing about dried fruits, as I understand it, is that because they are dried (and therefore small in volume), it's easy to eat way too many. For example, I'm satisfied when I eat 6 or 7 grapes, but 6 or 7 raisins? So, if you can enjoy just a few dried cranberries, no worries.