Balancing Hydration

[Sandstone]

My doctor has told me I must drink 2.5 to 3 litres a day, and on days when my hands and feet are swollen, much more. I don't find that difficult, and I'm seeing a reduction in fluid retention, but I am struggling with the consequences.

I need to go to the loo in the night, and waking at night makes me vulnerable to memories, brooding, rumination and despair. I don't know how to strike the balance between supporting my kidney condition, in order to reduce the amount it will shorten my life and defending against PTSD which could shorten my life.

Has anyone any experience or advice?

 

[joeylittle]

I find it helps to have reached my water goal about 2/2.5 hours before bed, and then to make sure I go before I try and sleep. If I consume any liquids after the 2-hours-before mark, I'll almost certainly get up in the middle of the night.

 

[Deleted member 541]

I went through something called Central Diabetes Insipidus. (In remission now) I was drinking 3-4 gallons of water a day and peeing out 4-5 gallons a day. I was in a constant state of dehydration. I was going to the bathroom every 15 minutes, day and night. My sleep was almost none. It made my PTSD symptoms flare. The anxiety was the worst.

Honestly I don't have any solutions, other than, just TRY and get rest when you can. I do know how frustrating this can be, and I emphasize with you... I'm sorry!!!!

 

[Sandstone]

I already try not to drink after 7pm, and go to bed at 10pm. I don't know if the flow through is slower for me, or if I'm currently clearing out retained fluid. I've been searching for information, but I can't find out whether loading up even earlier in the day and cutting fluids down after 4pm or 5 pm would do. I'm often thirsty after I've stopped drinking, so it is hard to find the right balance.

 

[Friday]

Is it a possibility to reverse your sleep wake hours so that you're waking up to relieve yourself in the daytime, instead of at night?

 

[Sandstone]

No, that would seriously disrupt my OH's life. And I want to achieve a normal, regular sleep pattern. Creative thinking though.

 

[LF1]

I've consciously upped my water intake recently as I've been getting headaches from dehydration too often, and the last one was a doozy. I often forget to drink and particularly in winter so I've had the goal of 1600-2000ml a day. That's a lot lower than what you're drinking, but it's a very big increase on what I was drinking and thus I too have been going to the bathroom ridiculously often, and at all hours! I'm not sure how long you've been on the increased fluids (I'm only on day 4) but I have been told (by more than one person) that it should settle down as your body gets used to the increase. I haven't researched it and thus don't know how true the theory is or how long it's supposed to take etc (or how your kidney condition would effect things) but maybe there's some hope it's only a short term inconvenience as your body adjusts.

 

[Sandstone]

Yes, I'm hoping for that. This is the second increase I've been told to make, and yes it is only a few days in. I didn't experience the same problem last time, but this seems to be too much to get rid of in the day time only.

 

[eunoia]

you should try incline bed therapy, i hear it is supposed to help you go less at night, among many other health benefits.

Eta. If your kidneys can handle it. 4L /day is where you will start to see benefits health wise.

 

[Deleted member 541]

@Sandstone with the kidney condition that you have, is a diet overhaul something that would help? I know someone with late stage(not end stage) kidney disease, and so far changing his diet to the dialysis diet has kept him OFF DIALYSIS. Not sure what kidney disease you have, but just thinking here....

 

[Sandstone]

At this stage diet isn't supposed to make much difference, apart from cutting down drastically on salt. It seems that advice might be different in the US, from what I've read, but here they say there is no need to make changes until my kidneys deteriorate further.

There doesn't seem to be any explanation for the Kidney Disease. I don't have the two most common causes, diabetes or high blood pressure. There was no sign on the scan of physical abnormalities to my kidneys or bladder. It is hard not knowing why they have deteriorated so much, because it means no-one can do anything to control it. It is possible it was precipitated by the Listeria infection many years ago, but really it seems to be a case of monitoring the decline.

 

[Deleted member 541]

@Sandstone Yes lowering sodium is important. And I'm sure you know it's in everything. Phosphorus can have a huge impact on the kidneys also, and it's in a lot of food that we eat too. Maybe checking it out might be something further to help.

I guess at this point anything that can help, can't hurt.