How can I get more fluids?

[Odonata]

I just can't do water.  My MS has been pretty mild of late but water, even with lemon or some other flavor, makes me sick.  I'll be feeling fine, sip 2 oz of water, and then be nauseous for the next 30 minutes.  However, no puking for the past almost week, so that's good.  I have zofran but I want to save the stock I have for when I'm really sick and at work.  I've been on B6 3x a day and it seems to be helping but I do have that constant *ick* feeling that makes it almost impossible to entertain the thought of taking a sip of water.

At any rate, I found that I can drink decaf black tea no problem.  I've been diluting the crap out of it (mostly making it iced tea).  While I know nothing is 100% caffeine free, I'm wondering if it's safe to get most of my fluids from this weak ice tea I've been making.  For some reason it's not making me feel sick, which is strange b/c any other "flavor" of water is killing me.  I don't know, maybe it's psychological?  Could drinking this much tea be potentially harmful?  

I was thinking Gateroaid but I don't want to deal with all that sugar.  

I swear I only got maybe 24 oz of liquid in me yesterday, tops, and that's not good.  Plus I had a horrible headache because of it, and couldn't even take the tylenol with water.  Coughed it back up.  

[mrssandro]

Have you tried drinking the water warm? I can't at all really stomach cold water but warm water isn't so bad.

Also milk is fine and I drink this often.

[Odonata]

Mar 18, 2014 12:32:04 GMT -5 mrssandro said:

Have you tried drinking the water warm? I can't at all really stomach cold water but warm water isn't so bad.

Also milk is fine and I drink this often.

Yep.  I use to drink warm water every morning with some lemon before I got pregnant.  I was so proud of myself for having this great habit of drinking tons of water thinking I would be set for pregnancy!  So much for that.

I don't drink milk that much b/c of the horrid gas it gives me but if that's the way I can get more fluids I might start that up.  

Such a strange feeling:  I'm SO THIRSTY but as soon as I put water in a glass I feel like I want to die - what a strange aversion.  I get being adverse to chicken and those things but water?  

[mannah]

If you can do Gatorade but don't want the sugar you could try their sugar free varieties. Also, Vitamin Water makes some yummy non-water tasting waters with no sugar. You could also try flavored sparkling water, or crystal light. I think the decaf tea is just find if it's sitting well. Do what works--survival mode! You could also try mixing some natural juices with water to lower the sugar content. Per glass but avoid straight water. Cranberry and lime is a great combo for me.

[Odonata]

Mar 18, 2014 12:45:34 GMT -5 mannah said:

If you can do Gatorade but don't want the sugar you could try their sugar free varieties. Also, Vitamin Water makes some yummy non-water tasting waters with no sugar. You could also try flavored sparkling water, or crystal light. I think the decaf tea is just find if it's sitting well. Do what works--survival mode! You could also try mixing some natural juices with water to lower the sugar content. Per glass but avoid straight water. Cranberry and lime is a great combo for me.

It's funny, I have a whole case of flavored sparkling water in the kitchen.  It was working well for a while and now I hate that, too!  Damn, I've become picky!  What the hell?  I think what happened is when my nausea becomes severe and I am also forcing down the drink du juor I associate it with being sick and now hate it.  Much like what happened between me and tequila.  lol

I think I'll go check out some cranberry.  I'm scared that with my lack of fluids I'll also get a UTI so maybe the cran juice can help combat that?  When I go out my non-alcoholic drink is ginger ale, cranberry, and lime!   

[gretchenindisguise]

We have a soda stream and I've found that 1/2-3/4 sparkling water + 1/2-1/4 lemonade is really satisfying. You could do it without a soda stream by just buying bottles of sparkling water.

[speckledfrog]

I think weak tea is better than gatorade. Other fluids count as well, like milk and juice. You can have up to 200mg of caffeine a day, so your weak tea is more than likely totally fine.

[Deleted]

I like juice with fizzy water mixed in. Also, if you can eat fruits, they up your water intake. Try soups as well or homemade popsicles. You can get a lot of your fluids from food too.

[Odonata]

I know I can get fluids from food, too, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking that's not enough. I got myself up to close to 3L a day and so I'm stressing now.

At any rate, my pee isn't turning cloudy yet so I'm guess I'm hydrated "enough" for now.

thanks for all the ideas guys!

[mrspost08]

What about vitamin water? I had issues with water & could only drink it with orange or lemon squeezed in water. I don't see issues with decaf tea. Get liquids in however you can.

Cucumbers have a lot of water. Can you eat them?

[Odonata]

Mar 18, 2014 13:19:47 GMT -5 mrspost08 said:

What about vitamin water? I had issues with water & could only drink it with orange or lemon squeezed in water. I don't see issues with decaf tea. Get liquids in however you can.

Cucumbers have a lot of water. Can you eat them?

Oh yeah, I've been eating a cucumber a day!


And I just made a 16 oz iced tea (so a little less than 4 oz the decaf tea I brewed this morning and the rest ice water) and gulped it down in no time.  no nausea, no issues.  I guess tea it is for right now!

Let's hope I don't develop an aversion to this, too.  

[Odonata]

Oh - and I do eat a ton of those pedialyte freezer pops at night, which is when the hard core nausea usually hits. They are only 2 fl oz each but I figure every little bit helps.

[Deleted]

Popsicles?

[FastHands]

I haven't been able to do just water for a while now. I think weak tea is fine. I've done milk, gatorade, iced tea, or whatever sounds good. I'm not over-thinking anything. I know I need fluids, so however I can get them is how I'll get them.

I've been drinking an ensure each morning, which I can tolerate because it tastes like my BFF milk, and I figure that helps with both hydration and nutrition, so I cut myself some slack with not getting a ton of veggies right now.

[blushing]

I agree with popsicles. They were my life savers when my MS was bad.

[pixiedust]

Warm water with lemon, or cucumber water if you're ok with cucumber.

[katiek]

Ice. Sounds silly, but I had surgery last year and the general anesthesia made me horribly nauseated. In the hospital all they would give me was ice, and it was amazing. Water was an aversion for me in first tri too, but ice really helps. You can buy small ice cube trays if yours are too big to fit in your mouth.

I'll also admit that this was my favourite snack as a child, haha. Just a bowl of ice cubes.

[Odonata]

Oooo ensure might be a good idea. I haven't had veggies in so long and I do want something with more nutrients besides just the vitamins.

[flgirl]

I drink whatever will stay down. I need the liquid more then I need to worry about a little caffeine or sugar. I drink tea, non diluted, an occasional Pepsi because it settles the stomach, lemonade, etc. I have wicked morning sickness. Keeping food and liquid down is tough so I just go with whatever tastes good or doesn't make me sick.

[pinotgrig]

1st tri is all about survival! Whatever stays down is what you do. It's great great that you're diluting the tea so if that works, I'd probably stick with it.

Some other ideas (may be repeats from pp's) - koolaid, lemonade, chocolate milk, fruit, soups (?), and seltzer/tonic.

[kradleygirl]

I had the same problem with water. I would make it into a hydralyte/gastrolyte solution and that was better. I second the cranberry juice, it's the best!

If you're liking the tea, try peppermint tea. That eased the nausea a bit for me too.

[sunshine608]

Mar 18, 2014 17:58:38 GMT -5 pinotgrig said:

1st tri is all about survival! Whatever stays down is what you do. It's great great that you're diluting the tea so if that works, I'd probably stick with it.

Some other ideas (may be repeats from pp's) - koolaid, lemonade, chocolate milk, fruit, soups (?), and seltzer/tonic.

This. I went though stages of all these drinks. They would sound good for and work for a few days and then I'd grow sick of the . There was a period where the only fluid I was getting was probably from watermelon. I found myself craving juicier fruits when I couldn't stomach water.

hope you find so etching to work.