How much fluid do you drink?

[dianesw]

I've been seeing my doctor for dizziness and he thinks that I have orthostatic hypotension. I have a couple more tests coming up but he recommends that I drink more fluids especially gatorade to see if that can provide some temporary relief.
I admit that I dehydrate myself because of my incontinence especially if I am traveling. I am nervous about drinking more because I know that I will be voiding more. I have a great system with pullups and booster and I'm nervous that this will require me to increase my level of protection. I feel like I can't win.

[wayne]

You didn't mention diabetes, so drinks like Gatorade are probably ok for you. But if you do have diabetes or are borderline, then you want to avoid energy drinks like the plague (they will put your glucose levels through the roof). Water is the best. My wife and I use filtered water from a Brita filter (https://www.brita.com/water-pitchers/).

[dp66]

Due to a number of heart failure issues, I have been encouraged to drink 4 liters of water per day. That is a lot of water. Along with recent back surgery you can imagine what that does for my incontinence problems. I try to drink 3 liters, but hardly ever get 4.

[JDinVirginia]

Yep, when you have to stay "well hydrated" it does cause some challenges for those of us with incontinence. I am double incontinent and my bowel incontinence is largely due to severe chronic constipation (plus, of course, other things).

I have been told to stay "well hydrated" because of the constipation plus some of the medications I need to take. So, I target drinking 75 - 80 oz. (2.3 L) per day. Thankfully, that does include coffee and tea. That is a lot, but not so bad as 3 liters. I cannot imaging drinking 4 liters.

Needless to say, I need to use premium diapers with a booster pad, plus the requisite plastic pants. As I am a side-sleeper, the biggest challenge is diaper leaks at night, but I have an effective hybrid disposable diaper/cloth pullup combo I use.

--John
(double incontinent)

[greenbank]

Hi All

I drink at least 2L -3L a day going up to 4L per day in the summer all noted on my daily bladder diary entry. This helps keep the urine dilated and my hydration system going that was also impacted when my incontinence started in my teenage years.

I hope this helps!

Greenbank

[CityGardener]

I totally understand your plight. Avoiding liquid was something I did alot of to cope before starting to wear protection. Admittedly, I still sometimes find myself falling into my old habits when I'm away from home. I am equipped with a thickend bladder wall, and near constant spasms. I am also stubborn and will try to hold it and make it to the bathroom. This just results in me being in pain so I've made some kind of psychological connection that water is my enemy.

Recently neurologist has asked that I take more certain vitamins to help bring my energy levels up. This and the advice to "drink plenty of fluids" has caused me to use more daytime protection than average.

I get the anxiety you feel about being away from home and managing. Wishing you smooth sailing with that endeavor.

[Jenn]

Like others have said the balance of staying well hydrated and managing incontinence can be a challange. I have a 32oz reusable bottle that I carry around with me and I usually drink 3-4 of those a day. And that's on top of iced coffee or redbull that I might also drink during the day. I know how much I wet and wear suffuciet protection to handle it.

[WetDad]

I used to drink 2 pots of coffee a day, but since retirement that's cut to one half pot. I will also drink 2-3 quarts of water during the day and a glass of milk with dinner.

[dianesw]

Now that I've come up with a good system and know approximately what to wear under different settings, I am back to testing and trying what works. I was happy to be over the trial and error. I admit that its better than dealing with the lightheadedness and passing out.

[wayne]

I'm sure this varies with the type of IC, but I was surprised to learn that when I drank more water rather than juice/coffee/etc, that I was able to hold a full bladder without urging. I worried about going to an ultrasound appointment last summer but managed just fine. But switch back to coffee/tea/juices and the problem returns. I cannot give up my morning coffee.