Hydration

[Anonymous]

So, I lost my insurance (plus i got kicked out of the county psych office for missing appointments.. how idiotic is that? THAT IS WHY YOU DIAGNOSED ME, BECAUSE i MISS APPOINTMENTS (*rage*)) so what little Ritalin I have left is ALL i have left. I’m in college right now so it’s really, really, really stressfull.

Anyway, my Ritalin only generally works for about an hour. It also dries me out super fast. Basically mummifies me. I also have a problem retaining salt/staying hydrated/low blood pressure to begin with so I don’t know how much that has to do with it. Anyway, when I drink lots of fluids while on Ritalin to mitigate that effect, I notice it basically just washes it out and it barely works, and for even LESS time! What’s up with that? Anyone else notice this?

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[Anonymous]

Well, I can say that when I first started taking my meds (Concerta), I noticed that I would have a very dry mouth for the first hour or so. I just would keep on sipping water until that dry-mouth feeling passed. I figure my ‘dry’ feeling came from actually being a bit dehydrated first thing in the morning since I hadn’t had anything to drink since the night before. The meds probably have some side effect that only seemed to intensify the morning dryness. Years ago I took some anti-depressants that had a similar effect.

I look at the total effect of the meds on my well-being/ability to function as compared to the downside of feeling dry/dehydrated. It’s so much easier to sip on water throughout the day than to try to deal with the problems that arise from an unmedicated mind.

😆

In regards to getting psych appts- if you’re attending a college right now, perhaps you can use its student services for getting a referral to a new psych. doctor. Where I live, most universities have student health services available for their students. My daughter went to school out of province and went to the medical clinic on campus. She even was able to see a psych.doc through them when she had an issue with depression.

However, having an American husband……I recognize that your university/college medical services may be quite different than here in Canada but I don’t know that for sure. Perhaps you could check that out. I think your schools are supposed to have fairly good supports in place for students with LDs so maybe the dept. that looks after those issues can also give you some direction on ways you could access the services/meds you need.

Good luck!

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[Geoduck]

With my adderall, I have to carry water with me all the time. I’ve been on it for a year, now. Still have the problem. As long as it is active in my system, I have to carry a water bottle so I can drink constantly.

It’s probably not bad to be drinking all that water, it’s just damned annoying because I have to remember the bottle, which obviously, can be a problem.

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[Anonymous]

Yeah, I can’t afford the University clinic, also if they found out I lost my health insurance they’d force me to buy theirs (very bad and very expensive) because you HAVE to have health insurance to go here, which feels like it should be so illegal to me. I’m signed up with the Office of Disability Services but they don’t do anything really beyond giving me time and a half for tests or a note taker for my classes if i want one (I do not.) Thanks though!

Well the thing is, when I DO drink water/gatorade when I’m on my Ritalin, the ritalin STOPS working, or at least becomes very dilluted. But then I also have low blood pressure so by not staying hydrated, I risk blacking out sometimes. It hasn’t been bad with that lately until today and I can barely get up out of my chair.

But because I have a limited supply I take it only once or twice a week on average anyway… which is probably why i’m doing so terrible in school! I just wonder why being hydrated dillutes the effects.

(haha, I can never remember to take liquid with me anywhere either!)

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[Ricochet Rabbit]

Even thought this post has been up a while, I have to say that I also feel dehydrated. I just went back on Ritalin and I’m hoping this diminishes as I go along.

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[Tiddler]

I forget to drink – I pour a pint of water, put it down and forget it’s there. My husband finds full and half drunk glasses all round the house.

I’m often dehydrated and have problems with painful bladder syndrome, which is hardly surprising when I think about it…ADHD is pretty far reaching really. I wonder if the ADHD has caused the painful bladder syndrome and the years of UTIs…

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[Patte Rosebank]

It could be worse.

You could also be on an anti-depressant like Effexor, that makes you sweat and gives you early onset presbyopia, so you need bifocals at the age of 28…and sends your blood sugar soaring, which, combined with your natural inability to eat properly, gives you Diabetes…which makes you sweat more and gives you chronic diarrhea, which leaves you even more dehydrated, and with a very dry mouth, which leaves you more prone to gum and dental issues…

I’ve never had bladder or UTI issues though. One hint: Only wear cotton undies. Seriously. Any other fabric prevents proper air circulation there, which leads to problems.

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[Ricochet Rabbit]

Oh, hell, Larynxa. That sucks. At least I’m old enough to need bifocals!

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[Tiddler]

That’s really hard, larynxa. Always cotton for me – I agree!

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[Robbo]

Yep, the meds do affect how we retain water. I take Wellbitrin, and Ritalin (the generic forms) and along with killing off my appetite. It hasn’t helped me remember to drink more fluids as much as I would like. ‘Drink some water’ is one of the reminders/alarms on my phone along with taking my wellbutrin just about 4:00 PM each day. Two of my reminder alarms also say “drink water”. If I never get thirsty, that’s some success. My phone reminds me to pee too! hehe. And my kidneys are grateful

What we eat makes a big difference of course. Highly processed and ready to eat microwave food has a tendency to be very salty. I rarely eat fast food. The last time I ate something from Jack in the Box I couldn’t believe how salty it was!!! it freaked me out!!. I think what we don’t eat can be more important than what we do eat. Also if we’re not consistent, especially with the salt, and foods that can be a diuretic. (makes ya pee more) we end up with a super full bladder, hyperfocus keeps up from going pee, and we get a UTI. Then we go to the opposite end of the spectrum and don’t get enough salt, or water. That’s when we tend to get chapped lips, hangnails etc. Obvious signs of dehydration. I don’t always feel thirsty even when I’m very dehydrated. Maybe google “signs of dehydration”.

I hate to say it, but we just have to drink more fluids. Discipline is not the solution for many of our ADHD problems. But I know that for me, no medication can help me to build new habits, or force me to get those dang dishes done. Or remember to put a tall glass of water next to my bed at night. Then drink it all when I first get up. I shall now go get a tall glass of water and drink it.

It’s so much easier to write advice than to actually follow it…

Gum, can sometimes help if ya have a dry mouth. Just gotta remember to buy some.

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[Patte Rosebank]

For as long as I can remember, my mom has put a large glass of water on her night table every night.

One night, she was awakened by a slurping noise…and discovered that the reason the water level always dropped overnight was because THE CAT would jump onto the night table and drink from it!

After that, she always put a cover onto the glass…even after the cat got old and blind and immobile.

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[Robbo]

LOL, AACK! kitty cat germs.

I have a weird “thing” about dust mite. I know that I toss n turn, n turn over my pillow, pull covers up, pull em down cuz I’m hot or cold, all night… So lot’s of time I put a cover on it cuz I don’t want to drink dust or dust mites… But cat hair? n cat spit? YYYUKK!!! lol. still funny though.

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