Join a Community That Understands You

Get answers from those who share your health journey

All Posts

Wanderinglumos's Post

Wanderinglumos

Updated 1y ago

Struggling to Stay Hydrated with POTS

Hello potsies. Does anyone else get uncomfortable drinking fluids. It’s genuinely been so so hard for me to get hydrated bc I get so full and bloated from drinking just a 30oz water bottle of water (sometimes even less). Doesn’t matter if I’ve had salt or not the bloating just comes. But it’s been so bad that if I drink water I won’t be hungry later so I’ll just uncomfortably force myself to eat something bc i have to eventually. I mentioned it to my doctor and she said “don’t eat and drink at the same time” which I don’t love as an answer. Even if I don’t at the same time I’ll still be so full of water that I am just constantly uncomfortable. To be clear: this isn’t pain it’s just a fullness/pressure that becomes so annoying that I don’t drink. Which obviously isn’t good for pots. I just really want some relief bc I know I’m dehydrated and flaring my pots.

Can you help? Connect today

Annayenney

Have you looks into gastroparesis? It can cause a ton of bloating and a full feeling.

Wanderinglumos

I have looked into it a little bit and have plenty of the symptoms aside from vomiting. I was hoping my pots doctor may refer me or talk to me about it more but she wrote it off pretty quickly. I guess I could try talking to my pcp about it

Wanderinglumos

thanks for the response, it has me looking into it more

Asteroidrose

yesss it is so hard. ❤️❤️

rylesmcgyles

yes! i’m always been told to increase my water intake but even so much as a cup of water sometimes leaves me bloated and nauseated. liquid IV has been a lifesaver in that aspect, i recommend trying that if you haven’t already!

Wanderinglumos

exactly. I drink a cup and I feel full. I have liquid iv that I should drink more often than I do. Perhaps I’ll give it another shot and focus on smaller sips throughout the day too

MissLucy_101719

Lmnt is good too as it makes less liquid go farther. You could also go for salt tablets such as vitassium or salt stick

Wanderinglumos

I have tried a couple flavors but it unfortunately upset my stomach quite a bit 😕 I appreciate you for the suggestion!

chronicallyfab

Yes I second the mention of gastroparesis! The biggest thing to keep in mind with gastroparesis is that your stomach moves slowly. So drinking room temperature liquids rather than cold can help and drinking small sips over an extended period of time can help you digest and absorb more as opposed to taking big gulps. Small lifestyle changes can make a huge difference!

Wanderinglumos

thanks for the tips! I tend to take big gulps at a time which definitely doesn’t help. I have to try and take smaller sips

kateafranklin

I second this!

inspainwithoutthes

I totally get that! Drinking really cold water/drinks seems to help that feeling delay for me. Slushees are like 🙌🏻 I definitely recommend to try it

SmileySnail

I never drink a whole water bottle at a time. I have a liter water bottle that I drink throughout the day, but I take small sips, never more than a few swallows at a time. I liked it when I used to have a camelbak water bottle because I would chew on the straw bit and I'd also end up absent mindedly drinking the water too. Big swallows and drinking all at once like "playing catch up" is definitely uncomfortable. I agree with what everyone else said. Small sips also helps with my acid reflux and nausea, too

Wanderinglumos

thank you. I guess I really need to be more conscious of drinking throughout the day and not “catching up.”

catmom1995

yes so hard

kateafranklin

Definitely. I have Gastroparesis and I get uncomfortable - but I do also get pain. Many people do just get the pressure/bloat though. Please advocate for yourself. Remember, your doctors work for you. You don’t work for them. If you feel you need a test to rule out a condition, then ask. If they say no, tell them to put why they said no in your chart… and most of the time they will say yes. You know your body best!

Wanderinglumos

thank you, I needed that 🫶🏼

EDSdancer

Yes omg drinking water makes me so nauseous and I honestly wish I could just get daily iv fluids or something because I know I need to hydrate but it’s so hard to do it when I know it’s gonna ruin my whole day

Wednesday_7

Yeah, water makes me feel sick, so I have a really hard time drinking water. It sucks because people don’t take me seriously since they think I’m intentionally just not “committing to getting better”.

Wanderinglumos

that’s my problem too. I am not getting enough but it’s so hard to drink so much. If I drink enough I can’t eat enough too

Teal100

I get this because of my gastroparesis, water is actually harder for me to tolerate than other liquids like juice.

Bird1620

Yes!! Not only does it feel uncomfortable, but I have a bladder problem (not sure what) so anything I drink goes right through me and I constantly have to pee. Infusions have been a lifesaver for me

Wanderinglumos

I was only cleared for infusion once a month for three months. It helped for a few days each time and i wish i could’ve gotten them more frequently. But I also hated the appointments bc they had to stick me so many times to get the iv in. Even got sent home before bc three nurses couldn’t get it.

EDSdancer

how do you get infusions? I’ve always thought that would help me

linklink

About the not vomiting! a lot of gastroparesis patients don't throw up regularly, it's actually about 50/50 from what I know! please look into it bc this sounds like what I deal with and I have it! for a tip on drinking water my tips are to constantly kinda just drink a mouthful every maybe 20 min, as much water filled food as possible like fruit, and water everything down a ton, liquidy soup, oatmeal, tea, etc and find a drink you really like and can stomach (for me usually soda) and sip one after the other so water soda water

Hamie

No, but may try

StressBear

I have found that drinking through a straw helps me, be mindful of not drinking so much at one time and taking sips. Also if water is not your thing herbal tea is just as hydrating, I add Bouy flavorless hydration drops.

kateafranklin

definitely tough as someone with Gastroparesis, which is common alongside of POTS (which I also have!)

bonnell2

Drinking water can be very hard on us, especially. The thing to do with the people who think we are " faking it".... Hit them with this info. It usually shuts them up. Ok. Hydrogen is a toxin to our systems. It is allowed only to accept so much. Now bile, and peptic fluids have a lot of (hydrogen, and when we start producing extra fluids, it makes us nacious or start vomiting in order to expell the toxic hydrogen. The more water you drink, the more ✋hydrogen you add. So, THAT is why we DON'T drink water to settle our tummies. Does that make sense? I found that out when my first GI desided to limit any

55isMe

Google "infusions hydration near me" they are available now in areas in US. Counted as SPA treatment vs medical treatment. Price??

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Free unlimited access

to all community content

Find others who are

medically similar to you

Pose questions and join

meaningful discussions

Alike is a transformative platform that goes beyond just bringing together patients; it meticulously connects individuals based on multiple critical factors, such as age, gender, comorbidities, medications, diet, and more, fostering a community of knowledge, support and empathy.

About Alike Wisdom Blog FAQ Editorial Team All Conditions All Posts All Communities Support

Your Privacy Stories Community Guidelines Terms of Use Privacy Policy Helplines Contact Us Group Chats Guidelines Moderation Process

Sign In

Join a Community That Understands You

Get answers from those who share your health journey

Struggling to Stay Hydrated with POTS