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so..dehydrated...all the time! wut.

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jfrice12
jfrice12 Posts: 16
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i started keto last week, and i upped my sodium intake (ish) to avoid the keto-flu (which is what made me quit atkins - i absolutely hated the headaches i got.)

well now i wake up extremely thirsty every morning - even my eyeballs are dry! i feel like my eyelids are two sad pieces of latex trying to rub against each other.

i drink like 15 cups of water a day (on a normal day too, not just on keto.)

i've barely increased my sodium intake since i didn't ingest much salt to begin with.

if i drink copious amounts of water before i go to sleep... well firstly i end up having to pee every 20 minutes, which interrupts my sleep.. but secondly, i still wake up thirsty!!!

i dont know if i should be chugging pedialite or what...

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  • headofphat
    headofphat Posts: 1,597 Member
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    i think you are supposed to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day or something like that. So if you're 150lbs you should at least drink 75oz of water. you might want to look that up.

    i've heard that chicken broth is good to drink when you're on keto. The keto flu did suck for me as well but i powered through it.
  • jfrice12
    jfrice12 Posts: 16
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    i think i'm at that threshold, but i guess i can try to slip in more water more evenly throughout the day. i did look up the half body weight ounces thing - it seems like most people think its too much water, but i already drink MORE than half my body weight in ounces on cardio/lifting days. i guess i'm just blessed with a large bladder?

    kudos to you for powering through it. i tried for a few days, but then the headaches took over. i wasnt ever in the mood to do work, to work out, to eat. i just wanted to sleep and drown myself in advil. i hope to avoid that this time by, like you said, drinking bouillon cubes.

    i was just wondering if anyone else had the same dehydration issues/how they dealt with it/ does it ever go away?!! ahhhh!!
  • I_love_frogs
    I_love_frogs Posts: 340 Member
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    I just drank chicken broth with a bouillon cube or a little chicken base mixed in for salts etc and it makes me feel much better. I have always done that tho for my headaches so...ymmv.

    I drink a ton of water tho... like over 100 fl oz daily.
  • sarrajune
    sarrajune Posts: 17 Member
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    I might be an exception to t he rule or something but my endless thirst got WAY better after a while. I don't think it will stay so bad, though of course it will always be good to drink that much :)
  • jfrice12
    jfrice12 Posts: 16
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    ugh, thank goodness.. idk if i can stand this anymore! nice to know that there is (maybe) a light at the end of the tunnel...
  • PandaFather
    PandaFather Posts: 2
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    Sodium and potassium both play an effect on "thirst" levels. Basically I recommend an 8 oz glass of water every waking hour (128oz average) and one of those 8oz glasses of liquid should be salted water, or chicken broth to get the extra sodium and then each vegetables like spinach or take a potassium supplement to get enough potassium and it should help.
  • ginnyspencer1
    ginnyspencer1 Posts: 16 Member
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    I struggled with dizziness, headaches, and thirst during my first month on keto but as soon as I bought "morton's salt substitute" and started salting everything I eat with it, problem solved!! I do drink 8-10 glasses of water throughout the day from wake to sleep, but I don't feel dehydrated or like I have an insatiable thirst for more.
  • camtosh
    camtosh Posts: 898 Member
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    Here in Japan, they sell little single-servings of miso that you dissolve in hot water. It does the trick! you might find that in Asian food shops.
  • jfrice12
    jfrice12 Posts: 16
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    Here in Japan, they sell little single-servings of miso that you dissolve in hot water. It does the trick! you might find that in Asian food shops.



    oh gosh i love miso soup so much. that's probably what i'll go with instead of chicken bouillon... YAY MSG!
    (i am allowed to stereotype because im asian?)


    also, the increased water hasnt been helping much. i have doubled my sodium intake through different means, but if eel like a heavy bloated cranky pants... and i mean yuck! i just feel HEAVY and sluggish.
    i have to assume its the sodium because that's all i changed. i guess water retention from all the salt?

    HOWEVER... no keto headaches. so whats worse? crazy migranes or me yelling at everyone because my body is a balloon T____T
  • TheFugs
    TheFugs Posts: 3 Member
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    My extreme thirst lasted about 3 weeks. Since then I've had it occasionally but for single-day spans, usually after I screw up and drop out of ketosis.

    I was drinking so much water I checked to figure out at which point it begins to be unhealthy.
  • teresastone10
    teresastone10 Posts: 4
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    Morton's makes a lite salt that is half potassium and half sodium. It saves me from leg cramps, excessive thirst, and undue stress on my kidney.

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