Help – Diabetes – rehydration

13 comments

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2. How much water are you drinking? If the doctors are telling you to drink more water, that could be the issue. At least two liters a day?

3. I would recommend finding a good clinic or hospital that listens and will help. They can do tests (ask them if they don’t) to see how dehydrated you actually are, then with the facts you can better get help, then repeat the tests to see if it’s improving.

   I was recently told here other than an iv drip, just drink a shit ton of pocari sweat, like 6 500ml bottles. That doesn’t help you though being diabetic as it’s sugary, but I understand the whole “water and go away” feeling.

   I’m sure a pharmacy can have some advise too.

   Best of luck!

4. I agree with the other person who said that you should try to find a hospital where you feel you get the help you need. Assuming you’re based in Tokyo, I can recommend Saint Luke’s Hospital.

   I’ve had type 1 for several decades, and been in Japan for several years, but I’ve never heard about the problems you describe. So I can’t be of much help about that. I do drink a lot of water though. Not only during summer.

5. Maybe you need salt? Try licking a pinch of salt and see if it tastes good. If so that means you need more salt.

   I don’t 100% understand your post about OS-1, but I’m sure you can search for electrolyte powder on Amazon or search snake juice for a recipe to make your own. Just be careful about supplementing potassium as too much can kill you.

   If you aren’t drinking enough water, my suggestion is to get a nice Brita filter, an aluminum water bottle & keep it by you all the time. Try to sip a little bit each hour.

   But the body is surprisingly self regulating so if you aren’t thirsty, you probably don’t need more water or electrolytes.

6. Have you tried specifically going to a clinic specializing in diabetes? Even if it is an hour or two away, going to a dedicated, nice place might be worth it

7. Do you drink skim milk ?

   It is better for hydratation than water, I do not know exactly how much you can include in your diet, thought.

   [Best hydratation drink](https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/25/health/best-drinks-for-hydration-wellness/index.html)

   Seems potassium can also play a role. So I would suggest to go for cucumber water if that is compatible with your diet.

   I am sorry, I am not really aware of diabetic diet.

   I think you should aim for more than 3liters a day. At least 500ml at wake up time is suggested I think, so for diabetic and hot weather I guess you can easily increase by at least 50%.

8. As someone else suggested, maybe try going to some other clinics if the one you’ve been going to isn’t helpful. In Japan it’s generally expected to kind of “shop around” for doctors until you find one you like.

   If you used to add some kind of powder, why not just see if you can order the same one on Amazon or something? Of course there are other solutions like trying to drink even more water, or trying to increase salt intake too, or other kinds of things, but those things you might need more doctor input about.

9. Pocari Sweat

   POCARI SWEAT is healthier beverage that smoothly supplies lost water and ions. With a composition close to you body fluid, it is quickly absorbed and retained longer in your body. POCARI SWEAT is thus recommended when you lose body fluid: exercise, outdoor activities, fever or whenever you feel dehydrated.

10. In the summer I also struggle with this more. My whole family is diabetic. I’m hanging on by a thread from weight loss but I also have leg/vein issues.

    I tried to drink a lot of Pocari Sweat but it made me more sluggish and I also gained weight from it. Feels bad man.

    Tea and Coffee helps, despite both being a diuretic. The net effect, at least for me, is helping me snap out of the slog. I drink two cups of straight, non-sweetened coffee and two tall 525ml Green Teas a day in the summer, typically. I put ice in them, no sugar.

    At night I can’t drink those so I eat ice or treat myself to an OS-1 Jelly now and then, but that gets expensive.

    Keeping the house cold and above 60% humidity also seems to help. Good luck!

11. As you have come to Japan recently, your diet and other parameters may have changed and thirst could be a sign of hyperglycemia. When I (type II) came to Japan >20 years ago, it was a nightmare to get adjusted again and it still is difficult; not much dietary help available to me. Food in Japan is full of sugars, where you wouldn’t expect it.

    What works for me, when I need to hydrate quickly, is to drink lemon water. Just squeeze half a lemon into half a liter of water. This may help hydrate you a little faster and without the issues with Aquarius/Pocari. My glucose meter seems to agree but ask your doctor first. Apart from that, it’s just more water. Two to three liters, more if you’re active outside in the heat. It will take a little time to get adjusted to the summers here, so it’s a bit of a battle.

    Take care

12. Hello there fellow T1! Before jumping into any beverage recommendations, let me ask how your A1C is going. It is quite possible for us to experience “hidden highs” and all that hyperglycemia can lead to constant thirst. If your BS readings are usually OK but A1C isn’t, then you might be having those hidden highs. Now, let me recommend two BS-friendly beverages I enjoy in summer. One is mugi-cha (barley tea, written むぎちゃ and quite literally sold in every supermarket nowadays, both bottled and in teabag form). It has minerals to help combat summer hear fatigue. The other one is ayran (Turkish yoghurt drink) which only requires two spoons of plain yoghurt, a pinch of salt, and a glass of cold water. Mix and drink, that’s it. Feel free to add fresh mint leaves if you’re feeling fancy. Good luck with everything!

13. You should be able to find what you need on Amazon by searching oral rehydration salts.