Hi all. Does anybody else (especially in the American southwest) struggle with dehydration and retaining water? Since I've moved to AZ, I've had a hard time with this. First I'll drink some, but apparently not enough, water. Then my body will retain it and my legs will swell, and I'll get a burning sensation in my urinary tract that tells me I'm dehydrated. So I'll drink a bit more water, but not more than my bladder can usually hold. Then fifteen minutes later I'll find that I've wet my pants. This seems to happen at least twice a week, and the corners of my seat cover are starting to tear from all the washing...not to mention that I'm really tired of having to peel wet clothes off my body and spray upholstery cleaner on my cushion. Anybody have any ideas about how to handle this?

I am in Arizona too. Best way to manage it is to drink the same amount of fluids each day at about the same time. Then, try to stick with a regular bathroom schedule. Through trial and error, ways can be found. I go every three to four hours during the day, more in the morning. Then, my last drink is about 7 pm. Go to bed and 9 and can hold through the night. I occasionally have accidents but by sticking to same amounts of fluid and same cathing schedule, it can be managed. The exception is when a UTI occurs. For me, when I have bathroom accidents, it is a warning of UTI, especially when it occurs at night while I am asleep.

In addition to what Char said, I find that my water output seems to change with the barometer. If the barometer drops, so does my output, i.e., I retain water. This, along with the effects of sodium, caffeine and the position of the space station (kidding) make it pretty tough to keep things flowing consistently. I try to limit myself to drinking no more than 24 oz. between cathings.

I've never heard the "burning sensation" indicating dehydration before. Usually, if urine turns dark brown (like tea) you'd better increase your fluid intake.

Regarding what Kwag was questioning with your burning sensation,
Do you take medication for bladder spazms?
I used to get a tingling sensation often, regardless of how full/ empty my bladder was. Then my bladder would spasm and pump out whatever amount of urine I had.
Once I began taking Oxybutynin, it stopped. I realize this may not work for everyone. But you might want to talk with your urologist to see which medication, if any, may help you.

As far as the swollen ankles go, that's blood swelling your feet due to slower circulation. It's also common, and the reason why I went from a size 11 shoe to a 12.

Thanks all for your answers. I take cranberry pills and probiotics for urinary health, aside from that nothing prescribed. As far as the "burning sensation" meaning I'm dehydrated goes, that's just an assumption...I know that when I feel that way, my urine comes out a lot more concentrated, and it's similar to how I would feel before my SCI when I got dehydrated. I don't think it's a UTI because it goes away when I drink more water, and tho I can't feel much because it's below my injury level, it just doesn't quite feel the same as a UTI.

As far as bladder spasms go, I suppose that could be the case, but I'm hesitant to think that because this wasn't really an issue before I moved to AZ. I haven't seen a urologist--I know it's probably not smart in some ways, but since getting out of rehab I avoid doctors like the plague Could be that I just need to suck it up and go see one...

I wear compression socks to help with the swelling ankles. They're relatively inexpensive if you get them at a department store, like Target or Walmart. The up side is, since I don't walk all that much they're sure to last a long time.