4 replies to this topic

[WHEELZ65]

My husband has hyponatremia (very low sodium) which has become chronic and causing alot of problems with his health. He has a suprapubic cath and 'thought' he was doing all the right stuff by drinking 'tons' of water and cranberry juice daily. No one ever told him that he could develop this condition that is robbing him of his health - low BP, sleepiness, just losing vitality. He drinks so much fluid that he is essentially drowning his cells and depleating his body of all electrolytes. I just today had to restrict his fluid intake - literally put it high in he fridge so he couldn't reach it! This condition can make him have all kinds of neurological problems or death. Anyone dealing with it? Everthing he drinks just flushes right thru his body...in particular because of the suprapubic cath. Help, advice...any info would be soooo helpful! thanks...cc

[doublelibra]

What quantity of water/fluids are you talking about?

doublelibra

[longhaul]

Get some sea salt and put it in his drinks and salt the hell out of his food with the sea salt and through away the regular table salt it's poison. Is he taking meds? some have the side effect of depleting the body of salts.

[knowthill]

I received a SPC in 2003 and have had my share of problems. The problems have mostly to do with Bladder infections, but have not had hyponatremia. I try to drink three quarts of fluids a day. Not a big cranberry fan but drink different juices, but mainly water. I try to make sure my urine contains some color. The only time I work to clear it is if I feel an infection the flushing is my best way to combat the ITU.

What did his urologist have to say?

[russ1]

Not heard of the condition relating to SCI (but I was told in rehab that drinking too much water can cause as many problems as too little) but am aware of it from sports hydration, it's one of the reasons why a sports enery drink is much better than plain water when hydrating as the salts flushed out through sweating (or in your case by creating too dilute a fluid in the body thus creating a system where the salts are absorbed by the fluid being flushed through) need replacing. Unfortunately most sports drinks are loaded with calories and therefore aren't too great for SCI use but your husband needs to increase his consumption of salt through his diet and to possibly decrease his consumption of water. In the short term to get salt levels back up an isotonic sports drink (gatoraid or lucozade depending on your country) to replace the water might be a good idea.

The advice I was given in rehab was to drink 3 litres of clear fluids a day, what I actually do is to try to make sure I output about 3 litres a day and with a supra pubic in (I have one too) it's easy to monitor your output. I don't actually drink much water preferring coffee(decaf is better but I have to have full caff in the mornings), coke, juice etc Seems to work for me, not had a UTI stones or other problems in 5 years (touchwood).

I'd say that knowthill's advice about the urine colour and only flushing periodically when needed is good advice.

Obviously if there's an underlying condition which the large fluid intake is exacerbating you need medical advice.

Edited by russ1, 28 July 2008 - 10:42 AM.