Chronic Dehydration - Worse After Glutened.

[Woolygimp]

Is there any literature out there regarding the inability for damaged intestines to absorb water?

Some of my worst symptoms are dry eyes, dry mouth, and dry skin (mostly on my face). I know these symptoms are classic for Sjogren's syndrome but I don't think it's the case with me for several reasons; I think it's more of a dehydration issue. I was tested for Sjogren's antibodies last year several times, and was negative on the ANA-titer test each time.

The more I remain gluten free the more my symptoms reside. The dry eyes were the first to go. The dry mouth subsided for the most part, although I get cottonmouth when speaking or in a prolonged conversation. The dry skin on my face gets better although it's nowhere near normal, I still need to moisturize and use oil several times a day.

When I accidentally gluten myself all these symptoms come back with a vengeance following the D. Eyes dry out, mouth is super dry, skin is very dry.

I have a scale that measures bodyfat/water content. When glutened I notice a massive drop in my water content that it displays. Instead of showing 63ish, it will show 52. This is when all my symptoms return. The better I am at avoiding gluten the more my water content that that scale displays goes up. Right now it's about 61 and my symptoms are mild.

Last year I had surgery performed and was given an IV with fluids (water/electrolytes). For three days afterwards I felt great. My dry mouth, eyes, and skin completely disappeared, and when I say completely I mean completely. The water content shown on that scale was 70ish. About three or four days in, the diarrhea returned (even though I don't think I was glutened) and I went straight back to 52-54ish and all my symptoms returned.

I've tried drinking gatorades, electrolyte mixes, tons of water. It's almost like my intestines just won't absorb the fluids at the rate my body needs them. My urine is light colored, but I don't know.

Is there any way I can get another IV with fluids? Do local hospitals give IVs if they suspect you are dehydrated? I almost want to do it to double check to make sure that it's the dehydration that is causing these problems.

These are my worst symptoms and if I can get them to go away I would be ecstatic.

[YoloGx]

I don't know about the IV fluids. However since it appears you have celiac, it really might help for you to try taking slippery elm and/or marshmallow root to help reduce inflammation in your intestines plus increase fluid absorption as well as act as healing agents for the intestines and be emollient for the rest of your system.

You might want to experiment and see if yellow dock could be of help to you. It is a good blood purifier and is helpful for healing the intestines and the skin. It can however have a gentle laxative action, so don't take it if you get CC'd or have D in any shape or form. And/or you can try out milk thistle caps (silymarin) which will help detox your liver without (I think) any laxative effect.

I have found taking fibronylitic agents like bromelain/papain plus nattokinase or serrapeptidase or serrapeptase or the like counteracts scar tissue in the intestines which in your case might also help with the water absorption problem.

I am also assuming you drink plenty of water throughout the day, not just all at once, yes? And eat lots of green vegetables, also yes? Doing these will help immeasurably too. I would avoid all caffeine since it makes one lose water. Also avoid hot, spicy (drying) food.

I would avoid sugary drinks or even sugar at all. Sugar is hard on the liver and hence the skin especially if you haven't healed completely.

If you need more electrolytes, I find using liquid Concentrace Trace mineral drops to be excellent. No sugar at all.

And do stick with your diet. Avoid all trace glutens. They could still be a problem if you aren't avoiding even the trace amounts found in body creams and shampoos etc. with vitamin E made from wheat germ for instance. Or the old cutting board, toaster etc. There is a lot of info here on celiac.com as to what those things to avoid are.

Hope this helps!

Bea

[Jestgar]

So I actually spent some time thinking about this (I know, my lack of life is showing).

It seems to me, that, unless you are pooping water, your body is absorbing it. If that's the case, you might want to revisit the electrolyte thing. Gatorade doesn't seem like the best choice because of all the chemicals, so you might want to consider mineral water (or Yolo's mineral drops added to water) with a little bit of fruit juice for some sugar (easier to absorb).

I would drink small amounts continuously, rather than huge amounts at once.

[Ursa Major]

If you really wouldn't be absorbing the water, you would run to the bathroom continuously, as well as having watery diarrhea. But just in case you are dehydrated, it is much better to drink small amounts all day rather than drinking large amounts. Your body can absorb only one large glass of water an hour, I believe. If you drink more than can be absorbed, you pee it out (or it makes you sick if it is really excessive, and can lead to death).

It is possible that your real problem is that you don't get enough fat. You may need to supplement with fish oil or cod liver oil to get enough essential fatty acids. We all get too many omega 6 fatty acids, what we need is to supplement with omega 3s.

Also, you might want to try eating more saturated fat in general (keeping in mind that hydrogenated fat is poison, and animal fats are in reality healthy, despite the negative press they are getting).

[TestyTommy]

I had HUGE problems with dehydration when I was on gluten, eventually sending me to the hospital. I drank constantly, and had dry skin, eyes, mouth, sinuses, etc. After being gluten-free for 2.5 year, it has gotten much better, but I still drink more than most people and have pretty dry skin.

The things that have helped me most is making sure I get plenty of salt and calcium. Use your salt shaker liberally -- I'll even drink salt water in the morning. It also helped a lot to take a calcium supplement, at least a gram a day. If you're drinking lots of water, you're diluting your blood of electrolytes and it's really important to make sure you get plenty of sodium, calcium and magnesium.

[Woolygimp]

I had HUGE problems with dehydration when I was on gluten, eventually sending me to the hospital. I drank constantly, and had dry skin, eyes, mouth, sinuses, etc. After being gluten-free for 2.5 year, it has gotten much better, but I still drink more than most people and have pretty dry skin.

The things that have helped me most is making sure I get plenty of salt and calcium. Use your salt shaker liberally -- I'll even drink salt water in the morning. It also helped a lot to take a calcium supplement, at least a gram a day. If you're drinking lots of water, you're diluting your blood of electrolytes and it's really important to make sure you get plenty of sodium, calcium and magnesium.

Some guy sent me PMs and told me that he also had this issue and that digestive enzymes such as pancreatin helped him tremendously. He wasn't soliciting any particular product, so I went out and gave it a shot.

Today is day 1.

[Woolygimp]

I had HUGE problems with dehydration when I was on gluten, eventually sending me to the hospital. I drank constantly, and had dry skin, eyes, mouth, sinuses, etc. After being gluten-free for 2.5 year, it has gotten much better, but I still drink more than most people and have pretty dry skin.

The things that have helped me most is making sure I get plenty of salt and calcium. Use your salt shaker liberally -- I'll even drink salt water in the morning. It also helped a lot to take a calcium supplement, at least a gram a day. If you're drinking lots of water, you're diluting your blood of electrolytes and it's really important to make sure you get plenty of sodium, calcium and magnesium.

Also, I thought that even though salt retains water for your body it denies its use to your cells. Meaning you have a crapload of water in your body that isn't being used for anything, and you can actually dehydrate yourself by drinking too much salt.

Same reason people die of dehydration marooned on an island with only ocean water available to them.

[TestyTommy]

Nope, just the opposite. If you're not getting enough salt, the water can't get into your cells. That's what sent me to the hospital, where they pumped me full of concentrated saline solution for two days. Of course, no one bothered to look into the underlying cause, which was celiac, but that's another story.

What we all really need is enough of all the electrolyte minerals -- calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium. I had a huge salt craving, so that wasn't much of a problem; I just put enough salt on everything so that it tasted good. And I take a supplement with Ca and Mg. There's lots of potassium in fruits and veggies, so if you're eating plenty of those you should have enough potassium.

There's also a product called 'Endurolytes' that i've used. It's basically Gatorade in a pill (without all the sugar or anything artificial). Distance runners used it for electrolyte balance.

And, like I said, it's gotten better. Hopefully, someday I won't be so thirsty anymore!

[Jestgar]

Also, I thought that even though salt retains water for your body it denies its use to your cells. Meaning you have a crapload of water in your body that isn't being used for anything, and you can actually dehydrate yourself by drinking too much salt.

Same reason people die of dehydration marooned on an island with only ocean water available to them.

Not true. IVs are salt water. Your cells have pumps that run ions (sodium, potassium, etc) in and out of your cells to maintain a balance. I believe this is how cholera kills - it stops the sodium channels from working. The need for salt was (is?) also one of the driving forces behind cannibalism in the innards of Africa. Populations far from the coast didn't waste ANY salt they found, even if it was in a human body. Google the salt routes through India and the middle east. Salt is what keeps us alive.

[TestyTommy]

Salt gets a bad rap from mainstream medicine because high sodium intake is connected with hypertension, whcih is connected to heart attacks. This is what I've started referring to as 'statistical medicine' -- doctors refusing to treat people as individuals, but instead just treating everyone as if they are 'typical'. So there's no such thing as cholesterol being too low, blood pressure being to low, or salt consumption being too low. And the only chronic condition that anyone has to worry about is heart disease.

The high sodium intake in the Standard American Diet comes from the high salt content in processed foods and fast foods. Many people with celiac disease eat mostly unprocessed meats, veggies and grains, so we aren't getting much salt. The same is true of many non-celiacs who eat a healthy diet.

But doctors (and the media) keep screaming at us that "salt is bad for you", when the truth is (as jestgar said) that we need salt to stay alive. So, unlike people eating the SAD, people who eat a healthy diet are more likely to suffer from sodium deficiency. The same is true for iodine. The main source of iodine is from iodized salt. A lot of people eating a healthy diet are also in danger of having an iodine deficiency.

[Woolygimp]

Salt gets a bad rap from mainstream medicine because high sodium intake is connected with hypertension, whcih is connected to heart attacks. This is what I've started referring to as 'statistical medicine' -- doctors refusing to treat people as individuals, but instead just treating everyone as if they are 'typical'. So there's no such thing as cholesterol being too low, blood pressure being to low, or salt consumption being too low. And the only chronic condition that anyone has to worry about is heart disease.

The high sodium intake in the Standard American Diet comes from the high salt content in processed foods and fast foods. Many people with celiac disease eat mostly unprocessed meats, veggies and grains, so we aren't getting much salt. The same is true of many non-celiacs who eat a healthy diet.

But doctors (and the media) keep screaming at us that "salt is bad for you", when the truth is (as jestgar said) that we need salt to stay alive. So, unlike people eating the SAD, people who eat a healthy diet are more likely to suffer from sodium deficiency. The same is true for iodine. The main source of iodine is from iodized salt. A lot of people eating a healthy diet are also in danger of having an iodine deficiency.

Day 3ish and I feel really good. The dry skin has alleviated itself mostly, and I feel really, really good. Lots of energy.

Can't tell if it's the enzymes or whether I'm just feeling good for other reasons. Will keep you guys posted.

[babysteps]

Day 3ish and I feel really good. The dry skin has alleviated itself mostly, and I feel really, really good. Lots of energy.

Can't tell if it's the enzymes or whether I'm just feeling good for other reasons. Will keep you guys posted.

glad you're feeling better!

I had to get a px for potassium one time - long story, but obviously I was dehydrated at that point

Took me a long time to get to 'normal' after that, but one thing that helps me if I feel a little dry is to use a mix of real salt and a 'fake' salt with a relatively high (eg 4% of rda) potassium content. And a little starch or sweetness can help - no need for refined sugar if you would rather avoid it - fruits or (if you tolerate) grain (rice/corn/etc) or potato can all help. The doctor told me salt helps you absorb the water and sugar/starch helps you retain it long enough to make use of it. When I was first recovering I would actually put some honey (2 teaspoons or so), some fake & some real salt (maybe 1/2 teaspoon each), and 1/3 hot water (stir), 2/3 cold water (to not burn tongue, and get close to body temp for best absorption).

Sounds like you are on the road to recovery, listen to your body & good luck!!

[Generic]

I used to end up in the ER every time I got glutened when I was younger. I also have a problem with chronic dehydration

issues. I don't get D I just have to pee allot. I literally feel like a giant Britta Pitcher at times. Since I started acupuncture I

haven't had an issue. (No trips to the ER anyway.) She says I have a blood deficiency in Chinese medicine terms. She

suggests iron from meat and drinking chicken broth with the bones that have been boiled in them.

On another note does anyone know what can cause a person to think salt is too salty and anything sweet is too sweet? My

daughter is having this issue. I have had her tested for diabetes already and it came back normal.

[babysteps]

On another note does anyone know what can cause a person to think salt is too salty and anything sweet is too sweet? My

daughter is having this issue. I have had her tested for diabetes already and it came back normal.

Is this a new thing for your daughter? If yes, checking it out is definitely a good idea.

If not, could it be as simple as a highly developed sense of taste? Some folks (I've read anything from 5% to 25%) are "high tasters", meaning everything tastes pretty strong to them. Typically they don't like fruit sauces on meat because they are "too sweet". Most processed foods are either "too salty" or "too sweet" or both for these people. They do make great chefs, winemakers, coffee blenders etc. My spouse is a 'high taster' and his father is a 'low taster' (one of those people who pours sugar in his coffee & salts everything before he eats it) - leads to some interesting differences in what they like to eat and how they eat it.

Good luck figuring it out