Do we need MORE water than other people?

[Marquis Mark]

Can someone please explain why hydration is ESPECIALLY important for DS people, not just everybody?

I’ve read explanations about us having shorter bowels so we need MORE water than a normie in order to compensate, but I can’t visualize that at all. If we absorb 100% of simple carbs, why wouldn’t we absorb 100% of water? Do you even need villi to absorb water?

Or is just it because the stomach, especially after surgery, doesn’t hold as much and we need to drink less, but more frequently to get the same amount as a normie?

Judging by how I feel and the color of my urine, I’m pretty sure I’m getting enough, but all this extra water talk makes me nervous.

Can someone please clarify?

 

[DSRIGGS]

Personally I see no science that says we need more water than others to stay hydrated. It is just extremely important to stay hydrated after a major surgery and while healing. The only possible reason I can think of is as I was discussing in the constipation thread. With some of the supplements taken and the intestines that have been operated on, this group is probably at a higher risk of constipation so proper hydration is very key for that.....but just like I argued with others on another board regarding vitamins, we don't need to be towards the super high end of range for every supplement level, we simply need to be solidly in range, JUST LIKE ANBODY ELSE.

Just my opinion

 

[DSRIGGS]

FYI - I get 60-80 oz of fluid a day and don't have issues with hydration. I have never been a huge drinker throughout the day and only drank when thirsty

 

[Clematis]

Kidney stones. Rapid weight loss can contribute to these. More than usual amounts of water may flush them out when they are mere grains of sand vs screamer "grape nut" sized ones. Or at least that's what I've been told. So not DS related rather rapid weight loss.

 

[Marquis Mark]

I see. So extra water just until out weight stabilizes?

 

[Clematis]

In my completely unprofessional opinion, as long as your urine is near-clear, you are getting enough water.

 

[Clematis]

There's also been noise about the release of a lifetime of toxins that was stored in body fat that will circulate in your body unless flushed out. I do know that toxins are stored in fat but don;t know whether copious water drinking flushes them out when they become "free" during weight loss.

(But I have had kidney stones after weight loss and as far as I know I was drinking gobs of water. You do not want a kidney stone. Killer pain.)

 

[DSRIGGS]

In my completely unprofessional opinion, as long as your urine is near-clear, you are getting enough water.

That is pretty much what my Mom always told me (she was an RN). Basically if your urine is not dark yellow/orange you are getting plenty of fluids, so I tend to agree with your statement.

 

[Marquis Mark]

My urine is basic canary yellow. Although, it seems that after I take certain vitamins it can go a little amber. Then it quickly resets. I think I'm getting 100 oz/day. I drink 20 ounces throughout the course of my sleep alone.

Would definitely like to avoid kidney stones. I'm sure that would make anything else I've experienced seem like a picnic. I've read the odds for the general population are about 6%, but 15% for DSers.

 

[newanatomy]

Hydration is absorbed through the small intestine, as ours is shortened, we need to be vigilant.

http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-Does-the-Small-Intestine-Do.aspx

Water

Most of the water in ingested food and beverages is absorbed by osmosis.

Approximately 80% is absorbed by the small intestine, 10% by the large intestine and the remaining 10% excreted in the faeces.

 

[duh_Mom]

@Marquis Mark I have wondered that myself. I think we do need as much as possible to flush our systems of the ketones, and waste products of burning all the fat, we are burning.
i always attempted to get ½ my weight in ounces of water when I was attempting to loose. I have been considering that now - it seemed that I lost better when I was getting that much water - so at 300 - 150 oz of water. Remember too, in hot weather - and exercise - need more.

 

[southernlady]

What NA said...while water is absorbed thru out the system, most of the absorption is in the small intestines. A massive portion of our small intestine is taken out of that as water no longer has contact with a large segment of the small intestine. Add to that, the small sleeve and the inability to drink much at one time, esp the first few months, and it is very easy to develop dehydration while healing.

But as long as your urine is almost clear (except the first one of the day) and your skin doesn't show signs of dehydration, you should be fine.

 

[Munchkin]

Everything absorbs SOME water! Here's what my understanding has always been and it agrees with what I have seen in the abdominal cavity. Food travels thru the small bowel in a sort of slurry. Looks like watery diarrhea. It's the colon that actually absorbs and uses most of the fluid. It decreases the volume by compacting the solids, removing the liquids, and makes poop. http://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/descending-colon

Yes, clear urine usually means you are hydrated. HOWEVER...if you take that B-complex, your urine will be bright yellow. That's how your body gets rid of extra B's in that megadose you just took! And if you love asparagus, your urine may be green too! So clear is good but there are things we do that affect the color.

Do we need more fluids than normies? Maybe a little and over time your body adapts. Since we characteristically have softer poop, we do lose more water out the rear than people who never had their systems surgically altered. It's most likely good for us to try for a bit more than what we normally drank preop. And no that doesn't mean you need to force hydrate 2 gallons a day. Here's what the Mayo Clinic has to say. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256

As far as I am concerned, fluids is fluids. I count everything I drink. Coffee, tea, diet soda, crystal light. I don't drink much plain water. I do try to make sure I get the 8 glasses a day. I live in NV and in the summer I drink more than that because of the extreme heat and dry conditions. I did a 6 mile power walk last August and it was 115 degrees. I did drink more than a gallon that day!

 

[Marquis Mark]

What NA said...while water is absorbed thru out the system, most of the absorption is in the small intestines. A massive portion of our small intestine is taken out of that as water no longer has contact with a large segment of the small intestine. Add to that, the small sleeve and the inability to drink much at one time, esp the first few months, and it is very easy to develop dehydration while healing.

But as long as your urine is almost clear (except the first one of the day) and your skin doesn't show signs of dehydration, you should be fine.

So it sounds like we basically neef the same amount of water as norms, but it just has to be ingested in smaller amounts and more frequently to accommodate our altered anatomy?

 

[southernlady]

So it sounds like we basically neef the same amount of water as norms, but it just has to be ingested in smaller amounts and more frequently to accommodate our altered anatomy?

Especially the first few months. It took me about 6 months before I could swallow like I did pre-op and not feel like my sleeve would explode! And sipping was a PITA but I did it. Now I can take big swallows.