I've got a drinking problem.........

[soberholic]

This is a weird one, but surely other people are like this, and hopefully other people will help me out of this but..........plain water doesn't stop me being thirsty. I have to drink diet drinks all day long, either fizzy or non fizzy.

I've done a Vipassana course (a meditation retreat which is pretty difficult and includes only drinking water (some coffee or tea allowed) for 10 days, and I was thirsty for the WHOLE time. It's bizarre. I had my husband meet me at the end of the course with diet cola!

1. I do drink water also.
2. I drink coffee in the mornings - that's not ever going to change.
3. I drink about 5 to 6 litres of fluid every day, so it's definitely too much.

I want to cut the 'habit', but when I keep to just water it feels like genuine, extreme thirst. I tried to keep to water yesterday, but I became 'thirsty' and upon getting home my hubby bought a load of drinks for me (non caffeine or sugar drinks, like diet orange soda etc) - at my request.

So I'm back to square one. What is this? I don't have diabetes, my weight is fine (BMI 19), any ideas?

@keepforgetting1

That's me, well remembered. Yes I keep to the same username. It's definitely not boredom, this problem existed when I lived and worked in England, but my husband is paying for everything right now, and that money could be better directed to other things (daughter!).

Alcoholism was a brief period between divorcing my violent ex and meeting my new husband (although I've relapsed now and then (miscarriages).

I'll try @teenmaw 's idea and see how that works.

Also, found baby classes! I'm booked in and going to one Saturday. Better late than never 😊

Get checked out by GP but if all is well make sure you drink your water slowly, I used to drink it fast and was told by a kinesiologist that I needed to drink slower or it just passes through the body too quickly. I also feel like I need something other than water to make sure the liquid goes through my body more slowly, I have 2 cordials a day, with a tiny splash of sparkling water to make them more enjoyable. Don't drink diet drinks, they are full of crap and mess up your body. Perhaps you felt thirsty missing your diet drinks because you were craving the caffeine in them. I would quit diet soda for sure.

5-6 litres of fluid a day on top of the hydration through food is potentially very dangerous. I agree you should see a GP because this really isn't normal. I assume if you run marathons you have heard of hyponatremia? You could overwhelm your kidneys and lose too much sodium leading to nasty symptoms, stomach problems & even seizures & death.

Quite apart from cutting out the artificially sweetened fizzy drinks you need to reduce your daily fluid intake to a normal level - which is about 2.5 litres including what you get through a healthy diet.

For the thirsty feeling - is it mainly dry mouth? You can get mouth wash and sprays from the pharmacy which may help get over that feeling.

Yeah you're right, it's a dangerous level. Japan doesn't have GPs, or anything similar - hence MN.

I'm reading everything that comes my way - only 1 rude reply so far which is good for MN.

I think I'll get a soda stream. Looks popular

I often crave salty soup, so I think you're on to something here.

It's probably a combination of these factors

I think it’s pretty common for recovering alcoholics to feel the need to drink a lot of fluid throughout the day. My ex used to drink pints of black tea to quench his thirst and he was a very low bodyweight too.

Can you add a small amount of natural fruit juice to the water to flavour it rather than drinking fizzy pop?

In Japan there’s a drink called Pocari Sweat that’s supposed to be good for rehydrating you but I’ve not had one in a few years so I can’t remember the ingredients.

If you used to be a heavy drinker are you sure it's not just that you're used to drinking strong flavoured liquid and are trying to replace the "satisfying" feeling you used to get from alcohol?

Except it doesn't work which is why you're getting through 5-5 litres a day.

Why don't you try an air up bottle? It's just water but will have a taste

Cold black tea with lots of ice and/or a couple of slices of lemon, lime or orange is also nice.

Also water with lots of cucumber slices or mint.

No (addiction) but, I'm taking your kind advice on board. If you think linked, it could well be.

So then I treat this as an addiction.

@Button28384738 what's an air up bottle?

@sunsetsandboardwalks thank you for your input, my alcoholism started a clear decade after this habit,
@PosiePerkinPootleFlump @Birdseyetrifle have identified a problem, others a potential solution.

I'm gonna try! 😊

Good shout. I've got decaff tea here from pregnancy, I'll make it now

I know several people who have been in your position, no definite cause but to cut them then reduced initially limiting to 2litres per day, then cutting further. Adding fresh lemon or orange slices to water that you chill makes a preservative free more interesting drink for between your suds allowance. It will take time to reduce the cravings so don't expect after a week not to be missing it.

If after cutting back to normal consumption levels (500ml bottle per day for example) and trying to stick for 6 weeks you are still feeling raging thirst get to your gp, until you wean yourself off they won't be able to say the cause in my experience

Japan - no JPs - is only 500 ml normal??

@soberholic

shop.air-up.com/gb/en

All the rage in my DDs school

For a normal active woman who isn't undertaking regular strenuous exercise and is in a temperate or cool climate, about 2.5L per day of fluid is required. 20-30% of that will come from a healthy diet containing fruit & vegetables.

More may be needed if you are in a very physically active job or doing high intensity exercise and/or in a hot or humid environment.

Best test is the colour of your urine and frequency of peeing. Light straw colour & regularly needing the loo is about right. Almost transparent and peeing constantly you are potentially overhydrated and dark tan/orange & hardly ever needing the loo you are dehydrated. This can be affected by medication and medical conditions (and some foods) though so it's another guide not a hard & fast rule.

Thank you for that. I think I need to visit a doctor about this then. I've got ibs so it could be related.

Do you have ADHD? My ds before diagnosis was always craving coke and drinking fizzy drinks but since getting a diagnosis and being medicated l never see him drinking those drinks now. He was in his 30s. Drink problems can sometimes come from ADHD too.
Also my friend who is very thin and l rarely see her eat went to the doctor with a racing heart. As she never drinks coffee or tea he asked about drinks and she admitted she was drinking many cans of DIET coke each day. He said that's causing your racing heart and you must stop. The fright made her never drink another drop. She was turned off immediately due to fear for her health.
I am never thirsty. It seems strange to me to hear someone say so many times about being thirsty.
I just have a few cups of tea and a few glasses of water throughout the day ..more from routine than any actual thirst. Get checked out. And read up about ADHD especially in women as its not all about being hyperactive.