Could I have done some damage to myself?

[twoisplenty]

I really really struggle to drink enough, even to the point of not drinking for upto 2 days (that was last week, no food or drink for 48 hrs) and not yesterday either (but ate thick soup). (recovering anorexic, please don't judge)

Today I have woken with mild, regular pains in my lower abdomen, with some pains in my arm.

What does long-term dehydration do? Could I have done some harm?

Possibly. If your kidneys are not getting enough fluid through them, there are consequences.

I don't know if your symptoms are related, so I think an appointment with your GP is the next step.

In the meantime, please get water through your system. Without it, your body is storing toxins and you're storing up a whole heap of trouble that you really, really don't want - my Dad died of kidney failure and the work that went on to try and save him was horrendous. Please don't go there.

I'm really sorry about your dad Doodlez. With that in mind, I have booked a GP appointment today, but I'm really scared about it, you know, having to explain the circumstances.

These pains are moving around me now, in my chest, in my leg. Very odd. Not nice. Hence the appointment.

And I am really trying hard to drink, but I hate it.

Can you suck ice lollies? or ice pops?? even ice cubes - you must drink!.

Hmm, ice lollies might be an idea. I was thinking of something thick, like a thick smoothie, then it's less like a drink?

But what damage could I have done? That's what's worrying me.

I dont think there is enough liquid in a smoothie. I am sorry, but you need pure water. Can you try suck on ice cubes? Can you freeze some juice, if you want more flavour?

What I meant to say, have the smoothie, but get some extra water or juice in you! I did not mean to put you off your smoothie.

Right, I am off to try ice cubes. I have had a little orange juice. Pure water...I will try.

I have just made the mistake of googling...not good news.

I was exhausted at the weekend, could hardly stand up for more than 5 minutes at a time. I guess I need the GP to know this too. I am immensely stressed atm, so hence the eating disorder going on. I am hating it.

A smoothie is a start but like Quint has already said, you need water. I drink skinny water for a number of reasons, one being that i don't like water and this tastes nice and makes sure i drink something.

No judging here, am in same boat (ish)

You have my sympathy mumofmonsters. How do you manage to drink enough if you don't mind me asking?

can you just take little sips through a straw? would that help?

TIP, i try not to worry about "enough". I drink a lot of tea which i know isn't ideal but at least i am drinking. I drink the skinny water too which means i am getting some kind of liquid.

Hard for me to advise properly as i prefer to restrict.

Even frequent sips will help. If a big glass seems off putting then try a little glass and take frequent sips. I find that the thing about drinking water is that once you start your body seems to crave it and you want it more. You just have to trigger that.

Do you like herbal teas? I like mint or lemon and ginger.

I would have thought that for you smoothies would be harder for you to get down?

I'm so fussy! I don't like hot drinks, I don't like water much, I like weak juice. I don't like milk.

I would have a little fruit tea.

Smoothies are hard to get down, yes, but not as hard as fluid, it's hard to explain, but I get all panicky about fluid. I would rather eat a biscuit than drink...mad I know.

How on earth am I going to explain this to the GP? And I know his wife, too

Hi Two.
I'm not sure about the pains thing, sometimes dehydration can create an imbalance in your physiology causing cramps or something, but I don't think it will be life threatening immediately.

I've also struggled with drinking since I was severely anorexic a few years ago.

I wondered what it is that makes you unable to drink...for me, it was feeling full too quickly and thinking I would make myself sick, which firghtened me.

I needed some proper facts to get my head around it before I would dare risk drinking, but nobody seemed to know the answers.

Maybe if you could say why you are worried about it we could look at it together.

I now drink OK, not enough but OK - I can have a cup of tea and finish it, if I am left alone to - never with company. I found I didn't feel full if I didn't eat before drinking...it was drinking after something else that was filling me up, and I also used to eat a lot of chocolate which made me feel too full.

Being dehydrated can also make you feel absolutely unable to drink, for some reason, but it goes if you start sipping. Or trick your body with some salty crisps which will need you to drink to compensate!

Re explaining, you need to be straightforward and clear. Apologise if you want to, and say 'this is going to sound daft I know, but I cannot help it at the moment' then explain what you cannot do and exactly why you are worried.

Look right at him, speak slowly, and get it all out...'I sometimes do not drink for 2 days, and am concerned about these pains I am getting, could they be related?'

He will doubtless say 'drink more,. have you tried such and such' GPs find us v frustrating, which I can relate to and I'm sure you can too!

You have to then say 'No, I cannot do that. I am trying to be sensible but what I need right now is your reassurance that this isn't causing serious damage'.

They need to know what you need from them iyswim. Tell them what they can and cannot do for you, and what is something only you can do. Otherwise they will try and cure you in 10 minutes which ain't gonna happen

Plus he can't tell his wife. It would be unethical.

Try not to worry, you'll get past this eventually. Is the cause of stress being dealt with?

i got better remarkably quickly when I fell in love. It gave me the confidence to tell myself not to be silly, to be brave and take the leap.

I dont have anorexia experiance
but MoM
I car about you and have to say this to you because I cant not

thinking 'at least you're drinking' about tea
is not a good idea

it's full of caffeine which robs you of your fluids
Its a diuretic

if one was drinking the recommended 8 large glasses of water a day and they had cup of tea then they would be advised to drink an extra cup of water to try to combat the diuretic properties of the tea

theoretically one should drink an extra glass of water for each caffeinated drink

I dont mean to preach but I didn't want you to not realise that if you worried about your fluid intake then the tea isn't really 'at least I'm drinking' as it's actually not going to help if you having trouble getting enough

huge
and please shout at me if I've overstepped the mark, offended you etc
I'm sorry

I drink a lot of decaf tea, Trin...maybe Mom does too? You are nice to care x

twoisplenty, do you have one of those waterbags with tubes attached anywhere? when I am walking I find it very difficult to drink enough and end up dehydrated (different situation, I know, sorry) - a water bag (also called camelpak i think) helped because i clipped the tube very close to my mouth and just kept taking sips, so i had a regular intake of water. Might be worth a try.
Good luck.

Thank you so much Flightattendant for being so understanding.

The cause of stress is ongoing, and I am having counselling. It was the counselling that triggered the anorexia (from years ago). For six months now, I have struggled with food and drink. Right now, food is manageable in small amounts, but drink is horrid.

OK, why is drinking so hard? I hate the feeling of it in my mouth. When I am feeling worried/panicky about eating, I can only eat dry food, or thick food, such as soup, bread, but other foods such as rice are horrid. It's all to do with texture. So there is no way I could eat juicy fruit because of the sensation of fluid exploding in my mouth, iyswim. Hence, fluid is flooding my mouth, and then I feel it going down.

It's only at times of big stress that I feel like this. Other times, drinking is ok, not great, but ok.

Counselling is helping to come to terms with bad times from years ago, plus a bad birth experience leading to my ds having severe disability. It will take a long time to feel better, I am told.

I like your advice re the GP. I hope he understands eating disorders a bit. It's hopeless if he doesn't. But yes, I want reassurance that I am not killing myself I guess, or damaging vital organs along the way.

I need to go out now, be back later.

THanks everyone.

catastrojb - sorry, missed your post. No, I don't have anything like that. But I do understand your thinking on taking sips wherever I am, that sounds ok. I shall have a think about what I can do.

oh god I feel awful now
I didn#t respond to you op

and I dont know of it is caffeinated tea

I'm sorry

ops good luck to you
I'm really sorry I dont have any tips to add to the ones that have already been said
MoM I'm sorry
if its decaf then it's a fab idea
sorry

op good luck to you

not ops...

I really have to do now! But Trinity, you sound wonderful and caring, and don't worry. Stop saying sorry, it's so nice to be on MN chatting. Don't get your coat!

go now not do now...