Stopping fluids - sensitive

[anonanon4]

Please can anyone with personal experience describe what it is like when a person has liquids withdrawn and dies essentially from dehydration. On one website it says it is not too uncomfortable a way to pass after the initial thirst wears off, but elsewhere I read differently and it sounds bad. I’ve even read it is dangerous as prolonged dehydration leads to kidney damage and other horrible things. So you could just end up in more pain with more problems before death? I am confused. Is the experience completely different depending on if a person has an illness already. A healthy person would suffer more, but with an illness it is different? I just want to know exactly what the experience is like day to day until the end.

I’m more than a bit confused. Typically, you don’t control end of life via dehydration. Instead, end of life is due to something else that is actively occurring and you then limit liquids- but that’s to make them more comfortable as the actively dying body then doesn’t have to deal with processing liquid as well, it means less chance of it building up in lungs in the death process and so forth, but is not used as a mechanism to end life in and of itself. So not providing liquid is done at then in the active dying phase, not to cause death.
Obviously you would use glycerine mouth swabs or similar to keep someone comfortable while not providing liquids.

Ah I’m sorry someone you know is in this position OP. My relative was, didn’t have fluids (or nutrition obviously) for 3 weeks before death. That obviously meant she had zero energy so mainly just slept. She seemed as OK as could be expected - peaceful.

It is usual to stop drips (IV fluids), but continue to offer oral sips and mouthcare (water on sponge lollies) for comfort. If someone is at the end of life, they are often not as aware of their surroundings and will be kept comfortable with medications (often a relaxant and a painkiller) which may run into their skin or a drip.
It is variable how long people continue for, but rarely more than a few days, often hours.
Sending best wishes.

It says it can be done to hasten death for someone with terminal illness. Also part of the cause of death on the certificate may actually show up as dehydration alongside other things because of this.

Sorry that was to HoppingPavlova

Thanks for the kind replies. Basically I just can’t fathom what it must feel like to not have fluid, it sounds rather awful. In a healthy individual it is said to be a long and suffering way to go. The body can only go three days without water. So I just can’t fathom how comfortable this could be to someone already in pain and suffering. Obviously it is medically done for a reason, to hasten death, which I appreciate. I guess I’m just trying to imagine what exactly this would feel like, and if it is really the best and most comfortable option. I suppose it is best to not suffer as many days at the end. But also if I were to go without liquid for many days I think it would be a horrible experience. How can it be so different for someone who is terminally ill. I’m just trying to wrap my head around it, sorry.

If someone who is terminally ill has fluids withdrawn, it's usually very quick from there. My partners grandpa lasted 3 days.
At the point where this decision is made either by medical professionals or the person is to ill to drink their body doesn't know it's thirsty or hungry any more. I agree on the face of it that it seems barbaric but I've also read things where its believed to be a kinder death.
If someone experiences any pain they would be given pain relief injections.

The withdrawal of fluids is a consequence of active dying rather than a cause. The patient will have lost the ability to swallow or cough, and any fluid by mouth could cause them to choke or leak into the lungs.

As above, there are ways to ensure that the patient is comfortable with oral care.

Thank you

Do they experience seizures? Is that common?

My mother had fluids stopped and unfortunately she took 3 long weeks before she passed away. I found (and still do) that extremely difficult to come to terms with. After 6 days she was put on high dose morphine(?) where she was unconscious the rest of the time so she wouldn't feel any pain. I still visited every day but I just sat and chatted to her as though she was listening. It's hard.

My aunt did not receive fluids in her final days. She was unable to swallow properly, including managing her own saliva.
She was on end of life drugs and just slept all the time. She was not aware.

Very glad she had the morphine. 3 weeks is much longer than I ever thought could be possible without fluid. I am sorry for what you went through. Being there will have helped her I am sure of it. The subconscious mind can still process things even when the conscious mind cannot.

No, there is no reason why they would have seizures. If they have got to the stage of actively dying, they will just slip away. Having fluids ceased doesn't affect you the way it would when you were healthy.

Is the person seeing a palliative care team? They can talk you/them through all the options and what end-of-life care is likely to look like. Fluids wont be withdrawn in isolation, there will be other care in place to keep the person comfortable.

My FIL stopped having fluids in his last days. It was actually very hard for him to ingest any liquids and he was always telling the family members and the health care team that it was worse to be made to take a few sips than to have no liquids at all. He was suffering a lot and he was relieved when it stopped. Same thing with food: a relief to stop eating in his last 2 weeks.

If a person is actively dying, they stop their own fluids. If fluids are continued, they basically fill the tissues and actually “drown” the patient. They wouldn’t normally stop fluids unless the patient was very heavily sedated or without reason. Like someone above, this happened to my grandmother and she also took three weeks to pass away, but the situation was pretty dire prior to her being sedated. Ultimately it was awful for everyone to witness, but the kindest option for her. (She would have starved to death otherwise…)

It sounds horrible to us as we can not imagine coping without fluids. However by the time the decision is taken , the person is not functioning normally . They are not feeling any dreadful longing or thirst. Sometimes the heart is too weak to pump efficiently and it would place an extra burden on it , often the ability to swallow is gone or there is a danger that it could go to the lungs instead. It is not done to hasten death but is withdrawn as it serves no purpose . Most people would be on heavy doses of morphine or other pain killers and be comfortable with no distress.

Thank you OP. Is there a reason you are asking? Are you in medical discussions regarding a close relative or just curiosity? I know it shocked me seeing her survive for 3 more weeks (after 2 weeks of minimal fluids) when everywhere said humans could only survive 3 days without fluids. I now suspect it's 3 days before irreversible organ damage has occurred rather than death but one doesn't google too deeply at such times (or indeed, after).

Thank you everyone. I would like to say more but I am feeling bereft in this moment. But your information has helped greatly, thank you.

I am so sorry